Excalibur (1981) | Movie Reaction | First Time Watching | The Legend of King Arthur!

Thanks to Grandaddy Dudester for the Special Request. We both check out the Legend of King Arthur adaptation, Excalibur (1981). Here's our reaction to our first time watching.
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[@kingfield99]

That image when Arthur returns and rides through the land as the flowers bloom is just perfect, a great movie to watch on the Summer Solstice.

[@kennethfharkin]

It is phenomenal and inspired a Guinness commercial. In the commercial people were on a train in B/W or sepia racing through a similar color landscape. As Guinness is poured and settles first one, then the rest of the train begins singing the Carmina Burana, just as in the Excalibur scene. The camera pans back as the train races through the countryside, music and singing growing in intensity, while flowers bloom on both sides of the track and color returns to the world. The clip used to be available online but all links to it are now dead.

[@NylonStrap]

When Arthur hands Excalibur over to Uryens to knight him still gives me the chills. It shows the true character of both men.

[@pokeycantdance9039]

Love this film. When O Fortuna kicks in when they're all charging off through the trees, classic.

[@anathardayaldar]

I can't stop calling it Bib Fortuna

[@JustWasted3HoursHere]

The music in this is one of its best features, right from the very beginning title sequence.

[@terryhughes7349]

Great adaptation of the Arthur legend. Had a young Helen Mirren, Liam Neeson, Patrick Stewart and Nicol Williamson as Merlin.

[@gavinhall6040]

Gabriel Byrne

[@tinyderppotato5410]

robert addie

[@USCFlash]

well respectfully, Helen Mirren was not Young...she was 35 in this.

[@pete_lind]

You can't expect to wield supreme executive power just 'cause some watery tart threw a sword at you! 🙂

[@jesusfernandezgarcia9449]

@@pete_lind If you hear Wagner music in your head, yes.

[@nicknickson3650]

this movie is peak 80s sword and sorcery. Everything from the acting to the emerald green glow on every set makes it feel so comfy and mystical

[@LordEriolTolkien]

and the music is Epic

[@daustin8888]

It ushered in the fantasy craze of the 1980s

[@bensneb360]

This is the best King Arthur movie out there, it's great at sticking too the lore

[@phaudraig]

I really liked The Green Knight as well - so far, those are the only two films that capture the fundamental weirdness of the source material.

[@MrGBH]

Though Excalibur was called Caliburn before it was shattered and reforged

[@GeorgeTropicana]

The lore itself has changed or been added to so many times over the centuries so which lore are you referring to

[@josephamoraz7990]

I enjoyed the one with charlie hunnam and Jude law. "King arthur legend of the sword" Soundtrack was real good

[@johncampbell756]

My favorite is Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Are you saying that isn't accurate? What! 😂

[@John_Locke_108]

I remember being in awe of this film back in the 80's when I was a youngster. Still holds up. Great film.

[@thoso1973]

Excalibur holds up so well, because Boorman understood to make it timeless by emphasizing the mythology elements of the Arthurian lore. They made a much more grounded and toned down Arthur film with Sean Connery and Richard Gere in the 1990s and it looks and feels horribly dated now by comparison. They focused on the love triangle element and pretty much ignored everything else from the lore, which was a bad call.

[@unclebounce1495]

Don't think First Knight is dated at all. Not sure why you think that. Both are very good. this is a much better retelling of the story. First Knight's biggest flaw was making it only about the love triangle and nothing else, a romance story using the setting, thus missing much of the depth of Excalibur. Still well done and powerful performances through both.

[@thoso1973]

@@unclebounce1495 I respect your opinion, but imo especially the costume designs and dialogue in First Knight firmly entrench it as a 1990s film. The costumes look nothing like Medieval attire, but instead Hollywoods idea of what these people should be wearing to look 'cool & sexy' for a 1990s audience. That imo really dates the film.

[@unclebounce1495]

@@thoso1973 Calling something Hollywood makes dated solely for Hollyweird's retaryded views/interpretations on military/armor/weapons/guyns/et cetera is a bit strange. That makes just about everything they make dated. Maybe you mean "not historically accurate" but dated means something about the style in anarchronistic. They've made movies with absurd armor/weapons long before the 90s and still are today, including LoTR and the most recent fantasy fiction. Nothing about "inaccurate armor and weapons" is exclusively any decade; it's hollyweird's default. And clothing style can be just about anything for mythology. Half the Arthur legend is just BS romantic invention centuries afterward and have nothing to do with the real thing (if it existed or to what extent). About as reasonable as criticizing the style of dress for a movie about Atlantis, imo. But you're right in that it's very over-polished stylistically and hyper-focused on the romance and "appearance" of everything. Agree with that, but not sure how that makes it dated. Again, they've always done that and still are.

[@RoGueNavy]

"Anál nathrach, Orth’ bháis’s bethad, Do chél dénmha" "Serpent's breath, Charm of death and life, Thy omen of making."

[@MrDeadstu]

What language is that?

