Review of Excalibur (1981) by Zeu P — 04 Jul 2016

Excalibur is one of my favourite films. Boorman's version is 'of a time,' but even today this version is still the definitive screen version of the story of King Arthur. The casting is prophetic. Nicol Williamson, starring as Merlin, was already known as one of the greatest actors of his time. We didn't know it yet, but cast members Gabriel Byrne, Helen Mirren, Liam Neeson and Patrick Stewart were destined for greatness. Ireland provided the surreal environment, becoming a character itself. Boorman's dream-like imagery challenged and redefined how people now see Arthurian legend.

Some reports are that Boorman had actually intended to shoot Lord of the Rings, but Ralph Bakshi secured the rights instead (and later released his animated version.) So Boorman simply repurposed the design and pre-production intended for Tolkien. I think it's interesting that in Excalibur we may also be getting a glimmer into an alternate universe how Boorman's Lord of the Rings might have looked.