The only good King Arthur movie

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[@DamienWalter]

That 80s scifi movie you watched on VHS when you were 12? Much, much darker than you remember kzbin.info/www/bejne/kKjIpZudi9ipma8si=WClmNsOm1ri_ZaRg

[@hal900x]

No, it's about as dark as I remember. Very. But then, I saw it in the theater. I wasn't supposed to be in there, mind you. I was 15. As a lover of fantasy, D&D, etc...I was blown away.

[@slartibartfast7921]

Hahaha. I was 8, and it was a copy of a copy of a copy… was very bad. Great movie though.

[@Fantredath]

"It's not a question of how he Grips it! It's a simple question of weight ratios!"

[@exodiaexodus]

this ia good word salad. i don't even think he talke adbout the movie

[@NearlyInfinite-rk5jy]

That's saying a lot, because I remember it plenty dark. From Uther to Mordred & everything in between.

[@cobrakhan1284]

Thank god, someone who understands the greatness of Excalibur.

[@JCIce007]

Putting Arthur himself in the Fisher King role was an inspired choice. It not only saves time, it gives the holy grail more relevance to the narrative.

[@DocSanders]

I never considered it THE best. I don't think like that. I simply ignore the plethora of crap out there. Third graders can do what they want.

[@bottlethrower1544]

Easily in my Top 3

[@ThursoBerwick]

Flawed film, but its qualities are so great. The scenes with the grail and the Lady of the Lake are pulled off sensationally. In other people's hands they would have been awful.

[@fyrchmyrddin1937]

@@TheSighphiguy This version is the only one where Uther gets it on with Igrayne while wearing full tourney plate armor!

[@DeAlpineBro]

"Strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government." Dennis, Monty Python's "Holy Grail".

[@synanthony]

But it’s a badass sword.

[@maildotmjk]

I believe you mean watery tarts

[@bbb462cid]

@@maildotmjk But he's right, you know.... _You can’t expect to wield supreme executive power just ’cause some watery tart threw a sword at you_

[@bbb462cid]

Come see the violence inherent inn the System!

[@BarryHart-xo1oy]

Unfortunately,Dennis’ comment makes a lot of sense.

[@jco-physics]

"Excalibur is the only good King Arthur movie ever..." Is true, for Boorman, like Wagner, transformed it into a grand opera.

[@RoonMian]

The Kid Who Would Be King (2019)

[@Albtraum_TDDC]

@@RoonMian nice kids movie

[@deaddocreallydeaddoc5244]

The lay of Excalibur was a spinoff of the myth cycle that Wagner used for The Ring of the Niebelugen. The film also imitated Wagner's vehicle of depicting the f"all of the gods" in its own way. The great thing about the Arthurian legend and "Excalibur" is that it steals back for Christian usurpation by asserting that the old ways and the sword will return. Of course, Tolkien's works figure into this as well. Nicol Williamson was a close friend of Tolkien, doing a recorded reading of The Hobbit at one time. He also paraphrases Tolkien at the point when as Merlin, he speaks of the "age of men and their ways."

[@ThursoBerwick]

​@@deaddocreallydeaddoc5244It's derived originally from Celtic mythology, not Germanic. Very different sensibility. But the Germans did later adopt these stories, and they form the basis of Wagner's "Parsifal' and "Tristan und Isolde" rather than his Ring cycle.

[@frankgesuele6298]

👑⚔⚔👑

[@venalleader2909]

the scene where Arthur hands over Excalibur to his enemy so that he can be properly knighted might literally be the most epic scene in all of medieval cinema

[@joebombero1]

Keep it Uriens!

[@Rekaert]

"In the name of God, St Michael and St George, I give you the right to bear arms and the power to mete justice!" = chills.

[@SeanCSHConsulting]

@@joebombero1 Uriens

[@nate_d376]

Agreed.

[@joebombero1]

@@SeanCSHConsulting thanks!

[@vee-bee-a]

A dream, to some... *A NIGHTMARE, TO OTHERS!*

[@AniwayasSong]

Merlin absolutely *ROCKS* in this movie! I'm also a huge fan of his "For it is the doom of Man, that he forgets!" Absolutely bad-ass!

[@throwback19841]

@@AniwayasSong Excalibur... forged when the world was young and bird and beast and flower were one with Man and death was but a dream...

[@AniwayasSong]

@@throwback19841 ^5! :-)

[@RedTBasco]

🤣

[@TexasNight]

What's _THIS !?_ I never saw _THIS!_

[@Kmack840]

It was the perfect storm: 8th grade, getting into D&D, and reading Lord of the Rings. Then BAM, Excaliber drops in! I saw this movie at my best friend's house (whose parents had just installed cable tv) spring 1982 When it debuted on cable on HBO. I was blown away. I remember going home from that sleep over, and trying to describe that movie to my dad. I was overcome with excitement... A defining movie as a kid. THANK YOU for putting this together!!!!!

[@bbb462cid]

The boobs didn't hurt

[@MikeHunt-69]

THIS😅

No, I was in 9th grade when everything you just described happened to me.

[@DarkAutumnScribe]

I have almost the exact same story… it was junior high school, but pretty much that!

[@secondchance6603]

I was 19 and remember watching it with my girlfriend at the time, happy days!