[@RoGueNavy]

@@MrDeadstu it's thought to be Old Irish.

[@barefootanimist]

This translation makes a lot more sense than some of the ones I've seen online over the years.

[@aikrichter5403]

serpent as synonym for dragon? or is dragon maybe just a newtimly bad translation?

[@jamesmarciel5237]

@@aikrichter5403serpent was an term for dragon in olden times, so probably not a mistranslation.

[@pepleatherlab3872]

The casting alone makes this film one to own.

[@patty1h]

This was an awesome surprise to see this pop up. I saw this movie a million years ago and it made such an impact on me that, to this day, I can recite "The Charm of Making" that Morgana chants.

[@bahronthomas6445]

What I find interesting about that "Charm of Making" chant is that I immediately recognized it when the Undertaker from the WWE use it in his promos during the Attitude era. I was like..."hey he took that from Excalibur!" It's even in his theme song from that era. 😄❤

[@shanenolan5625]

Me to . ( spelling correctly is an other matter) anal na track ect

[@patty1h]

@@shanenolan5625 What I hear (phonetically): ahnal nathrat uthras bethod dothyel dienvay. Chant it tonight at 8PM and maybe we'll win the lottery. 😊😊

[@edwardtoyebo9690]

Repeat the Charm of Making makes for a Great Movie Trivia Question. Along with name the Cereal Eric Stoltz is eating when he answers John Travolta's "Mia's Dying" phone call.

[@shanenolan5625]

@@Marco-vw3mv indeed Marco profound

[@Themandalorian935]

This is my favourite adaptation of the Arthurian legend. Nothing comes closer.

[@rullmourn1142]

It is the very best.

[@davidfrancois1455]

Especially the chrome armor

[@probablysomeguy4806]

Fate Zero - what if Arthur had a battle royale with other mythical heroes.

[@jaybee6505]

@@davidfrancois1455 LOL

[@heavydownn2962]

What about “The Fisher King”?

[@ericbinford2674]

P.S. The three ladies at the end are the three Queens of Avalon. Avalon is an island in a lake near Camelot. In the Camelot mythology, the waters of Avalon are supposed to have restorative powers. The implication is that the Queens will restore Arthur's health.

[@edwardtoyebo9690]

Wow, one of my Top 5 favorite movies of all time. The dialogue can be clunky, but, the film makers create an other worldly time and place that is immersive. Technically, the production is Boorman's best effort. I love how he uses his camera and in camera special effects. Honor, valor, loyalty and how easily kingdoms can fall because of lust and greed, all time less and epic. I love this movie.

[@dankoftinoff8119]

Oh this movie inspired my love of fantasy genre films as a kid, it was so different from others because of its very Shakespearean feel and the score with the revival of Arthur gives me the chills every time!

[@Drax514]

I never thought anybody would ever react to this. Such a great movie. Amazing soundtracks, great sets, sticks to the lore, great casting, etc, etc. I remember vividly first seeing this movie in my early teens, made an immediate impression.

[@cchavezjr7]

The knighting of Arthur scene to me is one of the most moving moments of all cinema!

[@jamielandis4308]

The best King Arthur flick ever. Just think, as you watch Uther take Igraine, that the actress playing her is the director’s daughter. Liam Neesom and Helen Mirren were a couple for a few years after doing this film together. The Charm of Making is the phrase used in “Ready Player One,” to activate the force field at 5he end.

[@Redplant99]

Was about to mention that squicky fact about the director and his daughter. As for Ready Player One, that was a real surprise when they used that chant to activate the force field. A fun easter egg for those familiar with this movie.

[@downunderrob]

The soaring music at @43:50 is from 1937. O Fortuna, part of Carmina Burana, by Carl Orff. And that sequence never fails to bring me to tears. 👏👏👏👏🥺🇦🇺

[@jurgenolivieira1878]

My Facebook banner says "mecum omnes plangite!" (everyone weep with me!).This song this moves me till today and got me into opera.

[@flibber123]

I think John Boorman did a good job directing, but Nicol Williamson(Merlin) and Helen Mirren(Morgana) are what made this movie my favorite King Arthur movie. If I got high and read a King Arthur story, I think this movie is what I'd see in my head.

[@rullmourn1142]

Le Morte d'Arthur is a 15th-century Middle English prose reworking by Sir Thomas Malory of tales about the legendary King Arthur, Guinevere, Lancelot, Merlin, and the Knights of the Round Table, along with their respective folklore. This is the best film ever made on the Arthurian legends.

[@raphaelperry8159]

This is both the most faithful and simultaneously the most unfaithful adaptation of Arthurian mythology in a film to date. It's very faithful in that it includes so much and so many details but it also takes a lot of liberties and makes a lot of mistakes whilst other adaptations have taken less liberties and/or made less mistakes purely due to including less of the epic legend.

[@help4343]

What do you mean "mistakes"?

