View source for Excalibur (film 1981)

{{short description|1981 film by John Boorman}}
{{Use British English|date=April 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2020}}
{{Infobox film
| name           = Excalibur
| image          = Excalibur movie poster.jpg
| caption        = Theatrical release poster by [[Bob Peak]]
| director       = [[John Boorman]]
| writer         = {{Plainlist|
* [[Rospo Pallenberg]]
* John Boorman
}}
| based_on       = {{Based on|''[[Le Morte d'Arthur]]''|[[Thomas Malory]]}}
| producer       = John Boorman
| starring       = {{Plainlist|
* [[Nigel Terry]]
* [[Helen Mirren]]
* [[Nicol Williamson]]
* [[Nicholas Clay]]
* [[Cherie Lunghi]]
* [[Paul Geoffrey]]
* [[Robert Addie]]
* [[Gabriel Byrne]]
* [[Liam Neeson]]
* [[Patrick Stewart]]
}}
| cinematography = [[Alex Thomson (cinematographer)|Alex Thomson]]
| editing        = [[John Merritt (editor)|John Merritt]]<br>[[Donn Cambern]] {{small|(uncredited)}}
| music          = [[Trevor Jones (composer)|Trevor Jones]]
| studio         = [[Orion Pictures]]<br>Cinema ‘84
| distributor    = [[Warner Bros. Pictures|Warner Bros.]]
| released       = {{Film date|df=yes|1981|4|10|United States|1981|7|2|London}}
| runtime        = 141 minutes<!-- Theatrical runtime: 140:30 --><ref name="bbfc"/>
| country        = {{plainlist|
* United States<ref name=afi>{{cite web|url=https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/56592|publisher=[[American Film Institute]]|title=Excalibur|access-date=28 November 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://lumiere.obs.coe.int/web/film_info/?id=12441|publisher=[[Lumiere (database)|Lumiere]] Database|title=Excalibur|access-date=28 November 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.svenskfilmdatabas.se/en/item/?type=film&itemid=5652|publisher=[[Swedish Film Database]]|title=Excalibur|access-date=5 February 2019 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180530090504/http://www.svenskfilmdatabas.se/en/item/?type=film&itemid=5652 |archive-date=30 May 2018}}</ref>
* United Kingdom<ref name=bfi>{{cite web|url=https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b6bd3935a|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170531031856/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b6bd3935a|url-status=dead|archive-date=31 May 2017|publisher=[[British Film Institute]]|title=Excalibur (1981)}}</ref>
}}
| language       = English
| budget         = $11 million<ref name="filmireland" />
| gross          = $35 million (US/Canada)<ref name="boxofficemojo" />
}}
[[File:Siegfrieds funeral march, excerpt.flac|thumb|A motif from Wagner's ''[[Götterdämmerung]]'', which was used prominently in ''Excalibur'' as the theme for the sword]]
'''''Excalibur''''' is a 1981 [[epic film|epic]] [[medieval fantasy]] film directed, co-written and produced by [[John Boorman]], that retells the legend of [[King Arthur]] and the knights of the [[Round Table]], based loosely on the 15th-century Arthurian [[Romance (heroic literature)|romance]] ''[[Le Morte d'Arthur]]'' by [[Thomas Malory]]. It stars [[Nigel Terry]] as Arthur, [[Nicol Williamson]] as [[Merlin]], [[Nicholas Clay]] as [[Lancelot]], [[Cherie Lunghi]] as [[Guinevere|Guenevere]], [[Helen Mirren]] as [[Morgana le Fay|Morgana]], [[Liam Neeson]] as [[Gawain]], [[Gabriel Byrne]] as [[Uther Pendragon|Uther]] and [[Patrick Stewart]] as [[Leodegrance|Leondegrance]]. The film is named after the [[Excalibur|legendary sword]] of King Arthur that features prominently in [[Arthurian literature]]. The film's soundtrack features the music of [[Richard Wagner]]<ref>Extracts from [[Tristan and Isolde]], [[Parsifal]], [[Der Ring des Nibelungen]]: [[Twilight of the Gods (opera)|Twilight of the Gods]]</ref> and [[Carl Orff]],<ref>Extract from [[Carmina Burana (Orff)|Carmina Burana]]</ref> along with an original score by [[Trevor Jones (composer)|Trevor Jones]].

Boorman's ''Excalibur'' began development as an unproduced adaptation of ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]''.<ref name="suburban" /> The film was shot entirely on location in [[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]] and at [[Ardmore Studios]], employing Irish actors and crew. It has been acknowledged for its importance to the Irish filmmaking industry and for helping launch the film and acting careers of a number of Irish and British actors, including Liam Neeson, Patrick Stewart, Gabriel Byrne and [[Ciarán Hinds]].<ref name=filmireland>{{cite web |url=http://www.filmireland.net/2011/01/27/boorman-honoured-as-excalibur-hits-30/ |title=Boorman honoured as 'Excalibur' hits 30 |access-date=2011-07-11 |first=Rónán |last=Doyle |date=27 January 2011 |work=[[Film Ireland]] |archive-date=22 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722014518/http://www.filmireland.net/2011/01/27/boorman-honoured-as-excalibur-hits-30/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>{{Obsolete source|reason=Article no longer exists; this statement is dubious as Patrick Stewart had an established career by this time, and had worked in both TV and film|date=February 2022}}

