 | |
List Price: $12.98 | | Label: Warner Home Video
Salesrank: 2597
Released: September 21, 1999 |
| Our Price: $1.69 |
| Used Price: $1.30 |
|
MPAA Rating: R (Restricted)
Media: DVD |
|
Editorial Review:
Director John Boorman's passionate adaptation of Sir Thomas Malory's LE MORTE D'ARTHUR stars Nigel Terry as the faithful King Arthur. Necromancer Merlin (Nicol Williamson) offers the magic sword Excalibur to the warlike Uther Pendragon (Gabriel Byrne) in exchange for a promise that he'll make peace with his enemy, the duke of Cornwall (Corin Redgrave). He agrees but breaks his word after catching sight of Cornwall's wife, Igraine (Katrine Boorman). With the magician's help he makes love to the woman in the guise of her husband. She bears a child, Arthur, who is taken by Merlin as payment for his assistance and left in the care of Ector (Clive Swift). Years pass, and the boy, now a humble squire, pulls Excalibur from the stone in which Uther had sunk it--a task no other could accomplish. With Merlin's counsel, he marries the stunning Guenevere (Cherie Lunghi), finds a champion in Sir Lancelot (Nicholas Clay), subdues the skirmishing knights, and builds the Round Table to unite them. Yet his half-sister, Morgana (Helen Mirren), lurks in the shadows, preparing to poison her brother's reign. Perhaps the best film made in this genre, EXCALIBUR benefits from an extraordinary cast, including appearances by Byrne, Patrick Stewart, and Liam Neeson early in their celluloid careers. Counterpointing ethereally filtered sex scenes against scenes of graphic blood-and-guts swordplay, Boorman's sumptuous production galvanizes the familiar mythology, as he charts the transition from an age of magic to one of reason.
Description of Excalibur:
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
Excalibur Reviews:
They sent me a copy that would not play!! 
2009-11-07 - Love this movie!But the copy I got would not play in my DVD player!Thanks for nothin"!
The One True King Arthur 
2009-11-02 - 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.
The Best Version 
2009-10-28 - 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.
Forged by a god, foretold by a wizard, found by a man
2009-09-19 - A film classic based on Sir Thomas Malory's 1485 book "Le Morte D'Arthur". Everyone has a favorite part. Few remember the whole film. And we notice something more with each viewing.
When you first see Excalibur rising from the lake you know you are in for a great cinema graphic movie.
We get our entire favorite King Author stories well spliced together of form one cohesive tale including the search for the Grail. The round table had a unique symbol in the center.
Some time is spent trying to recognize our favorite actors when they were young. Who would have guessed that Igrayne (Katrine Boorman) was in the film "Zardos" (1974) also produced by John Boorman.
Also trying to identify the music mostly Richard Wagner (from "Parsifal", "Tristan und Isolde" and "Götterdämmerung").
After viewing this film it is time to get a different view of the same stories with the film "The Mists of Avalon" (2001) or maybe Merlin (1998).
The Mists of Avalon ~ Anjelica Huston
Oh Excalibur -- so Dark and Fair +++
2009-09-14 - I really got into spot-on "Excalibur" intensely. This singular version of The Matter of Britannia is very "two-sided" in a well-and-good way. In many areas, this production is both Dark and Fair, for a great redoubled richness. The settings are both Dark and Fair -- with lots of grey, brown, blood and black shades and shadows balanced by shining and sparkling flashes of chrystaline colors. The interior Castle scenery has shadowy areas mottled with blazing fiery areas. Dark walls and halls are lit-up with fantastic tapestries and shiny silver and golden decor. Hazy dusty smoky dark-lit areas are broken-up via beams of sunshine peeking inward from lofty openings and side portals. Dark gritty grimmy fortification stonework alternates with shiny silvery marble-like finishings. The Knights and Men-at-Arms have dark grey armor and weaponry at times and blindingly shiny silvery gear at other times. They wander thru shadowy wooded leafy trees mottled with golden patches and rays of sunshine. The weather and water is at various times dark and stormy or calm and sunny. Human actions and passions alter dark and fair. Dark grimness is moderated by humor. Much of this is intended as symbolic with scene-sets matching mind-sets -- for a very vivid cross-enforcement of ongoing themes. "Excalibur" follows the traditional Le Morte D'Arthur well -- as well as creatively. I especially appreciated the Sword-and-Sorcery -- via realistic bloody grim combat and dark magic as well as flourishes of swordplay and wonderful usage of glowing emerald green romantic spotlit accents thruout the whole movie +++