[@raphaelperry8159]

Thankyou very much for asking. Here's a list of the main ones that spring to mind. I'd like to point out that, while some of these may be mistakes, many probably arise from the need to adapt an epic into a shorter story for the screen. I don't blame the film's creators for these changes. For everything the film gets wrong it gets more Right than any other Arthurian film (all the others focus on smaller portions of the epic and therefore include less correct material). Excalibur was not the sword in the stone. That was a different sword. Excalibur was the replacement sword after the original one was broken. Substituting Morgana le Fay for Nimue, the apprentice who actually imprisoned Merlin in an enchanted sleep (also Nimue is the lady of the lake in some versions of the tale - she came to Camelot and began to pester Merlin to teach her his magical skills). Omitting a number of stories (sir Gawain and the Green Knight, sir Gawain and the Loathly Lady, the Questing Beast etc). These stories have less to do with Excalibur and adding them would have made the film too long. There are two or three ladies of the lake. Sir Balin murders the first one (before he causes the events that bring about the need for the knights to seek out the grail in the first place). Numerous mix ups regarding the quest for the holy grail (although, in all fairness, to have attempted to do it justice would have taken up far too much time and detracted from the rest of the story). Inverting the final fight between King Arthur and sir Mordred. Arthur had lost his sword in the fighting and snatched up a spear. He impaled Mordred who was so wicked and so intent on slaying his father that he pulled himself hand over hand up the spear until he was close enough to raise his sword with both hands and bring it down on Arthur's head. I believe this change was done because the film makers wanted to make the film a story about Excalibur and wanted to have it present during that iconic scene.

[@dansemacabre6515]

Boorman did a deep dive into the esoteric & gnostic roots of Fisher King & Grail Romance works & wove together all the different storylines. For anyone who digs into the vast canon of ancient literature, this is a brilliant tribute to all of it. Nobody will ever be able to improve upon it imo

[@dakotahmays1437]

It’s great straight forward retelling of the basic plot points of the King Arthur legends but there are several stories about the individual knights that are more episodic in turn

[@dakotahmays1437]

@@raphaelperry8159Also basically combining the characters of Morgause and Morgan le Fay, substituting Lancelot for Pellinore, and having Perceval be the only major Grail knight

[@Uncle_T]

The music at 43:56 is O Fortuna from the choir work Carmina Burana from 1936 which has understandably been used in many movies due to its extremely dramatic nature. A great retelling of the Arthurian saga, I love this movie. :)

[@richardzinns5676]

And of course a lot of music from Wagner is used as well, including the actual grail theme from Parsifal for when Perceval finds the grail, and the love theme from Tristan and Isolde for the similarly adulterous Lancelot and Guenevere. Much use of the funeral march from Gotterdammerung as well, especially at the very beginning and the very end of the movie.

[@royw-g3120]

Thanks, thought it was way older than that.

[@mclovin7375]

The original lyrics of the Carmina Burana are dated between 1100 - 1300 a. D. and found in the German monastery Benediktbeuren.

[@samirsinha1135]

I think this was the first movie/show to use this song (at least according to quick Google/Wikipedia searches.)

[@misterprickly]

John Boorman had the opportunity to direct "the Lord of the Rings" back in the 70's but he chose to do ZARDOZ instead. After watching this movie, can you imagine what a John Boorman LOTR would have looked like? Fun fact: someone asked John, which of the Arthurian ledgends he was going to adapt... He just said "Yes".

[@John_Locke_108]

The gun is good. The penis is bad.

[@shanenolan5625]

Actually, I think he was going to make lord of the rings after zardos. I was doing research, King Arthur, and decided it would be easier to make this .

[@Fardawg]

His LOTR was insane, though, and not in a good way. These are from a Collider article describing the script: "Boromir and Aragorn fight over the “Sword that was Broken,” and each end up holding half of it. Arwen [who is said to be 13 in the script] then appears, cuts herself on the blade, and, with a bloody mouth, kisses Aragorn and Boromir in turn; each of them then kisses her thighs, and then each other. This makes them blood brothers, according to the script." "The Boorman script describes a “sparsely-clad” Galadriel who rises out of a pool like the Lady of the Lake and chooses to sleep with Frodo for the night. One of the jokes that play out here is that Lembas is established in the script to taste like anything the eater wants it to taste like. When Frodo leaves with Galadriel, Merry bites into a piece of Lembas, smiles dreamily, and says: “Galadriel.” Aragorn and Boromir are also openly disappointed that they were not the ones chosen by Galadriel." "Perhaps even more serious elf-alteration happens in this script's depiction of the Council of Elrond. In the book, the Council helped to explain the back story of the Rings of Power and the history of Middle-earth. Here, that story is told in the style of theater, where a troop of performers hops up on the council table and reenacts the story, with each of the Rings being represented by a ring juggler. A belly dancer maintaining nine rings represents the Rings of Power for men. Sauron also has a role in the play and is described as looking like Mick Jagger. He dances lasciviously in front of the dancer with the nine rings, and is copied by Saruman, who is described in the script as a “femme fatale,” and tries to seduce Gandalf." "As things wrap up, Aragorn accidentally kills Denethor, then sexily heals Eowyn and condemns himself to horrible stew for the rest of his life, as he marries her. Over in Mordor, Frodo is hailed as the “Lord of the Ring” when the ring is destroyed."