Reviewers praised ''Excalibur''{{'s}} visual style. It won the award for Best Artistic Contribution at the [[1981 Cannes Film Festival]],<ref name="festival-cannes.com">{{cite web |title=Festival de Cannes: Excalibur |url=http://www.festival-cannes.com/en/archives/ficheFilm/id/1738/year/1981.html |access-date=2014-07-17 |publisher=Festival de Cannes}}</ref> and received an [[Academy Award|Oscar]] nomination for [[Academy Award for Best Cinematography|Best Cinematography]] and a [[BAFTA Award|BAFTA]] nomination for [[BAFTA Award for Best Costume Design|Best Costume Design]]. It grossed $35 million in the United States and Canada on a budget of $11 million.<ref name=boxofficemojo>{{cite web |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0082348 |title=Excalibur |access-date=2014-07-17| publisher=[[Box Office Mojo]] }}</ref>

==Plot==
<!-- Per WP:FILMPLOT, plot summaries for feature films are 400 to 700 words. -->
In the [[Dark Ages (historiography)|Dark Ages]], the sorcerer [[Merlin]] retrieves the magical sword [[Excalibur]] from the [[Lady of the Lake]] for [[Uther Pendragon]], who is declared king. In exchange for their future child, Merlin helps Uther seduce [[Igraine|Igrayne]], the [[Gorlois|Duke of Cornwall]]'s wife, while the Duke dies in battle. Igrayne gives birth to [[King Arthur|Arthur]], and Merlin takes the boy. Ambushed by the Duke's men, a dying Uther thrusts Excalibur into a stone, as Merlin declares that he who pulls the sword from the stone shall be king.

Merlin entrusts [[Sir Ector|Ector]] to raise Arthur, who becomes squire to Ector's son [[Sir Kay|Kay]]. As a young man, Arthur pulls Excalibur from the stone, proving he is Uther's rightful heir. [[Leodegrance]] pledges his allegiance to Arthur, but they are opposed by knights who dispute Arthur's kingship as a bastard. Defending Leondegrance's castle and his daughter [[Guinevere|Guenevere]], Arthur defeats [[Urien|Uryens]], whom he compels to knight him and swear fealty. Smitten with Guenevere, Arthur ignores Merlin's warning that she will one day fall in love with someone else.

Years later, the undefeated knight [[Lancelot]] almost bests Arthur, who calls upon the power of Excalibur to defeat Lancelot, breaking the sword. The [[Lady of the Lake]] restores the sword to a remorseful Arthur, and Lancelot swears allegiance to him. Unifying the land, Arthur and his knights create the [[Round Table]] and the castle [[Camelot]]. Secretly infatuated with each other, Lancelot escorts Guenevere to her wedding to Arthur, declaring that his loyalty to the king outweighs his love for her. Arthur's half-sister Morgana reveals to Merlin that she is a sorceress, and Lancelot brings [[Percival|Perceval]], who hopes to become a knight, to Camelot.

Influenced by Morgana, [[Gawain]] drunkenly accuses Guenevere of betraying the king, and a duel over her innocence is set. Resolved to uphold the law as an impartial judge, Arthur cannot defend Guenevere's honor himself. When no champion will fight for the queen, Perceval steps forward, but Lancelot arrives and defeats Gawain, sparing his life. Retreating to the forest, Lancelot is followed by a deeply moved Guenevere, and they make love. Merlin confirms this to Arthur, who thrusts Excalibur into the ground between the sleeping lovers. Merlin's magical link to the land impales him on the sword, as Morgana traps him and steals his Charm of Making.

Taking Guenevere's form, Morgana seduces Arthur and gives birth to a son, [[Mordred]], infecting the land with famine and sickness. Struck by a magical bolt of lightning, a weakened Arthur sends his knights to search for the [[Holy Grail]], hoping to restore the land and himself. Many knights die on their quest or are bewitched into Morgana's service, but Perceval resists her attacks. Mordred reaches adulthood and demands Arthur's crown, vowing to take Camelot by force. Unable to save Uryens from Mordred, Perceval is attacked by Lancelot, who has renounced his knighthood.

Nearly drowned, Perceval is transported to the Grail and proves himself worthy, bringing the Grail to Arthur. He drinks from the Grail and is revitalised along with the land, calling upon Kay to rally their remaining forces against Mordred. Arthur finds Guenevere at a convent, and they reconcile before she gives him back Excalibur. At [[Stonehenge]], Arthur's love liberates Merlin and they share a final conversation. Merlin tricks Morgana into speaking the Charm of Making, exhausting her powers and enveloping the battlefield in mist. Mordred discovers his mother's aged, true self and murders her in disgust.

Arthur and his men battle Mordred's forces, using the mist in their favour. Lancelot comes to Arthur's aid, reconciling with his friend and dying a true knight. Arthur kills Mordred but is mortally wounded, and commands Perceval to throw Excalibur into the water, knowing the sword will rise again for a worthy king. The Lady of the Lake catches the sword and disappears, and Perceval watches as Arthur is carried away on a ship toward [[Avalon]].