[@TenchiBushi]

Excalibur is the best King Arthur movie ever

[@sgt_slobber.7628]

BAR NONE!!!!!;);)

[@user-dave56]

It's Holy Grail for me. "Excalibur" was a workmanlike piece though. Nichol Williamson was superb. But en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merlin_(miniseries) was the best. IMHO Miranda Richardson as Mab better than superb.

[@richardstiers9010]

I can think of no other. Better.

[@anthonynewsome9827]

Truth 💯 👍 👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@peterandjunko]

“Come Father, let us embrace at last”. The most bad ass quote from this epic film and an appropriate end to this excellent video essay.

[@DamienWalter]

It's an amazing scene.

[@technofilejr3401]

1:19 Don’t forget Gabriel Byrne, Ciaran Hinds and Sir Patrick Stewart

[@CorbCorbin]

Liam Neeson too.

[@davidhooper259]

Sir Patrick Stewart really hammed up in this movie. Is great and Star Trek but wow wow he was a shitty actor before that.

[@DavidGarcia-kw4sf]

A very good cast indeed.

[@Albtraum_TDDC]

@@davidhooper259 LOL your opinion is so wrong it's funny.

[@anthonyjackson280]

@@davidhooper259 you have obviously not seen PS as Sejanus in 'I Claudius'

[@djdksf1]

This film was everything to me as a kid. I must've watched it 20 or more times. As I got older and started grasping the Arthurian lineage in all its variety, it only became more and more impressive. How can something so earnest on the surface be so layered underneath? It's simply masterful storytelling.

[@wearetomorrowspast.5617]

A truly beautiful film. And the best Wizard ever on the screen.

[@jschoenzy9416]

Same here, saw it as a kid and it always stayed with me. I saw the dvd in a discount bin and re-watched it. Still as weird and beautiful as I remember. It's really something special.

[@BoyceWebb-h7n]

Only 20 times? Oh I have you beaten easily

[@WorldofElsuon]

EXCALIBUR by JOhn Boorman is a masterpiece. No other adaptation of the Arthurian Romances even comes close. It stands alone.

[@stlawstlaw7585]

Absolutely. Cinematic art.

[@4g0tten4]

My favorite scene in Excalibur was when young Arthur stops fighting his adversary after his objection that he was not yet a knight, and hands over the sword, and while the knight thought for a moment to use the sword against the boy, he proceeds to give Arthur his knightood and submits to him as king and blesses him for his bravery. I do not recall reading this in Malory's Le Morte D'Arthur, but this is a great addition to the Arthur myth.

[@skeletordanzig4999]

to the couage in your veins, so strong it is, it's source Must be Uther Pendragon!

[@marktracy1721]

​@@skeletordanzig4999Definitely

[@MrAndyBearJr]

@@skeletordanzig4999 I doubt you no more!! I am your humble knight.

[@uncletiggermclaren7592]

If I remember my Mallory aright, the Archbishop of Canterbury has the knights and nobles of the Islands ( not just the four, of course, but of all of them, White, Orkney, Mann, etc ) gather in "That greatest Cathedral there in London" which was the authors way of avoiding naming what had not been built yet, and when the People accept the miracles make Arthur King, it is just written without comment "And he ( the Bishop ) had the "best man there" knight Arthur" implied is that it is with the sword from the stone. Which is then made a votive offering to the cathedral and left on the altar.

[@jemwand2530]

There was a book I read, many years ago, which told the story from the perspective of Morgana, I can't remember the title but it was a damn good read... I think it could have been this one...Marion Zimmer Bradley's The Mists of Avalon

[@DWNicolo]

It’s basically every single part of the King Arthur mythos crammed into one movie in a good way.

[@TsukiumisGuy]

Thats exactly right, and a lot of critics missed that.

[@Thurgosh_OG]

@@TsukiumisGuy I don't listen to or read critics remarks on films. They are a waste of time.

[@ThursoBerwick]

I can think of quite a few other aspects of the King Arthur mythos not in this film, but Boorman does capture the essence of this story somehow.

[@BarryHart-xo1oy]

Quite true.

[@pancakesnotwaffles3971]

Even including a nod to Tennyson! My heart ❤️

[@questerperipatetic4861]

"Guards! Knights! Squires! Prepare for battle!!!"

[@Valkanna.Nublet]

I don't know if this is a controversial statement, but I don't think Excalibur would be half as good without the exceptional Nicol Williamson as Merlin. Arthur ended up feeling like a side character in his own film.

[@chev39rsh]

definitely the best Merlin, not to mention best sound track revising Richard Wagner made it epic.

[@DisorderedArray]

My mythos is that the real Merlin turned up and played Nicol Williams.

[@arthurhanks401]

The thing is, Arthur is a side character for most of his own story! If you read Mallory, Arthur spends most of his time on his throne, presumably doing kingly things, while his knights are running around and having all the fun.

[@shawnn7502]

One of the greatest roles ever put to film. Just his voice gives me the chills.

[@anarchistangler]

Yeah and Lancelot stole the limelight too.

[@oldhab7890]

The king without a sword. The land without a king. What a devastating result of betrayal.

[@markdodson6453]

I clicked on this expecting a typical, shallow KZbin excerpt from some half-baked listicle -- but instead got a beautiful, thoughtful meditation on myth, humanity, masculinity, and mortality. A fantastic and rewarding surprise.

