Excalibur (Widescreen)

"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 film follows "Le Mort D'Arthur" quite accurately for the most part. All the highlights that have become part of mythic culture are here- Arthur pulling the sword from the stone and becoming king, Arthur organizing the idealistic Round Table and the heroic quest of the Knights to procure the Holy Grail, Queen Guenevere and Lancelot's adulterous affair, Morgana's scheme of having a son by Arthur her own brother in order that her son Mordred may rule the land. And of course, the climatic finale in which Arthur and his son Mordred fight to the death and the return of the Excalibur sword into the lake as well as Arthur's departure on a barge with three queens who take him to the island of Avalon. The music is mostly Wagner, the most mystical of German composers, who had a fixated obscession with Grail legend, as in his opera Parsifal, the music of which is used in this film. The movie also makes use of Tristan and Isolde's love theme for the Guenevere/Lancelot affair and the noble and tragic sounding Siegfried's Funeral March from Gotterdammerung appropiately played in the finale. I have always felt that this movie's strongest performances were Merlin and Morgana. Helen Mirren's Morgana is ambitious, cruel and seductive, perfectly suited for the character of a sorceress. Merlin, of course, makes a terrific performance as the wizard-prophet. He is in his own words "A dream to some, a nightmare to others". I would have liked to see more of an explanation for Guenevere and Lancelot's relationship. They, too, had a strong, spiritual connection, despite the carnal side of it. The only reason Camelot fell was because all that was holding it up fell down, mainly Guenevere and King Arthur were to remain faithful and the Grail was to be found by a more humane and noble knight without a flaw. But the message, in a Christian way, is that we are all humans, imperfect and that some day the lost state of grace and perfection can be achieved through a Christ-like King. Arthur is after all a reflection of Jesus, meant to return again, healed from his wounds to rule as king. The story of life itself, its vulnerability, its nobility and its constant search for perfection, is written all over this film. One of my all time favorite movies.