==Cast==
Credits from the [[AFI Catalog of Feature Films|''AFI Catalog of Feature Films'']].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Excalibur (1981) |url=https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/56592 |access-date=2025-03-07 |website=[[AFI Catalog of Feature Films]]}}</ref>
{{Cast listing|
* [[Nigel Terry]] as [[King Arthur|Arthur]]
* [[Helen Mirren]] as [[Morgan le Fay]]
** Kay McLaren as aged Morgana
** Barbara Byrne as young Morgana
* [[Nicol Williamson]] as [[Merlin]]<ref name="canbyquote"/>
* [[Nicholas Clay]] as [[Lancelot]]
* [[Cherie Lunghi]] as [[Guinevere|Guenevere]]
* [[Paul Geoffrey]] as [[Percival|Perceval]]
* [[Corin Redgrave]] as [[Gorlois|Duke of Cornwall]]
* [[Patrick Stewart]] as [[King Leodegrance|Leodegrance]]
* [[Keith Buckley (actor)|Keith Buckley]] as [[Urien|Uryens]]
* [[Clive Swift]] as [[Sir Ector|Ector]]
* [[Liam Neeson]] as [[Sir Gawain|Gawain]]
* [[Gabriel Byrne]] as [[Uther Pendragon]]
* [[Robert Addie]] as [[Mordred]]
** [[Charley Boorman]] as young Mordred
* [[Katrine Boorman]] as [[Igraine|Igrayne]]
* [[Ciarán Hinds]] as [[King Lot]]
* [[Niall O'Brien (actor)|Niall O'Brien]] as [[Sir Kay|Kay]]
* Liam O'Callaghan as [[Knights of the Round Table|Sadok]]
* Michael Muldoon as [[Sagramore|Astamor]]
* [[Mannix Flynn]] as Mordred’s Lieutenant
* Garrett Keogh as [[Mador de la Porte|Mador]]
* [[Emmet Bergin]] as Ulfius
* [[Brid Brennan]] as Lady-in-Waiting
* [[Eamon Kelly (actor)|Eamon Kelly]] as Abbot
* Hilary Joyalle as [[Lady of the Lake]] ''(uncredited)''
}}

==Production==
===Development===
[[File: Autographed Excalibur Armor.JPG|thumb|upright|Autographed armor from the movie Excalibur in a pub in Cahir, Ireland, 2004]]
John Boorman had planned a [[film adaptation]] of the Merlin legend as early as 1969, but when submitting the three-hour script written with [[Rospo Pallenberg]] to [[United Artists]], they rejected it deeming it too costly and offered him [[J. R. R. Tolkien]]'s ''[[The Lord of the Rings]]'' instead. Boorman was allowed to shop the script elsewhere, but no studio would commit to it. Returning to his original idea of the Merlin legend, Boorman was eventually able to secure deals that would help him do ''Excalibur''. Much of the imagery and set designs were created with his ''The Lord of the Rings'' project in mind.<ref name=suburban>{{cite book| last=Boorman| first=John| title=Adventures of a Suburban Boy| publisher=Faber Books| date=1 November 2003| isbn=978-0571216956| pages=[https://archive.org/details/adventuresofsubu0000boor/page/178 178ff]| url=https://archive.org/details/adventuresofsubu0000boor/page/178}}</ref>

===Writing===
[[Rospo Pallenberg]] and [[John Boorman]] wrote the screenplay, which is primarily an adaptation of [[Thomas Malory|Malory]]'s ''[[Le Morte d'Arthur|Morte d'Arthur]]'' (1469–70) recasting the Arthurian legends as an allegory of the cycle of birth, life, decay, and restoration, by stripping the text of decorative or insignificant details. The resulting film is reminiscent of [[mythography|mythographic]] works such as Sir [[James Frazer]]'s ''[[The Golden Bough]]'' and [[Jessie Weston (scholar)|Jessie Weston]]'s ''[[From Ritual to Romance]]''; Arthur is presented as the "Wounded King" whose realm becomes a wasteland to be reborn thanks to the Grail, and may be compared to the [[Fisher King|Fisher (or Sinner) King]], whose land also became a wasteland, and was also healed by Perceval. "The film has to do with ''mythical'' truth, not historical truth," Boorman remarked to a journalist during filming. The Christian symbolism revolves around the Grail, perhaps most strongly in the baptismal imagery of Perceval finally achieving the Grail quest.  "That's what my story is about: the coming of Christian man and the disappearance of the old religions which are represented by Merlin. The forces of superstition and magic are swallowed up into the unconscious."<ref name="interview">{{cite journal| url=http://americancinemapapers.homestead.com/files/EXCALIBUR.htm| title=John Boorman in Interview| journal=[[American Film (magazine)|American Film]]| date=March 1981| last=Kennedy| first=Harlan| access-date=2014-07-17}}</ref><ref name=dandalf>{{cite web |url=http://dandalf.com/dandalf/hollywoodgrail.html |title=The Quest for the Hollywood Grail John Boorman's Excalibur, and the Mythic Development of the Arthurian Legend ''(sic)'' |access-date=8 July 2006 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060625172606/http://www.dandalf.com/dandalf/hollywoodgrail.html <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date=25 June 2006}}</ref>
[[File: London Film Museum (5094934492).jpg|thumb|upright|The film's sword Excalibur at the [[London Film Museum]]]]