[@torq21]

Suddenly, I think I might actually watch this video.

[@keithmurray8278]

I spent a semester at university reading the Arthurian histories listed in the video (+more modern fiction) and the message of the class was basically what DW summarizes in the video: Arthur is a vehicle for national mythos applicable to so many peoples/cultures/nations that even if he wasn't a traceable historical figure his real significance is his importance to the people who told and continue to retell his story in their own way. Great watch!

[@Dubyel]

John F. Kennedy never saw the 1967 movie Camelot. He died in November 1963. What Jackie did say in a December 1963 interview with Life magazine was that JFK liked listening to records before bed and that the lines he loved to hear came at the very end of the song he loved most, "Don't let it be forgot, that once there was a spot, for one brief shining moment that was known as Camelot." She said, "There'll be great presidents again...but there'll never be another Camelot again." That quote is credited with starting the Kennedy administration being referred to as Camelot.

[@somercet1]

Correct. And Jackie never said whether they'd seen the musical. But Jack was Alan Lerner's Harvard classmate.

[@jamesdeath3477]

God I love this film. Nice piece on it, thank you. "Shall I tell you what's out there? The Dragon. A beast of such power that if you were to see it whole and all complete in a single glance, it would burn you to cinders. It is everywhere! It is everything! Its scales glisten in the bark of trees, its roar is heard in the wind! And its forked tongue strikes like... like... Whoa! Like lightning! Yes, that's it. Do nothing. Be still. Sleep. Rest in the arms of The Dragon. Dream." You just read that in Merlin's voice.

[@Trylen]

I don't know what you mean..... shaddap... :P

[@TheMonstersKnow]

A dream … to some. A NIGHTMARE TO OTHERS!

[@Trylen]

@@TheMonstersKnow Remember, there is always someone cleverer then yourself.. AGH!

[@DougHoward-rc9qw]

"Ahnahl nathrak uthvahd bethud dolchel neenveh." It's so strange I ended up memorizing the Charm of Making simply by watching this epic movie so many times. Truly an historic work of cinematic art.

[@LenaAlmgren]

I did too. I thought it was awesome they used that charm in “Ready player one” to put up and take down the shield.

[@kmcq692]

I’m proud to have thrilled to hearing the spell in that dystopian gamers movie from a couple years ago. My personal favorite Easter Egg.

[@kmcq692]

@@LenaAlmgren ha! 13 seconds apart!!

[@LenaAlmgren]

@ it is one of my favorite movies

[@LenaAlmgren]

@@DougHoward-rc9qwbring on the fog

[@mikestanmore2614]

Yes. O Fortuna always draws to mind the image of Arthur's ride, healing the land as he rode through. "Excalibur may be the only film made after its' own parody", this made me smile, I always thought I was in the minority when I thought so!

[@lsu1992]

Getting apple blossoms stuck in his teeth.😂

[@originaluddite]

While much of the music was taken from classical composers, some of the score was also by Trevor Jones, who went onto do some great music in movies like The Dark Crystal.

[@splankhoon]

"For it is the doom of man that they forget." Many, many quotable lines from Merlin in that film. "Remember, there's always something smarter than yourself." Wonderful film.

[@DaveMiller2]

Cleverer than yourself.

[@ImYourOverlord]

*cleverer, but yeah 😁

[@robotic2000k]

A cinematic masterpiece and an almost perfect rendition of the Arthurian Legend.

[@OakandIV]

I wouldn’t say the pythons were trying to destroy the myth. One of the secrets of good satire is that you can only successfully deconstruct a genre or story that you have deep and usually affectionate knowledge of. Otherwise, the deconstruction rings hollow. In many ways, Monty Python & The Holy Grail is one of the best Arthurian movies. It’s a bawdy tale mocking the nobles and the mighty to the laughter of the plebs, even as they drink to the King’s health. I love Excalibur, and fully agree that it is the best Arthurian film. I don’t think we will ever see its equal.

[@originaluddite]

Both movies also convey a sense of strangeness that Arthurian tales should have but which other adaptations lack.

[@berendharmsen]

Excalibur is for 'movies with knights' what Apocalypse Now is for 'Vietnam movies': masterpieces that transcend their genre and are something much more than any other movie they get compared with. And Merlin clearly steals the show.

[@craigwright1867]

What a brilliant take. I totally agree, some films are just definitive of their genre and this certainly is IMO.

[@aquamarine99911]

I disagree in a way. Apocalypse Now was "Heart of Darkness" set somewhere in Indochina. It didn't have much to do with the Vietnam War in the way that, say, Platoon did, although some scenes ("Napalm in the morning") referenced the actual war. Whereas Excalibur IS the Arthurian legends pulled together. It doesn't transcend the Arthurian genre, it perfects it.

[@berendharmsen]

@@aquamarine99911 Fair points; the analogy only goes so far, but I do think the movies are similar in a very fundamental way, something about the atmosphere. In general, my interest in 'war in the jungle' movies is pretty low, but I absolutely love Apocalypse now. And although do like my knights movies, most tend to struggle a little with the question of 'how clean or dirty do we make the world look'. I love Excalibur for making me completely forget about whether the look makes any sense by being almost absurdely stylised. One moment, the knights look grimey and 'real'; next, their armour gleams like they're on a stage play, lit by multi-coloured lights. Apocalypse Now does something similar; both movies have this not-quite-in-this-world feel that fantasy movies often strive for, but rarely achieve. I guess I see them both as great fantasy movies: Apocalypse Now is a fantasy movie in disguise.

