The legend of King Arthur has inspired countless film adaptations over the years. Out of Monty Python To Walt Disney To Dev PatelWe’ve seen many filmmakers attempt to bring King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table to the big screen. But one gem stands out for its unique take on the Arthurian legend Influence on the dark fantasy genre: John Boorman‘S Excalibur. Supported by a legendary cast including Helen Mirren, Patrick StewartAnd Liam Neeson, Excalibur is an embarrassment of wealth, and he’ll be 45 next year. In honor of the influence this film had on the future of the fantasy genre, here is a look back at some of his works Excalibur so great.

Excalibur begins with the story of how the sword got stuck in the stone, which goes back to King Arthur’s father Uther Pendragon (Gabriel Byrne). The film then follows Arthur (Nigel Terry) over the course of his life, as he retrieves Excalibur, falls in love with Guinevere (Cherie Lunghi), gathers followers that will eventually make up Camelot, and searches for the Grail. Another storyline that runs parallel to Arthur’s story is the larger battle of good and evil between the wizard Merlin (Nicol Williamson) and Arthur’s power-hungry half-sister Morgana (Mirren). Excalibur has a multi-layered plot and tons of characters to keep track of in the classic epic fantasy style.

“Excalibur” paved the way for the dark fantasy genre

There is a special visual quality Excalibur Where almost every shot glitters. Much of the film’s style relies on a mixture of Alex Thomson‘s Oscar-nominated cinematography and Bob RingwoodThe Saturn Award-winning costume design. Images of ice caves, candlelit dinners and shining armor abound in this lush visual feast. Filmed in Ireland, the production design is absolutely over-the-top in its dreaminess. In one memorable moment, Arthur has just used Excalibur to hurt Lancelot (Nicholas Clay) and win his loyalty, but the sword breaks and falls into the water at the edge of which the men are standing. The Lady of the Lake (Telsche Boorman) emerges openly from the depths of the water, holding the other half of the sword. A haunting, high-pitched female voice lies above this incredibly beautiful moment.

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Excalibur is bursting with scenes like this Note the line between scary and incandescent. Excalibur mas well as published in early 1981 a decade that would see some of Hollywood’s most famous dark fantasy films to date — Films like The Dark Crystal, labyrinthAnd The Neverending Story. In terms of complexity, scope and artistic vision, Boorman set the standard for a film genre that has become known for its breathtaking ability to create worlds.

“Excalibur” is a flawed but beautiful gem

Despite all the visual beauty, there are some notable problems Excalibur that need to be addressed. Not unlike other epic fantasy films (looking at you, Lord of the rings Trilogy), Excalibur suffers from poorly written parts for women. This is particularly true of Arthur’s mother Igrayne (Katrina Boorman) and Guinevere, who exist solely as objects of desire for the film’s male characters. Even the Lady of the Lake has no words, although she is admittedly creepy as hell. And while Mirren’s Morgana is a force to be reckoned with, she’s not a truly three-dimensional character. In contrast to the witches in EvilMorgana is purely power-hungry, and that drives everything she does.

The film’s lackluster female roles are part of a larger problem with the film, namely the script. The dialogue in Excalibur feels stiff and often unnatural. On the other hand, the fantasy genre is not known for naturalistic dialogue. For what it’s done, Excalibur will always be important, and the influence of this legendary dark fantasy gem can be felt in everything Zack Snyder‘s DC projects too The Green Knight.

Excalibur is available to rent on Prime Video in the US

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Excalibur

Merlin the wizard helps Arthur Pendragon unite the Britons around the Round Table at Camelot, even as dark forces conspire to tear them apart.

Release date

April 10, 1981

director

John Boorman

Pour

Nigel Terry, Helen Mirren, Nicholas Clay, Cherie Lunghi, Paul Geoffrey, Nicol Williamson

Duration

140