In addition to Malory, the writers incorporated elements from other Arthurian stories, sometimes altering them. For example, the sword between the sleeping lovers' bodies comes from the tales of [[Tristan and Iseult]]; the knight who returns Excalibur to the water is changed from [[Bedivere]] to Perceval; and [[Morgause]] and [[Morgan Le Fay]] are merged into one character. The sword Excalibur and the [[Excalibur#The Sword in the Stone and the Sword in the Lake|Sword in the Stone]] are presented as the same thing; in some versions of the legends, they are separate. In ''[[Le Morte d'Arthur]]'', Sir [[Galahad]], the illegitimate son of Lancelot and [[Elaine of Corbenic]], is the Knight who is worthy of the Holy Grail. Boorman follows the earlier version of the tale as told by [[Chrétien de Troyes]], making Perceval the grail winner. Some new elements were added, such as Uther wielding Excalibur before Arthur (repeated in ''[[Merlin (miniseries)|Merlin]]''), Merlin's 'Charm of Making' (written in [[Old Irish]]), and the concept of the world as "the dragon" (probably inspired by the dragon omen seen in [[Geoffrey of Monmouth]]'s account of Merlin's life).<ref>Geoffrey of Monmouth: [[Historia Regum Britanniae|History of the Kings of Britain]], VII, 3.</ref>

;The Charm of Making
According to [[Linguistics|linguist]] [[Michael Everson]], the "Charm of Making" that Merlin speaks to invoke the dragon is an invention, there being no attested source for the charm. Everson reconstructs the text as [[Old Irish]].<ref name=everson>{{cite web| last=Everson| first=Michael| author-link=Michael Everson| title=Merlin's Charm of Making| publisher=Evertype| access-date=2014-07-17| url=http://www.evertype.com/misc/charm.html}}</ref><ref name=etymology1>{{cite web |url=http://starling.rinet.ru/cgi-bin/response.cgi?single=1&basename=\data\ie\piet&text_recno=1276&root=config |title=Indo-European etymology: *ane- |access-date=22 March 2011 |quote=Anál: to breathe, to blow *anǝtlo-: OIr anāl 'spiritus'; Cymr anadl 'Atem'; MBret alazn (Umstellung), Bret holan; *anǝtī-: MCymr eneit, Cymr eneid 'Seele'; *anamon-: OIr animm, gen. anman, Ir anam 'Seele'}}</ref><ref name=etymology2>{{cite web |url=http://starling.rinet.ru/cgi-bin/response.cgi?single=1&basename=\data\ie\piet&text_recno=799&root=config |title=Indo-European etymology: *nētr- |access-date=22 March 2011 |quote=Nathrach: Celtic: *natrī > OIsl nathir, gen. nathrach 'natrix, serpens'; Corn nader `Schlange', OBret pl. natrol-ion 'Basilisken', MBret azr 'Schlange', NBret aer ds., Cymr neidr, pl. nadroedd 'ds.'}}</ref> The phonetic transcription of the charm as spoken in the film is {{IPA|cel|aˈnaːl naθˈrax, uːrθ vaːs beˈθʌd, doxˈjeːl ˈdjenveː}}. Although the pronunciation in the film has little relation to how the text would actually be pronounced in Irish, the most likely interpretation of the spoken words, as Old Irish text is:<ref>{{cite book|last1=Bourgne|first1=Florence|last2=Carruthers|first2=Leo M.|last3=Sancery|first3=Arlette|others=Editor: Florence Bourgne|title=Un espace colonial et ses avatars: naissance d'identités nationales, Angleterre, France, Irlande, Ve-XVe siècles|volume=42 di Cultures et civilisations médiévales|year=2008|publisher=Presses Paris Sorbonne|language=fr|isbn=9782840505594|page=4|quote=serpent's [dragon's] breath, charm of death and life, thy spell of making}}</ref>

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

In modern English, this can be translated as:

: Serpent's breath,
: the charm of death and life,
: thy omen of making.

===Casting===
As early as 1974, Boorman had considered casting [[Max von Sydow]], [[Sean Connery]], or [[Lee Marvin]] as Merlin.<ref name=":0" /> However, the film's comparatively low budget precluded such marquee casting.<!--the commentary track itself is the source for this section, no other is needed.--> Boorman considered casting [[Klaus Kinski]] as Merlin, before choosing [[Nicol Williamson]].<ref name=":0" />

Boorman cast Williamson and [[Helen Mirren]] opposite each other as Merlin and Morgana, knowing that the two were on less than friendly terms due to personal issues that arose during a production of ''[[Macbeth]]'' seven years earlier. Boorman verified this on the ''Excalibur'' DVD commentary, saying he felt that the tension on the set would come through in the actors' performances.

Even though he was 35 years old, [[Nigel Terry]] plays King Arthur from his teenage years to his ending as an aged monarch. ''Excalibur'' was Terry's first leading role in a feature film, he was mainly a stage and television actor. For the role, Terry adopted a [[West Country English|West Country accent]], in order to reflect the mythological Arthur's association with [[Cornwall]].