[@joshuatordoff8041]

The coolest things about the movie, a little detail, was every time Merlin would appear, two ravens would appear before him. Giving that Odin/Wodan connection. Even now decades later, every time I see a crow, I look for another, thought and memory. Just an AWESOME movie all around.

[@NylonStrap]

I've seen this movie a dozen times and I have never noticed this. Thanks for the heads up.

[@davidyatesyy]

I am old now but many years ago I saw this film in an "art theater" and it affected me so much that I immediately went home and buffed and shined all of my pots and pans! Perhaps I missed the point but my kitchen looked great.

[@DamienWalter]

KSAS - Knight In Shining Armour Syndrome

[@TheGreyRider-p5z]

Probably gay.

[@nct948]

well done! direct action!🎉

[@DreadX10]

When it comes to swords and such, missing the point is not a bad thing..... ;-)

[@redemissarium]

you should add 'green glowing cake-knife in stone' to your kitchen😁

[@SWVA2TX]

Yes! Excalibur is the only movie to capture the power and magic of the myth. I've been an Arthurian enthusiast since reading Roger Lancelyn Green's retelling of the legends as a young teen. I saw Excalibur in its 1981 theatrical run at age 16. I was enthralled by the spectacle, which also sparked a love for Wagner that I realized later in life. I've been repeatedly disappointed by Hollywood's ham-fisted attempts to recreate the legends, though I do love Monty Python and the Holy Grail and Disney's The Sword in the Stone. But Excalibur is the pinnacle which I don't expect Hollywood to ever again reach. They don't understand, nor do they respect, this great literary cycle. Thank you for recognizing this beautiful and powerful movie. On a side note, I was once a history teacher, and I sometimes screened Excalibur for my World History students if I had the time. One student particularly loved it and asked me for reading recommendations to learn more about the legend. She visited me at school a few years later, informing me that my showing her Excalibur led to her majoring in English literature with an eye to becoming a professor in that field. One of my proudest moments!

[@tonys6538]

Yes, this movie was the perfect telling of Mallory’s book, the cast, cinematography and the great Wagner based score will never be equaled. I saw this film in the cinema the first week it was out I was 19 at the time, it made a lasting impression on me. It is still one of my all time favorite films.

[@redemissarium]

sword in stone of disney is really really boring and have almost nothing to do with the novel. The only part I enjoy is madame mim 😅

[@georgesdelatour]

The one other "good" Arthurian film is Terry Gilliam's The Fisher King.

[@DamienWalter]

True.

[@daveclare8968]

To be fair, Gilliam has directed two excellent Arthurian films.

[@OuterGalaxyLounge]

Good catch.

[@blondegirlsezthis8798]

Just a flesh wound!

[@bbb462cid]

I do not like the Fisher King. I saw it and recognized it for greatness and was impressed greatly by Williams' acting as well as the fairly brilliant way the film was handled but the film made me feel awful and helpless...and I understand that was the goal but I won't watch it again.

[@RyllenKriel]

13:55 That mossy elephant formation in the rocks behind you to the left side is amazing. Also, great video.

[@LearnEnglishCanada]

❤ Incredible Movie! Thank you for bringing a little more attention to it.

[@bottlethrower1544]

Anáil nathrach, ortha bháis is beatha, do chéal déanaimh!

[@BeastMasterNeil]

You don't think Holy Grail is a good movie?! I fart in your general direction.

[@mtnimt4724]

Listen. Strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government. Supreme executive power derives from a mandate from the masses, not from some farcical aquatic ceremony.

[@arthurhanks401]

I think you are right. While I quite like Excalibur, Holy Grail has had the most enduring cultural impact. It's also funnier.

[@raincoast_bear]

I think, like Excalibur, MP&tHG captures some of the surrealness of Arthurian narrative, which the more grounded, historical-styled Arthur movies obviously don't.

[@arthurhanks401]

@@raincoast_bear astute

[@IanM-id8or]

I'm not sure that the police turned up and arrested everyone in the original story. Let's face it, that was a big *cop out* ;-)

[@RobertSchroeder-f9c]

I completely agree. EXCALIBUR featured an all star cast and don’t forget to mention Sir Patrick Stewart before he became better known as Captain Picard on the Star Trek the Next Generation. And if you’ve seen ZARDOZ you’ll probably recognize some of the same extra’s who also appeared in this film. I absolutely love this movie the story, the cast, the dialogue, the bloody violence, the nudity, and the artistic vision of this John Boorman masterpiece. This Version of the Arthurian Tale just completely blows all other interpretations out of the water. No one else will ever be able to create a perfectly beautiful masterpiece like EXCALIBUR. I personally recommend that people watch both ZARDOZ and EXCALIBUR back to back and marvel at these two movies and better appreciate how unique Boorman’s films are.

[@OuterGalaxyLounge]

I saw it the day it premiered in 1981. I was utterly ecstatic over it.

