Plot: Legend of the sword Excalibur and its owners in medieval-like fantasy world where sorceres decisions made for kings. Story begins with Uther, self-called king that must fight for governance of kingdom with his enemy Duke of Cornwall. Uther's greatest helper is sorcerer Merlin, who retrieves for him mighty sword Excalibur. However Uther is not great king so chaos rules in the kingdom. It is a chance for Arthur, Uther's son, bring things to order.
"Igrayne, dance!" The armor is too shiny, that eyes of the viewers are hurt. Metalporn. Special film for special audiences. Unconventional, emotionally heightened scenes with contradictions. Arthurian legend a little different. One of the best fantasy movies. These and other markings receives film Excalibur of John Boorman, director of the successful film Deliverance, which has already proved that he can give the film epic, tension, ambiguity and originality. The story is epic and at the same time it is a parody on himself regarding such dialogues like when Merlin advised Uther. Clear chauvinism can not please women of feminist audience, but to the environment of fantasy convincingly fits. Always about the actual problems of satisfaction of male egos, they are here stretched to unprecedented proportions.
The first example is Uther, Arthur's father, who knocked down three generations of his family and kingdom into the abyss of misery only for his lust for a woman. His acting representative Gabriel Byrne is in its role very convincing, and his performance is the best of the ptotagonists. Deception scene, satisfaction, birth and death at the same time is one of the most impressive.
Boorman's Merlin as opposed to on Sam Neill magical creature that strives for peace and prosperity without human desires. However, it is because of this detachment from humanity and its very funny misunderstandings and the viewer may perceive him as a likeable figure thanks to his use of language. He has got a bit mouth on him and spices his speech with poetic terms. He predicts future actions, manipulates people and he is only viewer of human destinies without empathy. Dialogues other characters are focused only on lofty ideals or seizure of power. Their diction is rather slow, weighing every word.
The spectator gets the character too, with which it is easy to identify because of its oblivion of its origin and ignorance about the ways of behavior resulting from that status, but brought up to the responsibility, honor, truth and morality which help him in his life and help him gain the respect of others. This character is, of course, Arthur, who did not know who it is at the beginning and how to bear his responsibilities. The viewer can thus monitor its reinvention and important, difficult decisions of his life, some of which can turn against him. His weakness is manifested most in the first encounter with Lancelot, which also honored knight principle but eager to find someone to defeat him in battle. Here it is manifested Arthur's stubbornness, which forces him to take risks life because of his ego. Compared Lancelot's balance sheet and trained skills acts Arthur seems clumsy and cumbersome, as a pensioner.
Lancelot‘s epic fight scene with himself on the edge of dream and reality is that even the hardest will can be break if it insists on stronger instinct. It is also a perfect example suitable for parody. Actors are satisfactory, but no Oscars in this case. It’s enjoyable see young Helen Mirren in the role of Morgana, the most manipulating characte in the film that will delight fans of gender balance in movies and series.
In the battles armor plates are constantly clinking until it will be bent. A fight one on one can miss a little action in it because in armor are all actors cumbersome, as would have been without it. But Boorman‘s idea was not aimed too on action. His directorial intent benefits from to let the actors playing their characters to enjoy and suvive each blow so that the characters feel the effects of it in the future. And the fatality works, the characters feel it. The viewer enjoys and so captures every single stroke of the sword, clubs and axes, and with the occasional splash of blood splatter it winks to fans.
John Boorman is not afraid of bloodshed.
Conclusion: 8/10. The amount of the scenes are built on conflict and accelerates both ways, good and bad, roads prosperity and vanity which is result from every single decision of characters. The film definitely has a long running time, which at the end of the second hour missing more action, even if epic still dominates. Definitely better adaptation than Merlin with Sam Neil, Mists of Avalon and First Knight with Richard Gere.
After this epic experience, I recommend you to watch parody of fantasy movies named Doraleous & Associates, which shake you with laughter because of its dialogues and absurd situations and as the spectators of the movie Excalibur, you see it in a critical light.