The rest of the cast were also relative unknowns, and for several it was their film debut or otherwise very early in their careers. As the film was shot in [[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]], many Irish actors appeared in the film, including [[Gabriel Byrne]] (in only his second film role), [[Liam Neeson]] (his third), and [[Ciarán Hinds]] (his very first).<ref name="filmireland" />

Several members of the Boorman family appear in the cast: his daughter [[Katrine Boorman|Katrine]] played Igraine, Arthur's mother, and his son [[Charley Boorman|Charley]] portrayed Mordred as a boy. Because of the number of Boormans involved with the film, it is sometimes called "The Boorman Family Project".<ref>{{cite journal |last=Manwaring |first=Kevan |title=Brilliant Failures: Excalibur (John Boorman, 1981) |journal=The Big Picture |date=5 October 2009 |issn=1759-0922 |url=http://www.thebigpicturemagazine.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=181:brilliant-failures-excalibur-john-boorman-1981&catid=34:film-reviews&Itemid=60 |access-date=22 March 2011 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130105105905/http://www.thebigpicturemagazine.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=181:brilliant-failures-excalibur-john-boorman-1981&catid=34:film-reviews&Itemid=60 |archive-date=5 January 2013 |url-status=live |df=dmy-all }}</ref>

During filming, Liam Neeson and Helen Mirren became romantically involved, and lived together for several years thereafter.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-10-24 |title=Liam Neeson Has Sworn Off Dating After Romances With Helen Mirren and Late Wife Natasha Richardson |url=https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/liam-neeson-sworn-off-dating-161511064.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAMumronPIgOObJ9jqoxmD14k1h9bdYT_QG6Om-rLgZMRCLmHu3_dSouK4xkIx2qMiHMpbk7oSsh-xY8f37ITMfSDEsvu4_lvjPIH2_FCHzKXfoT9vSHNt50sP906dKvoRbkaD_lnG7-iboKKBUC1WcIsaBjYvNjlJGuxdPb90qmT |access-date=2025-03-11 |website=Yahoo Entertainment |language=en-US}}</ref>

===Filming===
[[File:Exaliburdrive.JPG|thumb|right|''Excalibur'' locations trail in County Wicklow, 28 years after filming]]
[[File:Cahir Castle in Excalibur.png|thumb|right|[[Cahir Castle]] during the siege battle sequence]]

''Excalibur'' was filmed in 1980 on-location in [[County Wicklow]], [[County Tipperary]], and [[County Kerry]], with the interiors shot at [[Ardmore Studios]]. The costumes were designed by [[Bob Ringwood]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://awards.bafta.org/award/1982/film/costume-design |title=Film Costume Design in 1982 | access-date=21 December 2016 |publisher=[[British Academy of Film and Television Arts]]}}</ref> The armor was designed by [[Terry English]].

An early critical battle scene at a castle, in which Arthur is made a knight by Uryens while kneeling in a moat, was filmed in [[Cahir Castle]], in Cahir [[County Tipperary]], the Republic of Ireland, a well-preserved [[Architecture of Ireland#Medieval Ireland|Irish castle]]. The castle's moat is the River [[Suir]] which flows around it. The fight with Lancelot was filmed at [[Powerscourt Estate]]'s [[Powerscourt Waterfall|waterfall]]. Other locations included [[Wicklow Head]] as the backdrop to the battle over Tintagel, the Kerry coast as the place from which Arthur sails to Avalon, and a place called Childers Wood near [[Roundwood]], County Wicklow, where Arthur comes on Excalibur in the stone.  At the time, John Boorman was living just a few miles down the road, at Annamoe.<ref name="Cinema1">{{cite book |title=Cinema Programme 27 |year=1981 |editor-last=Manthey |editor-first=Dirk |pages=15, 20}}</ref> According to Boorman, the love scene between Lancelot and Guenevere in the forest was filmed on a very cold night, but [[Nicholas Clay]] and [[Cherie Lunghi]] performed the scene nude anyway.

The opening battle sequence had to be remounted twice, when a fault in the [[Exposure meter|light meter]] led the first two attempts to come out underexposed. The original director of photography, [[Tony Pierce-Roberts]], suffered a nervous breakdown and was replaced by [[Alex Thomson (cinematographer)|Alex Thomson]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-05-09 |title=ALEX THOMSON |url=http://cinematographers.nl/PaginasDoPh/thomson.htm |access-date=2025-03-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210509084343/http://cinematographers.nl/PaginasDoPh/thomson.htm |archive-date=9 May 2021 }}</ref> Heavy rainfall meant shooting was frequently delayed.<ref>{{Cite web |last=cinephiliabeyond |date=2019-06-27 |title='The Past, Present and Future of Humanity': John Boorman's 'Excalibur' • Cinephilia & Beyond |url=https://cinephiliabeyond.org/excalibur/ |access-date=2025-03-11 |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Theater |first=New Beverly |title=Excalibur {{!}} New Beverly Cinema |url=https://thenewbev.com/blog/2017/10/excalibur/ |access-date=2025-03-11 |website=New Beverly Cinema - The premier revival theater in Los Angeles |language=en}}</ref>

=== Music ===
Classical music excerpts by [[Richard Wagner]] ("[[Götterdämmerung|Siegfried's Funeral March]]", "Prelude to [[Parsifal]]", "Prelude to [[Tristan und Isolde|Tristan and Isolde]]") and [[Carl Orff]] ("[[O Fortuna (Orff)|O Fortuna]]") feature prominently in the film. The original underscore was written by [[Trevor Jones (composer)|Trevor Jones]], the South African composer's first score for a major feature film. The score was performed by the [[London Philharmonic Orchestra]].