[@anthonysaunders345]

I studied this movie twice, once in high school, and once in film class in university. There are those that point out plate mail was not a thing in post-Roman Britain, and stone castles wouldn't be built for hundreds of years until Norman Britain, but they're missing the point. Excalibur is heavily stylized, symbolic and rife with mythos, and they are all making a statement. I won't get into film theory here because it would take more time than the movie is long, but it is a brilliant adaption of the lore.

[@bbb462cid]

When Legend surpasses Truth, print the Legend

[@anthonysaunders345]

@bbb462cid legends are more fun, anyway. 🙂

[@petehjr1]

A Dream to Some! A Nightmare to OTHERS! (best line ever)

[@N_Loco_Parenthesis]

Explorers, in the further reaches of experience. Demons to some, angels to others.

[@CantankerousDave]

Merlin was a Cenobite?

[@Russell_Huston]

And that's the thing about this film. It's a myth, and the scenes in the film unfold in a way that makes the viewer feel like they are dreaming it. When you remember those scenes you remember them like a remembered dream, not reality. Can't imagine a better depiction of Merlin either. The silver skull-cap, the staff, Williamson's wonderful stylized speech and manner and the great lines for him to speak in the script. I wish the film were 20 minutes longer if that meant 20 more minutes of Merlin.

[@tinderbox218]

Millennials and reactors seem not to have rediscovered this film yet. I've been waiting.

[@BarryHart-xo1oy]

I hope to God they do rediscover it-this movie deserves a contemporary revival.

[@thomaswakefield6889]

You forgot to mention that Patric Stewart also played in this movie

[@PaulHFleming]

Arthur: " Can you make her love me?" Merlin (extremely upset) " I did that for your Father. It took me nine Moons to recover - NEVER again!!!"

[@TheoBrookes-p2h]

Whenever I watch Excalibur it sends shivers up and down my spine. I tend to think the movie taps into the realm of myth, but the others don't touch that realm.

[@RolandoRatas]

It has not been bested in decades, when I watched it as a kid in the 1980s it was almost like our The Lord Of The Rings back then. So many of the actors have died that appeared in this movie, the actors who played King Arthur, Sir Lancelot, Merlin, Mordred, Perceval, Uryens (great scene actually) ; etc. it's great though that they are immortalized in this great movie.

[@DamienWalter]

Boorman was originally slated to direct LotR, so this and Zardoz grow out if his thinking on that

[@zahiramalakh6352]

I can't even tell you how many times I've watched Excalibur. It's a masterpiece.

[@cquilty673]

There's the idea that comes through with every aspect of Arthurian legend I explore; men ARE ridiculous. But men are indispensable when you have trouble at your door. Thank you for seeing through the drama and saying it out loud. Even the greatest of men are and always will be imperfect.

[@robinsimoni688]

Women are just as ridiculous but probably more devious.

[@andrewstrongman305]

Excalibur is a masterpiece that has become the definitive Arthurian story. For anyone interested in the armour, it was modelled on actual armour from the late 14th Century/early 15th Century. Although the story is set centuries earlier, the choice was deliberate. Although aluminium is used instead of steel, it's the first film to ever use 'real' plate armour. Adam Savage commissioned his own 'King Arthur' armour from Terry English, and made a series showing it's fabrication. It's well worth a watch!

[@originaluddite]

I guess it's a look that Malory would have imagined for his telling of the tale.

[@andrewstrongman305]

@@originaluddite Also, the term 'knight' as it's used in the story dates to 1300 at earliest.

[@originaluddite]

"King Arthur And the Well-Armed Horse-Riding Nobly Born Warriors Of The Round Table". :)

[@Julius_Hardware]

@@originaluddite Exactly. Malory, like other medieval authors, didn't understand history the way we do - for instance, Roman figures were always portrayed in contemporary castles, armour and clothes in manuscript illustrations. Commentators who say its not dark ages enough miss the point completely.

[@originaluddite]

@@Julius_Hardware some people living today have the same sort of mindset, stuck in some kind of perpetual present. :)

[@JezebelIsHongry]

Anál nathrach, orth’ bháis’s bethad, do chél dénmha

[@asahelsmith9490]

Oh, my. I thought it was Latin! 😂 It is Welch!

[@N_Loco_Parenthesis]

@@asahelsmith9490 Irish.

[@questerperipatetic4861]

I've loved this movie since its release and have had that line memorized for near 45 years now. And I never knew what it meant. I feel like an idiot.

[@JaneEasterbrook-bn3ux]

​@@N_Loco_ParenthesisDidn't Arthur kill a giant pig and an ogre in Ireland in some legends?

[@ThursoBerwick]

​@@asahelsmith9490Not quite, it's old Irish with some old Brythonic thrown in. As a Gaelic speaker I could understand much of ot.

[@boogerie]

Umm actually the film adaptation of "Camelot" was produced & released years after JFK's death. Jackie was referring to the original Broadway musical with Richard Burton as Arthur

[@JaneEasterbrook-bn3ux]

A great Welsh actor as a Welsh king!!

[@JForrestFisher--76]

What Hollywood really loves about King Arthur. It's an established IP that's in the public domain. Same with Dracula, Robin Hood, etc.

[@Dosbomber]

Don't tell Hollyweird about King Arthur... they've already destroyed so many great cultural icons with their idiotic "stunning and brave" narrative. They'll ret-con Arthur cheating with Lancelot instead of Guinevere.