[@John_Locke_108]

@@Fardawg That sounds pretty aweome to me. But than again, I love Zardoz.

[@Shadowman4710]

I don't think it was that he "Chose" to do Zardoz so much as funding fell through for the LotR project and the studio, wanting to keep him happy, gave him money to whatever he wanted. For good or ill, Zardoz is what he came up with. Personally, I love that film. It's so batshit that it's hard not to.

[@mjbull5156]

"It is difficult to fall on a sword..." Lancelot fights himself in a dream, falls on his sword.

[@John_Locke_108]

Best part of this reaction was after Lancelot won his trial. Merlin was taking to Arthur and I looked away for a moment. When I looked back it appeared that Merlin was holding a big pillow in front of his face.

[@charlesballard5251]

I saw "Excalibur" the weekend it opened. I believe I was just a month or two shy of my 15th birthday. I loved it. Now we are 42 years on and so many of the stars are gone. Nigel Terry died a few short years ago, and not long before him Nicol Williamson died in virtual poverty and we didn't even hear about it until he'd been dead for over a month.

[@IsraelShekelberg]

Mr. Williamson was also great as Little John next to Sean Connery's Robin Hood in the barely-remembered 'Robin and Marion'.

[@vovindequasahi]

This movie is pure magic! Best depiction of the Excalibur / King Arthur legend I've ever seen. It doesn't hold any punches, and it just has this dark, mystical magical quality to it!

[@markmaioli4]

Love this movie but I can't think of anything but "You can't expect to wield supreme power just 'cause some watery tart threw a sword at you! " during the Lady of the Lake scene 😁 p.s. The Sword in the Stone is great as well, in a Disney way of course.

[@stoogefest16]

Making a straightforward Medieval ‘swords and sorcery’ fantasy film just a handful of years after Monty Python skewered the genre was a bold move. Almost as bold as producing a Bond film while the Austin Powers franchise was still active.

[@jspee1965]

That scene where the Lady of the Lake caught Excalibur , held it aloft for a moment with the Red Sun setting in the background is THE most prized movie poster of the 80's decade. Impossible to find now.

[@shanehebert396]

Us D&D nerds geeked out *HARD* over this movie.

[@Fardawg]

20:10 Strange women, lying in ponds, distributing swords, is no basis for a system of government!

[@OlympicLeprechaun]

Can't be any worse than what we've got right now.

[@QuantumCat76]

Monty Python: " Listen. Strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government"

[@thomast8539]

Watery tarts and all that. Don't forget to bring out yer dead.

[@karlmoles6530]

Saw this when I was 17 and thought it was the greatest thing ever.

[@smallvillefan72]

“A dream to some…. A nightmare to others!!!!” 🗡️

[@marklancaster7557]

Igraine was played (and who gave birth to Arther) by Kathine Boorman, the directors daughter, and Charlie Boorman his son played the child Mordred, he later rode with Ewan McGregor in the Biking trip the longway round and the long way down which you may have seen in the states. this is a great film which I loved in the 80s the music just brought the legend alive. and the final rid through the blossom was just amazing

[@badprotocol1105]

I love this movie....I always have. Best King Arthur movie ever

[@BigGator5]

"Now, once more, I must ride with my knights to defend what was and the dream of what could be." Fun Fact: Theatrical movie debuts for Gabriel Byrne, Liam Neeson, Ciarán Hinds, and Cherie Lunghi. Family Affair Fact: Igrayne, The Lady Of The Lake, and young Mordred were played by writer, producer, and director Sir John Boorman's real-life children: Katrine Boorman, Telsche Boorman, and Charley Boorman. Good Friemenies Fact: Dame Helen Mirren and Nicol Williamson were initially reluctant to work with each other. They'd been in a previous disastrous production and were not on speaking terms. Writer, producer, and director Sir John Boorman cast them because their natural animosity would be perfect. According to Mirren, she and Williamson "wound up becoming very good friends" during filming. Armor Up Fact: All of the armor used in the movie was hand made out of aluminium, primarily by British armorer Terry English. English custom-fit the suits of armor for the principal characters, but kept the overall style the same for members of different groups, especially prominent in the nearly "uniform" armor of the Knights of the Round Table. English can be seen in the movie during the tournament scenes. He is the blacksmith who looks up at Arthur (Nigel Terry) when the future King is chasing a thief and stops to contemplate filching a sword from the armorers' tent.

[@tn_bayouwulf2949]

Uriens is my favorite knight because, he originally fought against Arthur, then he witnessed Arthur's bravery when he was handed Excaliber to knight him, so he would be King. He then rode in the quest to find the Grail for King Arthur until his last dying breath. Also, I saw this in the theater when it was released, while I was stationed at Barksdale AFB, Louisiana. One of my all-time favorite!

