Excalibur

"Excalibur" is a terrific attempt at bringing the Arthurian legend to the screen. Director John Boorman was at pains to present what he called a "mythological truth," meaning he stayed faithful (excepting minor changes) to the stories of Thomas Mallory, Chretien de Troyes and Geoffrey of Monmouth. The dialogue, visual imagery and classical music of Richard Wagner and Carl Orff evoke a sense of primeval epic romance, but one with a hard edge of modernity, particularly in the quirky performance of Nicol Williamson as Merlin.

An aura of enchantment is created through the use of luminescent greens and shimmering silver, colours which also heighten audience perception of a world in transition from paganism to Christianity. Less satisfactory is the way the story builds into the crucial Grail sequence. The mystical secret of redemption revealed to Percival (Paul Geoffrey) is awkwardly correlated with the corruption of knightly virtues, the land in turmoil and Arthur's (Nigel Terry) depressive sickness. Perhaps it is a symptom of the film trying to cover too much ground at the expense of structural development. Also unfortunate is the bizarrely outlandish appearance of Mordred (Robert Addie) whose masked helmet looks like something out of a religious mystery play!

Regardless of these imperfections, an impressive array of acting talent including Helen Mirren, Patrick Stewart, Cherie Lunghi, Gabriel Byrne and a young Liam Neeson make the most of an engaging script. Who could forget Arthur's rallying cry to "ride once more with [his] knights to defend what was and the dream of what could be!"

A sword fashioned when the world was new. A king to wield the sword. A comrade to betray the king. An unfaithful queen forlorn. A wizard to watch over them all.

"Excalibur" is not a story about a precise location at some specific point in a time. Rather it is Legend itself; a dreamy tale about one brief, shining moment in a fantastic, magical kingdom. Filled with romance and adventure, "Excalibur" captures both the essence of, and the spirit of, the "knights in shining armor" interpretation of the Arthurian legend.

There are so many beautiful sequences in "Excalibur," such as Perceval's quest for the Holy Grail, or the entire end sequence, set in motion when Mordred says to Arthur, "Come, father, let us embrace at last." Director John Boorman skillfully blends realism and authenticity by way of a mythical setting.

No other film has ever captured the romantic notion of the Arthurian legend, both in scenery and drama, quite like "Excalibur." To this day, I still get the chills when I hear "O Fortuna" from Carmina Burana over the visuals of the last of the knights of the Round Table riding into battle with Mordred's forces. "Excalibur" is, quite simply, cinematic perfection.

NOTE: Several exceptional and distinguished Shakespearian actors appear in "Excalibur" including Nicol Williamson, Helen Mirren, Patrick Stewart, Liam Neeson, Gabriel Byrne, Nigel Terry and Cherie Lunghi.

The thing to remember about this movie is that it was made in 1981. By that token, do not expect non stop battle sequences, one dimensional acting and obviously fake computer cg graphics. This is a movie in the old tradition, in the vein of something like "The Lion in Winter." It is not a non stop action epic and takes pride in slowly building up the story according the classical tales of King Arthur. I like to think of this as a great adaptation in the grand old style. Bravo.