[@ThursoBerwick]

Sherlock Holmes is another one.

[@DaveMiller2]

Excellent film. I own it.

[@gmansard641]

One thing about the "Holy Grail" is that Graham Chapman played Arthur almost completely straight. You could transplant his performance directly into "Excalibur" with little modification. Look at the scene where he's arguing with Dennis the Anarcho-Syndicalist peasant. Both characters are almost completely serious, the comedy derives from the clash between 20th century ideology and a mythologized seventh century. Part of the "Holy Grail's" genius is that you need to know the original legends to appreciate it. The Python troop were quite a scholarly bunch, they knew their history and legends.

[@Choalith_Ikanthe]

It literally took me years to have it suddenly connect that the Rabbit was a perfect reference to Caith Palug. The Monty Python troop were always so bloody clever.

[@anonUK]

MP&HG was the closest to a faithful cinema adaptation (at least, up to that time) of the Morte d'Arthur. As mentioned in the video, it was the 15th century reading of the Arthurian legends. That said, it's after 800+ years of monks, mystics and French chivalric poets rewriting the material and adding their own spin on it.

[@markkeogh2190]

On a slight tangent - The green knight - is very good. Similar trippy vibes to Excalibur. And also made in Ireland.

[@DamienWalter]

Yes, I liked it.

[@garrenosborne9623]

Yep I got some major synchronicities around watching it + hairs on neck standing to attention in parts attesting to its symbolic potency.for me, examining it helped resolve a life dilemma, as all good stories do. I dare say people have had transcendental experiences watching pythons Holy Grail, a profound insight is not profound at all humour can get in its way. The atoms of story - symbols are so powerful {& dangerous...which makes them powerful} that even if some fk wit mixes them like Beaker from the muppets guy riches style, if you walk into the cave your still come out different. Not all symbol mixes are equal though, some become epic... thanks for appreciating Boorman's

[@JCIce007]

The Geen Knight is like the Grail quest sequence from Excalubur expsnded into a whole movie. For me, that was too much trippiness for too long a time, though it is a beautiful-looking movie.

[@bobdhitman]

I highly recommend it. I don’t recommend after consuming an ungodly amount of thc.

[@xhagast]

Loved it.

[@ThursoBerwick]

Anglocentric take. In actual fact, Arthur was the culture hero of the Welsh, the Bretons and the Celtic-speaking Cornish long before Geoffrey of Monmouth. That tradition existed independently of hom and through the Bretons informed various continental Romances. He was even known to a lesser extent among the Gaels who had a few stories about him which appear to be independent of any English or even Norman traditions.

[@SonofSethoitae]

Did you miss that he mentioned that in the video?

[@ThursoBerwick]

@SonofSethoitae Not really. No mention of Gaelic versions of the mythos which he probably doesn't even know exist.

[@cane6074]

I always love the dreamlike and surreal quality of the movie, as well as the tug in cheek humor that's so subtly hidden within the story despite its overall serious tone. What's interesting is that the world that the story takes in is quite likely is a dreamworld because Merlin says so to Arthur at the end of the movie "Back to were you are now, in a land of dreams". As well as explains the strangeness of the world itself were the movie takes place in.

[@SuperSonicBaroque]

There has to be humor! But I don’t think it’s tongue in cheek; that would be if Boorman was winking at the audience, which he’s not.

[@cane6074]

@@SuperSonicBaroque Its not laugh out loud type of humor, its a sarcastic and dry type of humor that in the subtext of the situation in the form of how absurd or silly the proceedings are(very British in style). Such as when Arthur gives sword to his challenger and he's about to strike him down and then dubs him the king in the middle of battle that he was waging against him a minute ago. Damien himself say the movie is a few feet away from a Monty Python skeet, but stops short do how it handles the material in tone and style. The tone is serious overall and, but tongue and cheek humor is springled through out the film despite all that. It makes fun of kingship and knighthood, but treats them as worthwhile things in the end.

[@Marveryn]

@@cane6074 what is this what is this? i have not foreseen this

[@cane6074]

@@Marveryn Good one!

[@kennichols3992]

I loved the shout-out for Knight Riders. That movie received so little attention but was oddly quite good.

[@SeeFoodDie]

Merlin was the first guy to drop cryptic prophecies like they were tweets.

[@jamesstrom6991]

No CGI. magnetic acting. story arc. cinematography. a masterpiece

[@roberthiltz2741]

Thank you for showing such appreciation for one of the most important films of my youth. The music, color and atmosphere set the stage for my cinema loving life since I saw it as a child. Well done sir

[@rocketb00t]

I know it's terrible, but the Guy Ritchie King Arthur is SO . MUCH . FUN. I've been in mourning for years that we'll never a sequel, which would have undoubtably cast Michael Cain as Merlin.

[@vaulthecreator]

Not terrible in the slightest. I too love Guy Ritchies offering, it is a fun watch (snd that soundtrack 🥰) that doesn't take itself too seriuosly nor smack of pretentiousness. Don't get me wrong I adore Excaliber but on occasion it really feels like it's got a stick firmly up it's arse.

[@reidsoundz9905]

I’ve had girlfriends who refused to watch Excalibur w me because I literally recite every line through the whole movie. Been one of my all time favorites since I was 4 y.o.