[@davewhitmore1958]

His knighting of Arthur gives me chills every time "I doubt you no more"

[@YolandaAnneBrown95726]

I was 14 when I saw this in 81, and it gets more and more beautiful every time. Check out some early horror movies with Gabriel Byrne and Sir Patrick Stewart: Byrne in "The Keep " with Sir Ian Mckellen and Stewart in "Lifeforce". Both are so criminally underrated. Great job on the reaction.

[@charlesballard5251]

"LIFEFORCE"!!!!!! YES!!!! I would love to see them react to "Lifeforce"!!!!!! The special edition ONLY, NOT the theatrical cut.

[@1down4upworkshop61]

The Keep is awesome .... TAKE IT!.....

[@YolandaAnneBrown95726]

@@charlesballard5251 EXACTLY!!!!!

[@YolandaAnneBrown95726]

@@1down4upworkshop61 I wish that they could find the Special Edition of "The Keep". I know that Michael Mann went through Hell working on it.

[@charlesballard5251]

@@YolandaAnneBrown95726 There was a spec. ed. of "The Keep"? All I remember about it was Nazi's and Scott Glenn. My mother had read the book and was real hot to see it, but I can't remember if she liked it or not. I found it to be rather lacking. Now I look it up on IMDB, and I can't believe the turkey I remember was directed by Michael Mann. I'd like to see a spec. ed., that would probably be worth it.

[@Isacius]

Totally agree Parcival is my favorite knight as well, for he represents all the values that knights have. I don't think there is a better other adaptation to the king Arthur tale then this one. I personally love the speech of Arthur to Guineverre after he drinks from the grail; it is beautiful. In regards to the grail and the fact it was never mentioned. To be honest I always interpreted is as a metaphor. The grail was the representation of the land as it also asks Parceval. The king and it are one. So when Arthur put excalibur in the ground, it literaly sort of broke the land and suddenly famine and so on started.

[@ormstunga7878]

If a boy has been chosen, a boy shall be King. Make it so!

[@thomast8539]

Engage!

[@elijahvincent985]

I watched this in high school (uncensored, somehow). I absolutely LOVED the lore of this movie! I eventually snagged it on DVD!

[@Big_Bag_of_Pus]

"My wife will dance for us too!" In the same outfit?

[@NathanS__]

Every frame of this movie is a perfect painting

[@davidlionheart2438]

The perfect version of the legend. Directed by the perfect director. Cast with the perfect cast. Helen Mirren and especially Nicol Williamson are beyond brilliant.

[@guscarlson7021]

This is one of my oldest DVDs in my collection. This film is pure gold, awesome cinematography.

[@kennethfharkin]

I absolutely do not care that this is a train wreck with regards to period accuracy. This film will always be my vision of the Arthurian tale and these actors in these roles are forever seared into my mind.

[@blueeyedcowboy8291]

This was an early cable TV mainstay on the movie channels. I saw this so many times as a kid, but probably have not seen in 35-40 years. I am so glad you reacted to this. Reminds me my parents didn't give a damn what the kids watched back then. 🙂I guess Claire got screwed on the whole bracelet thing...

[@jameshusband1487]

"The Dragon" is a metaphor for the land. When Merlin showed Morgana the secrets of "the dragon," he linked himself to it. At the same time, Arthur drove his god-level artifact Sword of Power into the same land, signifying his fall from grace, abandonment of his duty, and so on. Sword into the land, sword into "The Dragon," therefore sword into Merlin. That's how I've always interpreted it, anyhow.

[@mistresssuccubus2176]

Captain Picard's ancestor couldn't even nudge the sword. I'm a little surprised.

[@thomast8539]

Steve Rogers woulda nudged it. You gotta be true of heart.

[@josephtingley654]

Lots of "Technical Difficulties" in this one 😂. Some of my favorite moments here.

[@stevie9632]

'This is just like Mount and Blade." I see you're a man of culture Mr. Movies.

[@petercofrancesco9812]

It's dark and mysterious. Back in the day when I saw it opened my mind that a movie didn't need to be bound to the standard conventions. Feels more like a Shakespeare play than a movie.

[@RussellCHall]

Guess Claire's out of luck on the whole bracelet deal. LOL. You guys have the cutest technical difficulties

[@claudiogonzalez3788]

the "technical difficulties" are charming

[@dabe1971]

The soundtrack and Nicol Williamson are the stars here.

[@samm7390]

So fun fact, about the sword Excalibur. There are rumors that the sword itself is in the Tower of London in the basement. They say that in the vault, there is an old old sword with the middle of it welded to go over and rumors are that that particular sword is in fact Excalibur and England had no idea that the sword of the king is back home. Now wherever not that's true I don't know but I just found it interesting

[@TeddGCM]

My favorite movie of all time! I can quote it pretty much word for word and still love watching it! "Behold! The sword of power! Forged when the Earth was young, and bird and beast and flower were one with man!" It was Patrick Stewart's (Cpt. Picard) first feature length film; Dune was the second.