Critic Thomas Glorieux noted "here the classical music was given the opportunity to shine through most of the important scenes, while giving Jones the underscore to tie it all together."<ref>{{Cite web |title=Trevor Jones: Excalibur - maintitles.net |url=https://www.maintitles.net/reviews/excalibur/ |access-date=2025-03-11 |website=www.maintitles.net}}</ref>

=== Editing ===
According to Boorman, the film was originally three hours long; among the scenes that were deleted from the finished film, but featured in one of the promotional trailers, was a sequence where Lancelot rescued Guenevere from a forest bandit.

==Release==
The film opened in the United States on 10 April 1981 and in London on 2 July 1981, before opening nationwide in the United Kingdom on 5 July 1981.<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=[[Evening Standard]]|date=1 July 1981|page=29|title=Foraged by a god. Foretold by a wizard. Found by a King. (advertisement)}}</ref> The film was initially released in the United States with an [[Motion Picture Association of America film rating system#Ratings|R rating]]. Distributors later announced a 119 minute PG-rated version, with less graphic sex and violence, but it was not widely released.{{citation needed|date=November 2021}} When first released in the United Kingdom, the film was classified as an "AA" by the [[British Board of Film Classification|BBFC]], restricting it to those aged 14 and over.<ref name=bbfc>{{cite web | url=https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/excalibur-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0zmdu3nju | title=''Excalibur'' (1981) | work=[[British Board of Film Classification]] | date=22 February 2017 | access-date=1 December 2021}}</ref> In 1982, the BBFC replaced the "AA" certificate with the higher age-specific "15", which was applied to ''Excalibur'' when released on home video.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbfc.co.uk/releases/excalibur-1970-0|title=EXCALIBUR &#124; British Board of Film Classification|website=www.bbfc.co.uk}}</ref> When ''Excalibur'' first premiered on HBO in 1982, the R-rated version was shown in the evening and the PG-rated version was shown during the daytime, following the then-current rule of HBO only showing R-rated films during the evening hours.{{citation needed|date=November 2021}}

==Reception==
[[File:Sword in the Stone, Cahir.jpg|thumb|The "[[Excalibur#The Sword in the Stone and the Sword in the Lake|Sword in the Stone]]" sculpture, located at [[Cahir Castle]], one of the filming locations. It was created by local stonemason Philip Quinn and bears the names of local people who appeared as extras.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tipperarylive.ie/news/home/222446/cahir-s-excalibur-sword-removed-for-repairs.html|title=Cahir's Excalibur sword removed for repairs|website=www.tipperarylive.ie|date=5 November 2016 }}</ref>]] ''Excalibur'' was the [[List of 1981 box office number-one films in the United States|number one film in the United States]] during its opening weekend, eventually grossing $34,967,437 in the United States and Canada, ranking as the [[List of American films of 1981|18th]] highest-grossing film of the year.<ref name=boxofficemojo/> On review aggregator [[Rotten Tomatoes]], it holds a 72% score based on 93 reviews, with an average rating of 7.0/10.<ref name="rottentomatoes">{{cite web |title=Excalibur (1981) |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/excalibur |access-date=2023-07-07 |website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] |publisher=[[Fandango Media]]}}</ref> On [[Metacritic]], it has a weighted average score of 56 out of 100 based on reviews from 10 critics.<ref>{{cite web |title=Excalibur |url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/excalibur |access-date=7 July 2023 |website=[[Metacritic]] |publisher=[[Fandom, Inc.]]}}</ref>

[[Roger Ebert]] called it both a "wondrous vision" and "a mess".<ref name=rogerebertquote>{{cite news |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/excalibur-1981 |title=Excalibur |access-date=2014-07-17 |first=Roger |last=Ebert |author-link=Roger Ebert |work=[[Chicago Sun-Times]]| quote=What a wondrous vision EXCALIBUR is! And what a mess.}}</ref> Elaborating further, Ebert wrote that the film was "a record of the comings and goings of arbitrary, inconsistent, shadowy figures who are not heroes but simply giants run amok. Still, it's wonderful to look at". [[Vincent Canby]] wrote that while Boorman took Arthurian myths seriously, "he has used them with a pretentiousness that obscures his vision."<ref name=Canby>{{cite news| last=Canby| first=Vincent| title=Boorman's 'Excalibur' |url=https://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9505EFD61138F933A25757C0A967948260| work=The New York Times| access-date=17 July 2014|date=10 April 1981}}</ref><ref name=canbyquote>{{cite news| last=Canby| first=Vincent |author-link=Vincent Canby | title=Boorman's 'Excalibur'| newspaper=The New York Times| date=10 April 1981| url=https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9505EFD61138F933A25757C0A967948260| access-date=2014-07-17| quote=Except for the performances of Nicol Williamson... and Helen Mirren... the movie seems to be a beautiful, uninhabited, primeval forest.}}</ref> In her review in ''[[The New Yorker]]'', [[Pauline Kael]] wrote that the film had its own "crazy integrity", adding that the imagery was "impassioned" with a "hypnotic quality". According to her, the dialogue was "near-atrocious". She concluded by writing that "''Excalibur'' is all images flashing by... We miss the dramatic intensity that we expect the stories to have, but there's always something to look at".<ref name=kael>{{cite magazine| last=Kael| first=Pauline| author-link=Pauline Kael| date=20 April 1981| title=Boorman's Plunge| magazine=The New Yorker| pages=146–151| url =https://www.newyorker.com/archive/1981/04/20/1981_04_20_146_TNY_CARDS_000120840| access-date=2014-07-17}}</ref>

