Excalibur

[mattydread]

My favorite british film, or any film for that matter, is Excalibur. In fact I am looking for a documentary on the film called "the making of excalibur, myth into movie" by Neil Jordan with no luck. It's not the best film ever made, but it is my favorite. I think it really captures the mythical wonder of the Arthurian legend, through lighting, photography, music, and a good cast. You might make the argument that it influenced the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. Remember the ships setting sail in the end...etc. but I don't really know. I do know that Boorman praised the trilogy.

[Jim]

mattydread:

My favorite british film, or any film for that matter, is Excalibur. In fact I am looking for a documentary on the film called "the making of excalibur, myth into movie" by Neil Jordan with no luck. It's not the best film ever made, but it is my favorite. I think it really captures the mythical wonder of the Arthurian legend, through lighting, photography, music, and a good cast. You might make the argument that it influenced the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. Remember the ships setting sail in the end...etc. but I don't really know. I do know that Boorman praised the trilogy.

SORRY FOR THE LONG REPLY MATTYDREAD. I HAVE THE 'EXCALIBUR' ON DVD. IT IS A GOOD FILM, WITH THE LOVELY IRISH COUNTRYSIDE. BUT THE FINAL SCENES, WITH THE DYING ARTHUR AND PERCIVAL THROWING THE SWORD INTO THE LAKE AND, THE 'HAND' COMING UP TO CATCH IT! MAGIC, AND WITH THE MUSIC OF WAGNER, WRITTEN CENTURIES AFTER THE ARTHURIAN LEGEND - MAGIC TOO! MIND YOU OLD HELEN MIRREN IS A BIT OF MAGIC AS WELL!

thumbs_u

[Myrtle Morrison]

Hiya



I am a big fan of Excalibur too. fortunately i still have a recorded version from BBC2 Moviedrome with Alex Cox briefly discussing the film beforehand. he also mentions that Boorman had long anticipated doing his own version of Lord of the Rings but never got round to doing it thus he made "excalibur" instead.



Lets see if the new "King Arthur" film is a patch on this classic - i meanwhile am wanting the soundtrack ...



Myrtle

[David Challinor]

I have an excellent book on John Boorman's films - currently at a friends house! When I get it back there may be a few gems I can list here....it goes up to and including The Emerald Forest. I too love Excalibur, but think Deliverence is his best film to date. My own personal feeling about the director is that he is probably the most 'hit' and 'miss' director Britain, or any other country, has. I mean he produces great films (see above + Hope & Glory, Hell in the Pacific) though each seems followed by a massive turkey/financial failure, such as Exoricist 2 or Zardoz or Where the Heart Is

[42ndStreetFreak]

Wonderful!

vastly overblown and melodramatic but done with such class and passion it gets away with it.

Amazingly armour, some good performances (esp Nicol Williamson's delightfully essayed Merlin) and a well used score.



And the use of Thomas Malory's fable is a major plus.

The stupidly 'normal' and suposedly 'historical' "King Arthur" should have took notice.

[HUGHJAMPTON]

By far the best version of the Arthurian legend, and a great all star cast. Nicol Williamson is great as Merlin, and I quite like Nigel Terry's interpretation of Arthur from boy to man.

[narabdela]

One of my favourites as well. The use of Wagner's music is superb.

[moonfleet]

Nicol Williamson is a great actor....

I do enjoy Excalibur, a magnificent film, using iconics of the Arthurian "saga" with the political (and magical) views for power governing, and not only the mystical sides of the legend.



Moon. (who hopes she made herself clear ....)



PS: = John Boorman....I've watched Point Blank few days ago

[mikey4444]

I am a sucker for anything Authurian and went to see the film as soon as it came out. I enjoyed it but I have never been sure about Nichol Willaimson. If I am honest, the words hammy and acting seem to come to mind ! Also in the Odean in Swansea on the night I saw, the audience fell about laughing when Nigel Terry uttered his first lines, with that awful Irish accent. Not sure if the screening I saw survived that.

[penfold]

Irish?? I thought it was more Mummerset.....but disallowing that, a great performance, in amongst many others including Mr Williamson - Merlin has to be theatrical - and an awful lot of big actors got their break in that film. So sad that both Lancelot and Mordred are no longer with us.....no ages, either of them.

[wadey]

Agreed a great film and great music

[didi-5]

I really like Excalibur as well; didn't know Mordred had passed. Of Boorman's other films I quite liked The Emerald Forest but probably watched Deliverance when I was too young: haven't been able to sit through it again.

[Onedin]

'Excalibur' is one of my all-time favourite movies. Not just because it is superb, but it has my favourite actress in it.

[Timmy_Lea]

Can only endorse what has been said, its the definitive movie version of the King Arthur myth. Nicol Williamson is superbly mad & unpredictable as Merlin.

[Torquemada]

Can only endorse what has been said, its the definitive movie version of the King Arthur myth. Nicol Williamson is superbly mad & unpredictable as Merlin.

Absolutely, he's definitely the best thing about a very a good film. But good as the film is it definitely goes a little flat when Merling goes missing two thirds the way through.

[BillTurner80]

Ah yes, thanks to Nicholson's Merlin and the Charm of Making, our D&D nights wouldn't be the same without at least one of us going:

Anáil nathrach orth bhais betha, do cheol déanta ! (Non-phonetic, obviously!)

[batman]

It is a good film, very atmospheric and Williamson is terrific. Nigel Terry is a pretty dull Arthur though and the film definitely loses it's way two thirds through. Tighter editing could have sorted that out and the film is definitely a bit too long as well.

[Onedin]

Cherie Lunghi really made an entrance with that debut role of Guinevere, didn't she....... and a lasting impression on many people.

[Tony Pendrey]

I watched this last night. I saw it at the cinema originally.



For some reason I found the performance of Nicol Williamson to be intensely irritating. It was as if he had decided to adopt a style of acting that was trying to be "different". IMHO.



Despite it's flaws it is a nicely atmospheric film.