[@cassandramcbride7007]

Merlin, the 2 episodes show from 1998 its also a good adaptation from the legend of Arthur... it does have a different elements, but seeing Miranda Richardson as Queen Mab against Sam Neil as Merlin is just amazing. Lets not forget Helena Bonham Carter as Morgan. Excalibur is just great and sound track is amazing

[@Green-Lyon]

While This isn't a Anyone who's ever tried to read one of the many, MANY original medieval Arthurian romances, will feel the authenticity of this version. The blend of other-worldly magic and high adventure mixed with a deep well of humanity & tragedy is still the closest cinema has come to the spirit of story that the Celtic bards & Medieval Christian Romance-spinners gave us. There are many that have focused more on "mud and blood" reality, modernized romance, etc, which is fine, but I LOVE this version the best. Except for Monty Python, OF COURSE!!! NI!

[@IsraelShekelberg]

One of the interesting choices in this script is that the legend is taken entirely into the realm of myth and archetype, while keeping its basic shape. Not once are 'England' or 'Britain' or historic British locations mentioned, just 'the land', 'across the sea', 'the invaders' and the like. (Though the Duke of Cornwall is named 'Cornwall' once). Hence the director was not bound by a specific century, a documented religious tradition (apart from some allusions to Christianity), or even a geographic location. Tailor-made for 80s fantasy, as you mentioned at the beginning. Arthur stuck the sword into the ground. The music is most often from Wagner, but the 'riding to battle' song is from Carl Orff's Carmina Burana. These were lyrics from the Middle Ages set to music by Orff in the 1920s. The Latin lyrics open with 'O Fortuna' and have to do with the changes in this world, governed by the divine entity Fortuna ('Lady Luck'), who turns her wheel, raising people, including kings, to the heights and then casting them down again. The script is based on the classic work by Thomas Mallory (written 1471, published 1485). In his book, and in the French sources he translated, Lancelot and Guenevere did, indeed, 'boink'.

[@montylc2001]

"hopefully he removed the codpiece"....Thank you, I needed a hearty laugh today...LOL!! great line.

[@vincegamer]

IIRC, Lancelot went crazy and when he returns for the Battle of Camlann he's completely naked. But he's so good he still kicks the buts of many armored knights.

[@blakefish80]

This is my favourite movie of all time. It's meant a lot to me since i was a small child.

[@mikewhiskey5455]

The legend of Arthur is from after the Romans left Britain and before the Angles and Saxons arrived, late 5th, early 6th century. Of course there were no stone castles or plate armor at that time but hey, liberal artistic license. The music used was from "Camina Burana" Carl Orff 1935-36 and "Götterdämmerung" Richard Wagner 1876. "Le Morte d'Arthur" Sir Thomas Malory is the source of the story and he collected and reworked the Anglo-Norman legends around 1470 into his book printed 1485.

[@jurgenolivieira1878]

One of my favorite and and I still think best Arthur movie ever made. The grit, the armors, the battle sequences, the music score and the story.

[@gerardcote8391]

That song is O Fortuna. Carl Orf found a book of pre Christian pagan chants and wrote music for them. There's about 20 of them mostly 2 minutes or less. This one got picked for the movie and afterwards became a popular song. It was used a lot in Olympics Figure skating as well as used in movie trailers.

[@speleokeir]

It was popular well before the film. What really brought it into popular culture was the Old Spice after shave adverts of the 70s. They were ubiquitous. kzbin.info/www/bejne/raW4d5ycrax_gZo

[@Tonyblack261]

This is actually based on a book by Sir Thomas Malory "Le Morte d'Arthur", written in the 15th Century. The "Dark Ages" as mentioned in the film was the time after the Roman occupation of Britain around the 5th to the 10th Century. There is little if no evidence of Arthur. Merlin has more evidence. My favourite book adaptations are the "Warlord Chronicles", a trilogy of books by Bernard Cornwell.

[@trayolphia5756]

Stargate sg1 season 4 (I think) The team find a medieval Christian village, there’s a sick girl, but the villagers think she is possessed by demonic forces and intend to perform a ritual which involves drilling into the girls skull, thus releasing her soul up to heaven rather than be dragged down to hell. When this is explained a team member comments how horrifying that notion is Daniel Jackson - “well they didn’t call it the dark ages cos it was always night…” 😂

[@gomme1298]