Others have praised the entire film, with ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' calling it "a near-perfect blend of action, romance, fantasy and philosophy".<ref name=varietyreview>{{cite news| title=Excalibur| work=Variety| date=31 December 1980| url=https://www.variety.com/review/VE1117790761?refcatid=31| access-date=2014-07-17}}</ref> Sean Axmaker of ''Parallax View'' wrote "John Boorman's magnificent and magical Excalibur is, to my mind, the greatest and the richest screen incarnation of the oft-told tale."<ref name=Axmaker>{{cite web| last=Axmaker| first=Sean| title=Excalibur| url=http://parallax-view.org/2011/03/09/excalibur-blu-ray-and-a-film-unfinished-dvds-of-the-week/|work=Parallax View| access-date=19 March 2011}}</ref> In a later review upon the film's DVD release, ''[[Salon (magazine)|Salon]]'s'' David Lazarus noted the film's contribution to the fantasy genre, stating that it was "a lush retelling of the King Arthur legend that sets a high-water mark among sword-and-sorcery movies".<ref name=salon>{{cite news| last=Lazarus| first=David| title=Excalibur| work=[[Salon (website)|Salon]]| publisher=Salon.com| date=7 September 2000| url=http://www.salon.com/2000/09/07/excalibur/| access-date=2014-07-17}}</ref> A study by Jean-Marc Elsholz demonstrates how closely the film ''Excalibur'' was inspired by the Arthurian romance tradition and its intersections with medieval theories of light, most particularly in the aesthetic/visual narrative of Boorman's film rather than in its plot alone.<ref name=elsholz>{{cite book| first=Jean-Marc| last=Elsholz| chapter=Elucidations: Bringing to Light the Aesthetic Underwriting of the ''Matière de Bretagne'' in John Boorman's ''Excalibur''| title=Palimpsests and the Literary Imagination of Medieval England| editor-first1=Leo| editor-last1=Carruthers| editor-first2=Raeleen| editor-last2=Chai-Elsholz| editor-first3=Tatjana| editor-last3=Silec| location=New York| publisher=Palgrave Macmillan| date=3 March 2011| pages=205–26| isbn=978-0230100268}}</ref>

Christopher John reviewed ''Excalibur'' in ''[[Ares (magazine)|Ares Magazine]]'' #9 and commented that "''Excalibur'' is a shockingly large film and an incredibly intricate and fascinating piece of cinema. It is a fine prologue for the spate of fantasy films waiting in the wings for release this year."<ref name="Ares">{{cite journal | last=John | first=Christopher | title=Film & Television | journal=[[Ares (magazine)|Ares Magazine]] | publisher=[[Simulations Publications, Inc.]] | date=July 1981 | issue=9 | page=21}}</ref> The film featured many actors early in their careers who later became very well-known, including Helen Mirren, Patrick Stewart, Liam Neeson, Gabriel Byrne, and Ciarán Hinds. For his performance as Merlin, Nicol Williamson received widespread acclaim. ''The Times'' in 1981 wrote: "The actors are led by Williamson's witty and perceptive Merlin, missed every time he's offscreen".

=== Awards and nominations ===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Institution
!Year
!Category
! Nominee
! Result
|-
|[[Academy Awards]]
|[[54th Academy Awards|1982]]
|[[Academy Award for Best Cinematography|Best Cinematography]]
|[[Alex Thomson (cinematographer)|Alex Thomson]]
|{{nom}}
|-
|[[British Academy Film Awards]]
|[[35th British Academy Film Awards|1982]]
|[[BAFTA Award for Best Costume Design|Best Costume Design]]
|[[Bob Ringwood]]
|{{nom}}
|-
|[[British Society of Cinematographers]]
|1981
|[[British Society of Cinematographers Award for Best Cinematography in a Theatrical Feature Film|Best Cinematography in a Theatrical Feature Film]]
|[[Alex Thomson (cinematographer)|Alex Thomson]]
|{{nom}}
|-
| rowspan="2" |[[Cannes Film Festival]]
| rowspan="2" |[[1981 Cannes Film Festival|1981]]<ref name="festival-cannes.com" />
|[[Palme d'Or]]
| rowspan="2" |[[John Boorman]]
|{{nom}}
|-
|Best Artistic Contribution
|{{won}}
|-
|[[Hugo Award]]s
|1982<ref>{{Cite web |title=1982 Hugo Award |url=https://isfdb.org/cgi-bin/ay.cgi?23+1982 |access-date=2022-12-13 |website=isfdb.org}}</ref>
|[[Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation|Best Dramatic Presentation]]
|John Boorman, [[Rospo Pallenberg]], [[Thomas Malory]]
|{{nom}}
|-
| rowspan="6" |[[Saturn Award]]s
| rowspan="6" |[[9th Saturn Awards|1982]]
|[[Saturn Award for Best Fantasy Film|Best Fantasy Film]]
|{{N/A}}
|{{nom}}
|-
|[[Saturn Award for Best Director|Best Director]]
|John Boorman
|{{nom}}
|-
|[[Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actor|Best Supporting Actor]]
|[[Nicol Williamson]]
|{{nom}}
|-
|[[Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress|Best Supporting Actress]]
|[[Helen Mirren]]
|{{nom}}
|-
|[[Saturn Award for Best Costume Design|Best Costume Design]]
|Bob Ringwood
|{{won}}
|-
|[[Saturn Award for Best Make-up|Best Make-up]]
|Basil Newall, Anna Dryhurst
|{{nom}}
|}

