Movies - Excalibur

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	Movies - Excalibur

Excalibur is a 1981 film which retells the legend of King Arthur. It grossed USD$34,967,437 and was the 18th most successful film of that year.

Cast and crew

Excalibur was directed by John Boorman and stars Nigel Terry (King Arthur), Helen Mirren (Arthur's half-sister Morgana), Nicol Williamson (Merlin), Nicholas Clay (Lancelot) and Cherie Lunghi (Guinevere). The film features some noted actors in early screen roles. Liam Neeson plays Gawain, Patrick Stewart plays King Leondegrance, and Gabriel Byrne plays Uther Pendragon. Several members of the Boorman family also appeared in the picture. Igrayne (Arthur's mother), the Lady of the Lake, Mordred as a boy, and the infant Arthur were all played by Boorman's children. Because of the number of Boormans involved with the film, it is sometimes called "The Boorman Family Project."

The cinematography is by Alex Thomson and emphasises the gray skies, stone and bracken, waterfalls and tarns of the film's Irish locations in Wicklow, Tipperary, and County Kerry. The armour was designed by Bob Ringwood. The screenplay is by Rospo Pallenberg with John Boorman. The soundtrack is by Trevor Jones, with sound bites and samples drawn from Orff's Carmina Burana and Wagnerian motifs, of fate (Ring) and fatal attraction (Tristan und Isolde). A portion of the Siegfried Funeral March from Götterdämmerung was used as the main theme music of the film over the opening and closing credits.

Plot

It is the Dark Ages, and the land is without a king. Two great knights, Uther Pendragon and the Duke of Cornwall, fight for dominance. Uther is aided by the shadowy enchanter Merlin, who gives him Excalibur, the "sword of power", which he takes from a hand clad in samite rising from a lake. Merlin arranges a truce between the two rivals, where Cornwall yields to Uther, who is proclaimed king.

During a feast at Cornwall's castle Uther develops a mad lust for Igrayne, Cornwall's wife. This leads to the truce being broken, and fighting starts anew.

Uther begs Merlin for one night with Igrayne, and Merlin agrees - after Uther swears that the "issue of his lust" would be his. That night, Cornwall is tricked into attacking Uther's camp, where he is killed. Uther, having taken Cornwall's appearance by Merlin's magic, beds Igraine. However, her daughter Morgana sees through the deception.

After Cornwall's death, Uther takes his wife and his castle for his own. Nine moons later, their son is born. However, Merlin takes him away. Regretting his oath, Uther pursues him into a forest, but is ambushed by knights who mistrust him and want his sword. He is mortally wounded, but before he dies he thrusts Excalibur into a rock. The other knights then try to pull it out, but none of them can. "He who draws the sword from the stone
, he shall be king," as Merlin puts it.

Some years later, Sir Ector and his sons Kay and Arthur go to a tournament in that forest, where the winner gets a shot at pulling Excalibur out of the rock. After Kay's sword is stolen, Arthur goes looking for another one, and pulls Excalibur out of the rock with ease. Ector reveals that he adopted him at Merlin's bidding. Merlin then appears and tells Arthur of his true parentage, and that he is King.

Arthur is acclaimed by the common folk as their King; however, the nobles Lot and Uryens reject him, while King Leondegrance supports him. After spending the night alone with Merlin in the forest, where he learns of "the dragon" (the land viewed in a mystic way) and that he "is the land" (see below), Arthur goes into battle for the first time. He comes to the aid of Leondegrance, whose castle is under siege by the two lords. He wins the respect and fealty of all of them. In this way, he meets Guenevere, Leondegrance's daughter, whom he falls in love with.

Some years later, he meets and fights a duel with Lancelot, "the best knight in Christendom", who is looking for a king worthy of his service. Arthur cannot defeat him. In his anger and pride, he calls upon Excalibur's power, and Lancelot is knocked senseless by his blow, but the sword breaks in two. Despairing, Arthur throws the pieces into a nearby body of water. However, the Lady of the Lake appears and gives him back Excalibur, magically repaired. When Lancelot wakes up, he swears loyalty to Arthur.

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