Fun fact : 7:56 the actress playing Igrayne is Katrine Boorman, she's the daughter of the movie, John Boorman. She didn't cared about being naked in front of her father, the only problem with this scene was the proximity of the fire, they couldn't shoot to long because it was too hot. 19:59 The Lady of the Lake is Katrine Boorman, another daughter of John Boorman. Her daughter was able to hold her breath for a long time but the water was VERY cold. Every scene in the water was a nightmare. Source : John Boorman say in dvd/bluray commentary track that the water was "extremely cold, icy". I suggest you to watch the movie with John Boorman's commentary track, the shooting was so difficult and underbudgeted. This movie is a miracle. Maybe the most surprising funfact, Excalibur is Zack Snyder's favorite movie ! Despite all his flaws, Excalibur is considery by many people as a timeless classic. - 51:53 Arthur is going to Avalon, Wikipedia : Avalon is a mythical island featured in the Arthurian legend. It first appeared in Geoffrey of Monmouth's 1136 Historia Regum Britanniae as a place of magic where King Arthur's sword Excalibur was made and later where Arthur was taken to recover from being gravely wounded at the Battle of Camlann. Since then, the island has become a symbol of Arthurian mythology, similar to Arthur's castle of Camelot. Avalon was associated from an early date with mystical practices and magical figures such as King Arthur's sorceress sister Morgan, cast as the island's ruler by Geoffrey and many later authors. Certain Briton traditions have maintained that Arthur is an eternal king who had never truly died but would return as the "once and future" king. The particular motif of his rest in Morgan's care in Avalon has become especially popular. It can be found in various versions in many French and other medieval Arthurian and other works written in the wake of Geoffrey, some of them also linking Avalon with the legend of the Holy Grail.

[@SaltyDog1967]

My dad took me to the theatre to see tis when I was 14 and I thought it was awesome. Also you mentioned "Ready Player One,'" the Charm of Making was recited in that movie to use the Orb of Osuvox.

[@tapoemt3995]

Lady of the Lake has an incredible oxygen stat.

[@kaizen5023]

10:19 "Well we can can *sneak*..." 🤣Little ninja in training, i love it!!!

[@scottythedawg]

"Lancelot are you injured?" "it is the old wound sire..." "Don't talk about Guinevere like that"

[@thunderstruck5484]

Side note, Paul Geoffrey who played Perceval passed away just a couple weeks ago , rip , and Charley Boorman who played the boy Mordred and Is the director’s son is best friends with Ewan Mcgregor, they have a couple fantastic motorcycle series where they ride around the world, chronicling their adventures, it’s really good and Charley is one cool dude , thanks

[@warlockEd73]

Excalibur is good, but Conan the Barbarian is easily the best of the 80s fantasy movies. Most people see it as a dumb Arnold barbarian flick, but it was written by Oliver Stone after he returned from Vietnam, and then polished and directed by John Milius. It's actually got a lot to say, if you pay attention and think about what's being shown. Not to mention William Stout, the famous fantasy and paleo artist worked on the films art production, and it shows. The sets, costumes, and weapons are just perfect. Valeria is maybe the best ride or die chick in film history. James Earl Jones' Thulsa Doom is an intriguing villian. Great action adventure movie that made Arnold Schwarzenegger a movie star. For anyone who hasn't watched it, watch the director's cut, it's got a better ending. Apparently the studio execs thought American audiences wouldn't get it. To the Hell fires with them!

[@MrkBO8]

Yes there were snakes in England at this time. Its part of the mythology. One of the stories of Arthur is that when he and Mordred's armies were facing each other, a truce was being negotiated. To ensure the armies were stood down, no soldier was to raise their sword because to do so would mean the negotiation had failed and the battle would start. The story goes that while the negotiation took place, an asp, a small poisonous snake bit one of the soldiers on the leg. The soldier raised his sword to strike the snake, the battle started and Arthur was mortally wounded. Sir Percival was then tasked to return Excalibur to the lake, he refused this task twice but then acquiesced to Arthurs request, threw Excalibur into the lake and before it hit the water, the Lady of the Lake's arm extended above the water to catch the sword. True story, read it in a book as a child in the 70's.

[@Adino1]

Uryens was my favorite knight He was a hard man, and very rough around the edges and prickly But he was honest, honorable, and loyal till death

[@jimhaggard7436]

Nicol Williamson (Merlin) and Helen Mirren (Morgana) were hired without each other’s knowledge by the director. They had dated in the 1970’s but after a disastrous play together were not on speaking terms. The director wanted their characters to have an unspoken enmity between them. According to Helen Mirren, they made up and became friends again, but had to act like they couldn’t stand each other still to make the director happy.

[@HealthAtAnyCost]

I love this movie, know it well, but with you both watching, it was suddenly camp and I was laughing so hard at your comments and observations. You've made my night! Thank you! (And your kidlet is adorable!)

[@donsample1002]

Excalibur does get a couple of mentions in Monty Python, including the classic line “Strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government!”

[@victorsixtythree]

20:01 - "Listen...Strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government! ...You can't expect to wield supreme executive power just because some watery tart threw a sword at you!"

[@kellyyork3898]

The Grail represents higher ordered thinking/feeling and motivation, mainly compassion, and the shedding of the armor ( and being pure of mind and heart ) before Percival achieves Th Grail shows that he has moved beyond just base, animal instincts such as eating, procreating, eliminating, and seeking only power and gold. Even now, in American politics, “Only The Grail can save us.”

