Excalibur

Excalibur
by John Boorman

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DVD details

Actor: Cherie Lunghi, Helen Mirren, Nicholas Clay, Nigel Terry, Paul Geoffrey
Director: John Boorman
Brand: WILLIAMSON,NICOL
Producer: John Boorman
Writer: John Boorman
Producer: Edgar F. Gross
Producer: Michael Dryhurst
Producer: Robert A. Eisenstein
Writer: Rospo Pallenberg
Writer: Thomas Malory
DVD: 2 Layers, Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 5.1; English (Subtitled); French (Subtitled)
Format: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD, NTSC, Widescreen
Picture Format: Anamorphic Widescreen, 1.85:1
Running Time: 140 minutes
DVD Release Date: 1999-09-21
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Studio: Warner Home Video

DVD Reviews of Excalibur

DVD Review: Excellent Escape
Summary: 5 Stars

I enjoy watching this movie and you never can catch it on AMC or the other channels that show older movies. I highly recommend this movie for those of you that are into the fantasy flicks.

DVD Review: Excellent Version Of The King Arthur myth
Summary: 4 Stars

EXCALIBUR---(1981)Nicol Williamson, Helen Mirren, Nigel Terry,Nicholas Clay, Liam Neeson, Patrick Stewart.
This is by far the most faithful cinematic rendering of the "Arthurian myth" that I am aware of. It is based on Sir Thomas Malory's, "Le Morte d'Arthur" and retains all of the archetypal, allegorical elements---The Sword of Power---Excalibur, The Lady Of The Lake, The Fisher King motif, the Grail Quest, etc.---of the myth. Nicol Williamson is a delight as Merlin and Helen Mirren is an appropriately seductive, but deadly, Morgana. In addition to remaining faithful to Malory, the film is just beautiful to look at---gorgeously filmed by Cinematographer Alex Thomson. Liam Neeson makes his screen debut and it's Patrick Stewart's 3rd film

DVD Review: They sent me a copy that would not play!!
Summary: 1 Stars

Love this movie!But the copy I got would not play in my DVD player!Thanks for nothin"!

DVD Review: The One True King Arthur
Summary: 4 Stars

There have been good Arthurian movies and miniseries; Tristan and Isolde, Lancelot du Lak (Bresson), Percival (Romar), Mists of Avalon, and a few others.

There have been very bad Arthurian movies/miniseries; Merlin and the Sword (1982), Merlin (Sam Neil), The Last Legion, and several others.

There are Arthurian movies that are somewhere inbetween; First Knight, Sword of Lancelot, King Arthur, and others.

Excalibur is by far one of the best, if not THE best Arthurian movie ever made. a true arthurian classic.

it attempts the retell King Arthur's life story from his birth until his death.
and it does it quit well.

now I admit the script may not be great and this movie may not be top notch but its by far one of the superior King Arthur movies Ive ever seen.

one of the best things for sure is the actors.
Nigel Terry as the brave King Arthur. Helen Mirren excelles as the villeness Morgana (Morgan le fay). Gabriel Bryne makes a good King Uther.

however it is Nicol Williamson that steals every scean with his performance as Merlin. displaying every aspect that there is to the wizard. the prophet, the lover, the trickster, and so on.

the movie also contains many elements from the orgnal legends. the sword in the stone, the wounded king, the grail quest, and others.

it also has the underlining element of the land and the king are one.
something borrowed from Jessie Weston's From Ritual to Romance.
now its true this movie is not an exact retelling. but it has all the elements of the orginal legends.

I have to admit it was this movie that helped get me interested in arthurian legends.

the movie begins with Uther who is at war with Gorlois. Uther wants to be king, but Merlin wants peace. Merlin gives the sword Excalibur to Uther to use.
Uther however lusts after the wife of Gorlois, Igraine.
he wants Merlin to help him claim her.
this brings about the boy Arthur.

Merlin takes Arthur away, while Uther is killed by his enemies and places Excalibur into a stone.
years later young Arthur is living with Sir Ector and his son Sir Kay.
the boy is not aware of his true greatness.
not until he is the only one able to pull the sword from the stone.
the other kings do not acept him so Arthur is forced to do battle with them.

for many years Arthur has many battles until meeting with Sir Lancelot. both fight as enemies but become friends. Excalibur is broken but reforged.

more time passes as Arthur and his knights expell all the enemis of the land.
it is then that Arthur takes Gunievere for his wife, but she is fated to love Lancelot.

Lancelot defends the queen's honor in a dule, but is wounded. the knight and the queen become lovers which threatens to tare the kingdom apart.
Arthur is enraged by this.

it is at this moment Morgana plays her hand, she traps Merlin and concives a son by sleeping with Arthur. she bares Mordred, the king's bane.

Arthur is wounded by God for his sins.
the quest for the Grail then begins.
all the while Mordred grows and becomes enbittered towards the king.

its is only Percival that is able to find the Grail and heal the king.
it is a glorious moment when the king is healed and the land becomes alive again.

however Arthur must now go out and do battel with Mordred, which proves his downfall.

in the end he is taken away to the isle of Avalon to be healed.

The movie does a great job in telling this story, again it may not be top notch but it does a decent job.

the movie also is aided with snachs from Wagner. bits from Tristan and Isold, Percevial, and Twilight of the Gods. O Fortunata is used quit often in this movie as well.

all in all this is probly one of the best of the Arthurian movies.
a true classic.

DVD Review: The Best Version
Summary: 5 Stars

Of all the Arthurian legend movies, Excalibur is the best. It follows the legend almost to the letter. It is a John Boorman in every way. One of the pleasures about this movie are the many famous stars who are seen in what must have been one of their first roles. Shot before the digital era, what you see is for real. Music score (Carmine Baruna) is hauntingly appropriate for the mood that's set.

Description of Excalibur

Retelling of the myths of King Arthur, the legendary 5th-6th century monarch, as well as Merlin, Uther Pendragon, the Holy Grail and the Lady of the Lake.
Genre: Feature Film-Action/Adventure
Rating: R
Release Date: 8-FEB-2005
Media Type: DVD

This lush retelling of the legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table is a dark and engrossing tale. Director John Boorman (Deliverance) masterfully handles the tale of the mythical sword Excalibur, and its passing from the wizard Merlin to the future king of England. Arthur pulls the famed sword from a stone and is destined to be crowned king. As the king embarks on a passionate love affair with Guenevere, an illegitimate son, and Merlin's designs on power, threaten Arthur's reign. The film is visually stunning and unflinching in its scenes of combat and black magic. Featuring an impressive supporting cast, including early work from the likes of Liam Neeson and Gabriel Byrne, Excalibur is an adaptation of the legend both faithful and bold. --Robert Lane

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