Review of Excalibur (1981) by Brad S — 11 Sep 2014

John Boorman's Excalibur is a hauntingly beautiful, mythopoetic, cinematic masterpiece based on an interpretation of the Western World's premier hero, King Arthur. No other film, in my opinion captures the essence of the legend of Arthur better than Excalibur. If the purpose of great film is to temporarily dispel disbelief but also transport us to another world, this is without a doubt the one film that does that best in the Fantasy Genre.

This film goes beyond silver swords and brave heros. Its gives us a classic Wagnerian tragic hero in all its glory, beautifully portrayed and aligned with the dark music of Richard Wagner's Ring Cycle operas. The combination of great acting, perfect story-telling, and fantastic music makes this film a one of a kind experience. There are so many BAD films made the past 30 years that cover the genre of medieval warriors....honestly I cannot name any that come even close to Excalibur.

The one reason it achieves what it does, and in such a brilliant fashion, is simply because it does a great job at story-telling.....it simply tries to interpret the "myth of Arthur"....not the factual Arthur. The modern audience wants to live inside that story and myth, be wrapped in its dark mist....not count the links in chainmail. The greatness of Excalibur is it seems to be one of the few films that understand all that and allow the directly and script to take the fantastic liberties needed to transport us into the "other" world of mytho-poetic story-telling. Many movies today have lost the ability to portray the romance, grandeur, and the imagination behind these myths and legends. Its why you see so many 1 and 2 star movies here for movies in this fantasy genre the past 10 years. So, if you want to live in the world of Arthur and feel the legend of Arthur on film, definitely try Excalibur. Its one of my all-time favorite films!