IMDb > Excalibur (1981)
Excalibur
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Excalibur (1981) More at IMDbPro »

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Excalibur (1981) -- A spirited accounting of one of the most obscure periods of the world's history. This reprisal is magical in its execution and gives its audience something to watch.
Excalibur (1981) -- Another retelling of the tale of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.
Excalibur (1981) -- CineMagia.ro - Trailer (Flash)

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Overview

User Rating:
7.4/10   22,828 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 4% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writers:
Thomas Malory (book)
Rospo Pallenberg (adaptation)
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Contact:
View company contact information for Excalibur on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
10 April 1981 (USA) more
Tagline:
No mortal could possess it! No kingdom could command it! more
Plot:
A spirited accounting of one of the most obscure periods of the world's history. This reprisal is magical in its execution and gives its audience something to watch. full summary | full synopsis
Plot Keywords:
Awards:
Nominated for Oscar. Another 2 wins & 9 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(58 articles)
User Comments:
Excellent battle scenes. Well worth seeing. more (276 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Additional Details

Also Known As:
The Knights (USA) (working title)
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Runtime:
140 min | USA:119 min (edited version)
Country:
Language:
Colour:
Colour (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Certification:
Canada:R (Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Iceland:16 (video rating) | Iceland:12 | Sweden:15 | Germany:12 (DVD rating) | South Korea:15 (cable rating) | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Chile:14 | Finland:K-16 | Ireland:15 | Singapore:M18 | UK:15 | USA:PG (cut) | USA:R | West Germany:12 (f)
Filming Locations:

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Guenevere's wedding dress was hand made from hundreds of beads. Young brides requested the dress to no avail. more
Goofs:
Plot holes: Although the film's tagline says "Forged by a God," in fact, Excalibur is said in the movie to be a fang of the Earth Dragon; as such, the blade would have been carved - not forged - from the original fang. more
Quotes:
Merlin: Now look, I once stood exposed to the Dragon's Breath so that a man could lie one night with a woman. It took me nine moons to recover. And all for this lunacy called, "love, " this mad distemper that strikes down both beggar and king. Never again. Never. more
Movie Connections:
Soundtrack:
Prelude to Tristan and Isolde more

FAQ

Did Nicol Williamson get knocked out?
Does John Boorman own Percival's horse?
How did they create the starry sky?
more
10 out of 13 people found the following comment useful.
Excellent battle scenes. Well worth seeing., 13 September 2001
7/10
Author: MikeA from Isle of Man, British Isles

John Boorman's semi-adaptation of La Morte D'Arthur may come as something of a surprise, albeit a pleasant one, as the usually glamorised and fanciful tale is furnished in grimly realistic fashion. The armour, weapons and castles all look very authentic, and indeed it is in the battle sequences that the film excels, especially due to the stirring music selected to accompany each pivotal scene.

Purists will doubtless find plenty to frown and ‘tut' about, but doing justice to the Arthurian legends in film is a monumental task and Boorman delivers a true classic. Acting is fine, although dialogue is shouted more than spoke, and delivered with all the subtlety of a flanged mace. Nicol Williamson stands out in particular as the creepy Merlin, but it's fun to see Helen Mirren, Patrick Stewart and Liam Neeson paving their ways to future stardom.

Of course, if the film has any reputation at all it is with its vicious battle scenes, which are still gory even today. They are, it has to be said, very welcome, because without the depictions of desperate, hand-to-hand battle, you might start comparing it with First Knight – which would be something close to sacrilege.

My older DVD copy looks fine but sounds a bit tinny, so it's with some annoyance I see there's a special edition out now, which presumably has had the full restoration work done on it. If you haven't seen Excalibur but have an interest in the subject (and hated First Knight), you should certainly give it a try.

Was the above comment useful to you?
more (276 total)

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Excalibur (1981)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
Worst line in the film? johnste
All The Men In This Film Shout JMFOX
The Females screw up everything in this film kpd0943
What music is heard over the opening credits... johnnywalker2001
Hasn't aged well apparently wootsat
Does this creep anyone else out? chrisely
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