[@boboboy8189]

Symbolism but do you know its also representing crusade war? Holy grail = Jerusalem

[@SilverScribe85]

To me, this is my go-to Arthur movie; very few can compete with it

[@MontyXZ]

I saw this movie when I was about 7 or 8 years old and I was already an "Arthurian" because I saw an animated series in Betamax when I was about 4 year old, but after the movie I was mindblown. I remember how I loved the silver shine of the armors, and how the blood looked over the armors too. But the most impressive of all things was the music, so epic!! by the time I only recognized Oh Fortuna, but when I saw the movie a few years later, I understood why I was so epic.

[@steelers6titles]

Malory's Le Morte D'Arthur (The Death of Arthur) was completed in 1469 or 1470, and printed in 1485. That same year, the Earl of Richmond ended the War of the Roses by defeating Richard III at Bosworth Field and, as Henry VII, founded England's most powerful ruling dynasty, the Tudors. His first son, the Prince of Wales, was named Arthur. He died before receiving the opportunity to rule. The crown passed to his younger brother, Henry VIII.

[@MrTrekFanDan]

Merlin : “All right, then. Truth. That's it. Yes. It must be truth, above all. When a man lies, he murders some part of the world. You should know that.”

[@andrewcarlson7252]

Gotterdammerung, a great piece of music. I heard the symphony before I saw the movie, so when I heard it the 1st time I got excited for the film. Excalibur is an old favorite. 👍

[@sinelo3965]

Of all the films I have seen about these legends, this is the one that best and most coherently explains all the major myths related to these legends

[@V7avalon]

First Knight with Sean Connery 1995 is a fun adaptation also Lady Hawk is a must watch medieval adventure 😮❤

[@xen0bia]

"O Fortuna" from the Carmina Burana cantata by Carl Orff was written in 1935-1936. It's so effing epic! Also, a lot of the music is from classical composer Richard Wagner: Prelude to Parsifal, Prelude to Tristan and Isolde and Siegfried's Funeral Music. At the end, it is the three Fairy Queens taking Arthur to the mystical island of Avalon to heal him. The myth goes that he still slumbers there and that he will awaken one day when Britain has need of him.

[@stoogefest16]

Post-Brexit Britain could surely use his assistance. And yeah, it’s impressive just how much mileage this film gets out of a handful of Wagner pieces and a single work of Orffs. To this day, I associate O Fortuna and Siegfrieds Funeral with Excalibur each time I hear them.

[@xen0bia]

@@stoogefest16 Yeah, same. Just like with Strauss' Zarathustra and 2001 A SPace Odyssey.

[@chrisw1555]

The music after Arthur drinks from the grail is "Carmina Burana" , Carl Orff, 1935.

[@phaudraig]

And most of the rest of it was from Wagner's Ring Cycle - Siegfried's Funeral is used all over the place.

[@markpaterson2053]

Patrick Steward, Helen Mirren, Gabriel Byrne, Liam Neeson...this casting is INSANELY good.

[@SG-js2qn]

Generally, Arthur's time is considered to be somewhere around the 4th-6th century AD, I believe. After the Romans. Merlin's crystal cave IS kind of like Superman's fortress of solitude, I guess, though Superman's writers were copying Doc Savage, an earlier pulp hero. (Batman copied him too.) The three women at the end were carrying Arthur to Avalon, which is kind of like the Elves heading to the West at the end of Lord of the Rings. Mrs. Movies has it right that it's basically the eternal battle between morality and hedonism, and every time people choose hedonism, it lets some more evil into the world. The "Carmina Burana" theme became popular (in a way) after its use in this film. Wagner's funeral theme was also excellent in this (final battle).

[@dewaynejelks9088]

"Ivanhoe"(1982)(1952). Both versions are good, I prefer the 1982 version.

[@davevannatta985]

The girl who played Igrayne is the daughter of the director John Boorman. Let that sink in

[@MorlokKurak777]

The song played as Arthur rides is called "Oh, Fortuna." It's from Carl Orff's Carmina Burana.

[@laser3003]

This is still my favorite movie of all time.....

[@waynezimmerman1950]

So Mom(of beloved memory) so loved the legend of King Arthur; among many others, that when the Falklands War erupted between Britain and Argentina(a dispute by the later over territorial claims in 1982) she decided then it was the time for the Lady of the Lake; or the seas, to bequeath Excalibur to the next rightful King. Her story was that Elizabeth the second would pass the crown to Charlies III: Prince of Wales; who would immediately have a heart attack and die. Suddenly; in the midst of the conflict his brother Andrew( a Helicopter pilot attached to the HMS Invincible) would swoop down and take up Excalibur; making him the rightful monarch. 🤴Well that didn't quite work out the way she thought it would. 🤷‍♂

[@leeturiano4419]

One of my all-time favorite movies, with a TON of great up and coming actors- Gabriel Byrne (Uther) Nigel Terry (Arthur) Patrick Stewart (Leondegrance) Liam Neeson ( Gwain) Helen Mirren ( Morgana) list goes on. Thanks for the great review!