[@themercer4972]

It is a great film, and I too know the lines well. But if you want someone to enjoy it, dont do that.

[@ken7165]

Wow I love the movie but that would be really annoying. Stop doing that.

[@questerperipatetic4861]

Ha. When I have trouble falling asleep I replay the movie in my mind, scene by scene, line by line, like mental comfort food until I nod off.

[@timetomakethecalligraphy6923]

There was a time when I watched this movie so frequently that I could quote the movie. What a time to be alive.

[@DeAlpineBro]

I thought Mary Stewart's "Merlin" trilogy was the best Arthur story I ever read.

[@creatrixZBD]

I liked that someone did the story through the eyes and experiences of women, rather than the traditional perspective. I can’t remember properly, but I think it turned out that Stewart was a bit of a piece of work (but I might be mixing her up with another beloved author of that time.)

[@ana_d_73]

​@@creatrixZBD I've not checked Mary Stewart's past, but could it be possible you're thinking of Marion Zimmer Bradley too? She allegedly did terrible things to her children.

[@jasonp.1195]

Very impressive overview of the Arthurian history mythos and its depiction across history and cinema. Yes, Excalibur is a fantastic movie, but this video covered so much more than that. Very well done Mr. Walter.

[@numb3r5ev3n]

This is one of those movies that I somehow missed growing up in the 80s, that I finally broke down and watched after nearly all my friends urged me to see it immediately. It instantly became my favorite King Arthur film. It's also one that I frequently leave on in the background as I do chores, etc.

[@sandman4876]

One reason you didn't mind paying $1100 in 1983 money for a VCR Rewind and watch again, not enough appreciation give to the VCR, breaking of the chain

[@johnwatson3948]

This is some really good commentary. We were in film school in 1981 and became fans of Excalibur, seeing it in the theater more than once. Paradoxically one of the great things in the movie is the realistic dirty and distressed look seen earlier in Holy Grail - this is one of the failings of the other shiny and perfect Arthur movies. The use of the Wagner music was also brilliant.

[@LarrysLibrary]

That theme music for Excalibur is haunting and unforgettable. Powerful!

[@paulwilson3057]

Wagner at his best

[@mroctober3657]

The Old Spice commercial.

[@questerperipatetic4861]

Tristan und Isolde

[@paulwilson3057]

@questerperipatetic4861 listened to that soooo much as a young man. 🫶

[@creatrixZBD]

Is that the piece at the start of this video? It’s been a while since I watched Excalibur, I can’t believe I didn’t notice that fantastic track. (Although I do get very carried away with the clangs and tangles when watching)

[@PhilipMReeder]

I have to admit it, when Ureyans is overcome with Arthur's goodness, and knights him with Excalibur, it makes me want to weep. I think at its core all men think of ourselves as a potential hero. Imperfect, lost at times, but always seeking something - better. When Arthur has broken Excalibur because of his impatience and jealousy of Lancelot's skill, then admits to himself "I am nothing" we find as Merlin states later what is most important - "Truth". Most importantly for each person, within ourselves.

[@PhilipMReeder]

Shawn

[@mrpocock]

There is an excellent Cambrian Chronicles episode on Author. I think Excalibur was the first proper fantasy film for grownups that i remember watching.

[@DelightLovesMovies]

Excalibur is a work of art. The photography, music, cast, lighting, all come together to make a unique film that I love so much and have watched many times. I love your vid about it, too.

[@DamienWalter]

Thanks

[@DelightLovesMovies]

@@DamienWalter You're welcome

[@williamblakehall5566]

An extraordinary movie can be a license for actors to say extraordinary lines. I remember Excalibur best for its lines.

[@gsigs]

Just to be clear, Camelot the movie came out in 1967, some 4 years after JFK's assassination. He is obviously referring to the Lerner and Lowe stage play that premiered in 1960. My parents played the soundtrack incessantly so I pretty much have it memorized.

[@nodatastored684]

And strangely, not on streaming, after two years of asking

[@JaneEasterbrook-bn3ux]

Thank God I have the dvd!

[@glacier68]

And importantly, it introduced me to Orff's Carmina Burana, which I've enjoyed in multiple ballet and symphonic performances over the years...

[@alienlovearts]

Have always felt the same. One can watch Excalibur an infinite number of times and it still holds up. Nicol Williamson’s portrayal of Merlin is bold and indelible. Thank you for celebrating this sparkling gem of a film.

[@williamj.dovejr.8613]

The music is incredible!

[@blueconcretezebra]

Arthur, the once and future king who sleeps until his time comes again. That time has come, Arthur return and free us from the terrible, venal, corrupt politicians!

[@Stoffstoffer]

ya he will come back.... get brought up to speed on the modern world and will lock himself in his room with porn

[@blacksquirrel4008]

Strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government

[@blueconcretezebra]

@@blacksquirrel4008 It might be better than the system that landed us with what passes for government today though. But of course you are correct.

[@JaneEasterbrook-bn3ux]

​@@blacksquirrel4008Can't be worse than this labour government!

[@ThursoBerwick]

Arthur is among other things, a type of Jesus and also a representation of the bear ("arth" in Welsh) which hibernates during the winter.

