It took me three tries, but I finally got into John Boorman's 1981 fantasy epic, "Excalibur." Now that I'm in, I'm all in. In spite of a rocky start (the result of abrupt pacing, overly dramatic vocal characterization, and general weirdness), "Excalibur" emerges one of the most incredible, certainly the most visually impressive cinematic rendering of the Arthurian legend.
Somewhat episodic in structure, the film features everything you could want from a regal fantasy film: swords clashing with armor on the battlefield, shimmering magic, good and evil in head-on conflict, and breathtaking sets and costumes. Alex Thomson's rich cinematography is another plus for the film, as are Nicol Williamson as an appropriately mysterious and clever Merlin and also Helen Mirren, used to the exquisite extent of her blossoming abilities as wicked Morgana.
Not in the best interests of the film: blending some of Trevor Jones' original score compositions with existing opera selections, which feel too well-known and are not mythological or timeless enough to score a picture like this. Jones should have been allowed to carry the entire soundtrack-- he could have handled it quite easily; this is the "Dark Crystal" composer, after all. The most painful of these is a culturally ubiquitous passage from "Carmina Burana," extremely overrated and a bit on the cliché side.
The abrupt pacing is also not kind to the movie, with major new plot points being raised in a matter of seconds and, at times, dropped just as quickly. Nigel Terry seems initially overwhelmed as King Arthur, but, like the character, rises to the occasion. Although Cherie Lunghi is an enchanting Guenevere, in fact one of the best in any version of the story.
Look also for Patrick Stewart and Liam Neeson as knights. This is before they were quite so famous.
Of the John Boorman films I've seen (which includes "Deliverance") this is by far the best, in spite of its shortcomings. If only he'd been allowed to direct "Exorcist II" with as much narrative cohesion as "Excalibur", it would have been a masterpiece comparable to the original.
Somewhat episodic in structure, the film features everything you could want from a regal fantasy film: swords clashing with armor on the battlefield, shimmering magic, good and evil in head-on conflict, and breathtaking sets and costumes. Alex Thomson's rich cinematography is another plus for the film, as are Nicol Williamson as an appropriately mysterious and clever Merlin and also Helen Mirren, used to the exquisite extent of her blossoming abilities as wicked Morgana.
Not in the best interests of the film: blending some of Trevor Jones' original score compositions with existing opera selections, which feel too well-known and are not mythological or timeless enough to score a picture like this. Jones should have been allowed to carry the entire soundtrack-- he could have handled it quite easily; this is the "Dark Crystal" composer, after all. The most painful of these is a culturally ubiquitous passage from "Carmina Burana," extremely overrated and a bit on the cliché side.
The abrupt pacing is also not kind to the movie, with major new plot points being raised in a matter of seconds and, at times, dropped just as quickly. Nigel Terry seems initially overwhelmed as King Arthur, but, like the character, rises to the occasion. Although Cherie Lunghi is an enchanting Guenevere, in fact one of the best in any version of the story.
Look also for Patrick Stewart and Liam Neeson as knights. This is before they were quite so famous.
Of the John Boorman films I've seen (which includes "Deliverance") this is by far the best, in spite of its shortcomings. If only he'd been allowed to direct "Exorcist II" with as much narrative cohesion as "Excalibur", it would have been a masterpiece comparable to the original.