== Legacy ==
The comedic 1989 teaser trailer for ''[[Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III]]'' directly parodies the lady of the lake scene from ''Excalibur''.<ref>{{Cite web |author=John Squires |date=January 2, 2017 |title=The Original 'Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3' Teaser Was the Coolest |url=https://bloody-disgusting.com/news/3419842/original-leatherface-texas-chainsaw-massacre-3-teaser-coolest/ |access-date=October 27, 2022 |website=Bloody Disgusting}}</ref>

In 2009, filmmaker [[Zack Snyder]] said ''Excalibur'' was his favorite film, calling it "the perfect meeting of movies and mythology".<ref>{{Cite web |author=Newsweek Staff |date=March 7, 2009 |title=A Life in Movies: Zack Snyder |url=https://www.newsweek.com/life-movies-zack-snyder-76373 |access-date=August 3, 2020 |website=Newsweek}}</ref>

The 2018 adaptation of science fiction novel'' [[Ready Player One (film)|Ready Player One]] ''features the charm of making as an activation code.{{Citation needed|reason=[[WP:V]]|date=August 2024}}

During the shooting of the 2023 film ''[[Irati (film)|Irati]]'', inspired by [[Basque mythology]] and several medieval films including ''Excalibur'', the crew nicknamed it {{lang|eu|Euskalibur}}, after {{lang|eu|euskal}}, ("Basque-language").<ref name="Belategui">{{cite news |last1=Belategui |first1=Oskar |title='Euskalibur' cobra vida: Paul Urkijo rueda 'Irati' |url=https://www.elcorreo.com/pantallas/cine/euskalibur-cobra-vida-20211019180918-ntrc.html |access-date=31 March 2023 |work=El Correo |date=19 October 2021 |language=es}}</ref>

===Documentaries===
[[Neil Jordan]] directed a 1981 documentary on the making of ''Excalibur'', entitled ''The Making of Excalibur: Myth Into Movie''. 
In 2013 another documentary entitled ''Behind the Sword in the Stone'' was released featuring interviews with director Boorman and many of the cast, such as Terry, Mirren, Stewart, Neeson, Byrne, Lunghi, and Charley Boorman.<ref name=indegogo>{{cite web| title=Behind the Sword in the Stone| url=http://www.indiegogo.com/excaliburdoc?c=home| publisher=[[Indiegogo]]| date=1 December 2012| access-date=2014-07-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130716222411/http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/behind-the-sword-in-the-stone|archive-date=16 July 2013}}</ref><ref name=hall>{{cite news| title='Excalibur' Documentary Wraps Principal Photography In Ireland| url=http://www.iftn.ie/news/?act1=record&only=1&aid=73&rid=4285665&tpl=archnews&force=1| last=Hall| first=Eva| date=20 December 2012| work=Irish Film and Television Network| access-date=2014-07-17}}</ref><ref name=imdb>{{cite web| title=Behind the Sword in the Stone| url=http://imdb.com/rg/an_share/title/title/tt2556766/| publisher=[[IMDb]]| access-date=2017-05-03}}</ref> Distribution rights were later acquired by PBS International, and the title was changed to ''Excalibur: Behind the Movie''. As of June 2020, this documentary was made available in the United States through various online streaming services.

==See also==
{{Wikiquote}}
* [[List of American films of 1981]]
* [[Excalibur]], King Arthur's sword, the central symbol of kingship for Malory and the film
* [[List of films based on Arthurian legend]]
* [[List of sword and sorcery films]]

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{Wikiquote}}
* {{IMDb title|0082348|Excalibur}}
* {{Rotten Tomatoes|2=Excalibur}}
* {{Screenonline title|491054}}

{{John Boorman}}
{{Films based on Arthurian legends}}
{{Authority control}}
{{Portal bar|England|1980s|film|Speculative fiction}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Excalibur (Film)}}
[[Category:1981 films]]
[[Category:1981 fantasy films]]
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[[Category:Arthurian films]]
[[Category:British fantasy adventure films]]
[[Category:British coming-of-age films]]
[[Category:British epic films]]
[[Category:Films about adultery]]
[[Category:Films about orphans]]
[[Category:Films about royalty]]
[[Category:Films about witchcraft]]
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[[Category:Films based on poems]]
[[Category:Films directed by John Boorman]]
[[Category:Films scored by Trevor Jones]]
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[[Category:Films about the Holy Grail]]
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