[@JeffY-y3z]

As a college freshman majoring in history and English I went on a school sponsored tour of Britain in search of the legend of Arthur. The most important thing I took away from the tour was that if you want to gather, blend, and combine a divergent people into a really kick ass culture, community and country first you have to have a crazy, killer myth and legend to base it on. Think Romulus and Remus.......Thor and Odin. Arthur, Merlin Guinevere, the Chalice, Quest, Lancelot, and Excalibur fill that niche, and the movie Excalibur tells the story perfectly. Pure Campbell.

[@HalJalikakik]

Inarguable premise. Great cast (even Charlie Boorman was good 😂), excellent screenplay, and the score is rousing. I hope they never try to remake this.

[@TheLivingPhilosophy]

Hahaha love that endscreen swipe. Great video so much movie and literary history in one little number. Loved the mythos denouement. Epic

[@Asankeket]

A story about mythic truths indeed. And the beauty of such mythic truths is that you can feel them even if you're unable, for the time being, to put them into words. I watched Excalibur when it came out, and no other adaptation since has ever come close to its impact. Especially Merlin will always be the Merlin in Excalibur for me.

[@thescarletandgrey2505]

My favorite scene was when Arthur fights Lancelot, loses at first, downtrodden now that his sword is broken. Then with Excalibur restored he defeats Lancelot. Such a good film visually

[@GlennFleetwood]

He breaks Excalibur defeating Lancelot...

[@cyclonasaurusrex1525]

I went through KA phase in my 20s. Read everything. Watched a ton of movies. You are 100% correct

[@bearbryant3495]

I make a point of watching this at least once a yr if only to hear Nicol Williamson say "For it is the doom of men that they always forget". Timely, eh?

[@PirateJacques79]

4:27 - Apart from 'X-Men', which came out a year after 'Mystery Men'.

[@DamienWalter]

Nice, yes.

[@Noble713]

This excellent film, and Nicol Williamson's Merlin, spawned one of the greatest grindcore bands of our time: "Anaal Nathrakh", named for the first two words of the "Charm of Making" in the movie.

[@kevinbuja8105]

Hard to believe that Nigel Terry (Arthur), Nicholas Clay (Lancelot), Nicol Williamson (Merlin), Robert Addie (Modred - adult), Paul Geoffrey (Perceval) all are dead.

[@hgwells1899]

There's always one

[@kevinbuja8105]

@@hgwells1899 Many died young. That's the sad part.

[@stevecowder4774]

I remember seeing this at a theater, right after it was first released. To this day, I’d never seen another King Arthur movie that was better. This one is just magically special with its drama and scenery. Not to mention a really good cast.

[@JCIce007]

As a kid, I loved this movie (in its TV-edited form) just for the knights and clanging swords. In my teens and early 20s, I though it was cheesy and absurd, only to be enjoyed ironically. Now I'm 40 and I love it again as a distilation of Aethruian myths into an dreamlike epic.

[@EerieV23]

I understand this journey.

[@walterreeves3679]

Sorry for being pedantic but Jackie was talking about the Broadway Musical being JFK's favorite, not the movie. That film wasn't made until 1967, some 4 years after he was assassinated.

[@randicus1030]

I saw this movie first when I was 13. I thought it was cool then. I'm 57 now and I still LOVE this movie. Hellen Mirren was a smoke show in her day. 😍

[@juangallegos1048]

Outstanding film, I saw it when I was 17, & was totally blown away by it's epicness; will turn 59 in a couple of days, & dear Lord Helen Mirren, she might've played the bad girl; but she was absolutely gorgeous!

[@Grizzlox]

Nicol Williamson's Merlin is tied with Mario as the fictional character I've dressed up as for Halloween the most often

[@FlintStone-c3s]

I really loved Excalibur movie, so over the top glossy it was surreal yet enchanting, maybe it was the epic sound track.

[@robertmyers5269]

Green!!! I love how the setting of your essay is a callback to the cinematography.

[@Aikidragon_Prime]

This came out a few years after I started playing D&D. Yes, I consider this the best (serious) telling of the King Arthur story, to this day.

[@aroundhedleybc7483]

I mean, if I went 'round saying I was an emperor, just because some moistened bint had lobbed a scimitar at me, they'd put me away!

[@KenjiMapes]

I watched this when it was playing on cable as a kid & fell in love with the actress playing Morgan Le Fey. Didn’t realize it until years later that the actress playing Morgan was a young Helen Mirren. Helen was a total babe then & is a total cougar babe now. She was an actual girl boss - a crazy vengeful girl boss but a girl boss nonetheless in Excalibur.

[@MB-nn3jw]

Absolutely correct. Thank you for clearly articulating what we all knew. Such a wonderful visual spectacle touching on all the main or commonly understood elements of the Arthurian legend.

[@Nukemode]

Definitely agree with the title of this video. Excalibur is the only good King Arthur Movie.

[@Grisostomo06]

Jack Kennedy was assassinated in 1963. The cinematic version of "Camelot" was released in 1967. President Kennedy could not have cited the movie as his favorite. His wife Jackie was talking about the stage musical.

[@williamj.dovejr.8613]

This is the only King Arthur movie I will watch over and over!

[@ccfmfg]

The Second You mentioned Python You had Me. Thank You, but I've Already Got One.