Review of Excalibur (1981) by Sarah H — 19 Oct 2012

Eerie, violent, and strangely ethereal. The first half is marvelous, with special praise reserved for Nicol Williamson's conniving and outrageous Merlin. The second half suffers more from an episodic nature, which keeps the decline of Camelot from being as affecting as it should, but the film has gained enough momentum by then to manage.

Certainly worth a look from anyone interested in the source material - there probably won't ever be another version that balances the mystical and the bloody so well.