Excalibur (1981)

Country of Origin: UK
Year of Production: 1981
Running Times: 119 mins (USA - cut version)     135 mins (Argentina)     140 mins (UK; USA)
Format: Technicolor     35mm
Ratio: 1.85:1
Sound: mono

CREDITS

PRODUCTION
Production Company: Warner Brothers
Executive Producers: Robert A. Eisenstein, Edgar F. Gross
Producer: John Boorman
Associate Producer: Michael Dryhurst
Production Manager: Jack Phelan

SCRIPT
Script: John Boorman, Rospo Pallenberg
Book: Le Morte d'Arthur by Thomas Malory

DIRECTION
Director: John Boorman
2nd Unit Director: Peter MacDonald
Assistant Directors: Barry Blackmore, Robert Dwyer-Joyce, John Lawlor, Andrew Montgomery, Ted Morley, David Murphy

PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: Alex Thomson
2nd Unit Photographer: Peter MacDonald
Camera Operator: Bob Smith
Assistant Cameras: John Campbell, Mike Brewster, Peter Versey, Shane O'Neill
Camera Grip: Luke Quigley
Electrical Supervisor: Jack Conroy
Electricians: Derek Hate, Louis Conroy, Martin Holland, Terry Eiffe
Stills: Arnaud Sélignac
Cameras: Arriflex Cameras

EDITING AND POST-PRODUCTION
Editor: Donn Cambern (uncredited), John Merritt
Assistant Editor: Michael Kelliher

MUSIC
Music: Trevor Jones; Carl Orff (O Fortuna from Carmina Burana); Richard Wagner (Prelude to Parisfal; Prelude to Tristan and Isolde; Siegfried's Funeral March from The Ring)
Music Performed By: The London Philharmonic Orchestra (Prelude to Parisfal; Prelude to Tristan and Isolde; Siegfried's Funeral March from The Ring); The Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra and Chorus (O Fortuna from Carmina Burana)
Conductors: Trevor Jones; Norman Del Mar (The London Philharmonic Orchestra); Herbert Kegel (The Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra and Chorus)
Music Recording Engineers: Richard Lewzey, John Richards

SOUND
Sound Recording: Tom Curran
Sound Mixer: Doug Turner
Sound Editor: Ron Davis
Assistant Sound Editor: Pat Brennan
Dialogue Editor: Tony Message
Boom Operator: John Fortune

MAKE UP AND COSTUMES
Make Up: Anna Dryhurst, Basil Newall
Hair: Anne Dunne, Anne McFadyen
Costume Designer: Bob Ringwood
Wardrobe Master: Daryl Bristow
Wardrobe Mistress: Janet O'Leary

SPECIAL EFFECTS
Special Effects: Michael Doyle, Peter Hutchinson, Gerry Johnston, Alan Whibley
Special Optical Effects: Wally Veevers
Model Maker: Anthony Freeman

DESIGN AND SET CONSTRUCTION
Production Designer: Anthony Pratt
Art Director: Tim Hutchinson
Associate Art Director: John Lucas, Bertram Tyrer
Set Decorator: Bryan Graves
Property Master: Bob Hedges
Property Men: Paddy Murray, David Rayner
Production Buyer: Trisha Edwards
Construction Manager: Joe Lee
Master Painter: Owen Murnane
Master Plasterer: Joe Lear
Scenic Artist: Mervyn Rowe

MISCELLANEOUS
Continuity: Jean Skinner
Creative Associate: Neil Jordan
Production Assistants: Beryl Harvey, Marie McFerran
Production Accountant: Arthur Tarry
Assistant Accountant: Con Cremins
Horsemaster: Michael Rowland
Riders: Bronco McLaughlin, Daithi Curren, David Gavaghan, Donal Fortune, Eddie Kennedy, Joe Cullen, Michael O'Farrell, Philip Bernon, Ray O'Toole, Richard Collins, Seamus Collins, Tony Doyle
Armour: Terry English
Armourers: Nick Fitzpatrick, Peter Leicht, Steve Tidiman
Choreographer: Anthony Van Laast
Transportation Manager: Arthur Dunne
Marketing Consultant: Craig Miller (uncredited)
Stand-By Crew: Barry Cunningham, Christy Yourell, Martin Forrestal, Terry Baker, Tom Lundy
General Assistant: Telsche Boorman

LOCATIONS
Locations: Kerry, Ireland; Tipperary, Ireland; Wicklow, Ireland
Location Manager: Kevin Moriarty

STUNTS
Stunts Fight Arranger: William Hobbs
Stunts: Ken Byrne, Dominic Hewitt, Paul Kelly, Chris King, James McHale, Ed McShortall, Donal O'Farrell, Bernard O'Hare, Peter Spelman, Alan Walsh

CASTING
Casting: Mary Selway

CAST
Nigel Terry (King Arthur)
Helen Mirren (Morgana)
Nicholas Clay (Lancelot)
Cherie Lunghi (Guenevere)
Paul Geoffrey (Perceval)
Nicol Williamson (Merlin)
Robert Addie (Mordred)
Gabriel Byrne (Uther Pendragon)
Keith Buckley (Uryens)
Katrine Boorman (Igrayne)
Liam Neeson (Gawain)
Corin Redgrave (Cornwall)
Niall O'Brien (Kay)
Patrick Stewart (Leondegrance)
Clive Swift (Ector)
Ciarin Hinds (Lot)
Liam O'Callaghan (Sadok)
Michael Muldoon (Astamor)
Charley Boorman (boy Mordred)
Mannix Flynn (Mordred's lieutenant)
Garrett Keogh (Mador)
Emmet Bergin (Ulfus)
Barbara Byrne (young Morgana)
Brid Brennan (lady in waiting)
Kay McLaren (aged Morgana)
Eammon Kelly (Abbot)
Telsche Boorman (lady of the lake - uncredited)

PLOT SUMMARY

The wizard Merlin gives the legendary sword Excalibur to Uthur Pendragon in the hope that he will be able to unite the warring tribes of England. He fails and the sword is driven into a stone where it will remain until the rightful ruler of the land comes along to remove it. That man is Pendragon's illegitimate son Arthur and, years later, he claims his right to rule England. Guided (even manipulated) by Merlin, he begins the task of uniting the land with his Knights of the Round Table at the castle Camelot - but an affair between his wife Guenevere and trusted knight Lancelot, and the machinations of Arthur's evil half-sister Morgana and their incest-born son threaten to shatter the dream...

CAPSULE REVIEW

A stunning adaptation of Mallory's account of the Arthurian legend and still the best screen version of the tale, just pipping Robert Bresson's magnificent Lancelot du Lac (1974) to the post by a hair's breadth. The film boasts a stellar cast of British dependables, a truly eccentric performance by Nicol Williamson as the clearly mad Merlin and grim, realistic production design. Add to that a rousing soundtrack and a moving exploration of the death of magic and the imminent rise of Christianity and you have a classic adaptation of one of the best-loved of all legends.

Germany
DVD Distributor: Warner Home Video (22018)

USA
Theatrical Distributor: Orion Pictures Corporation through Warner Brothers
Laserdisc Distributor: Warner Home Video (22018A/B); (22030)
DVD Distributor: Warner Home Video (22018)

Argentina
Rating: 13

Australia
Rating: M

Chile
Rating: 14

Finland
Rating: K-16

Germany
Rating: 12

UK
Rating: 15

USA
Rating: PG (cut version); R
On its original theatrical release, Excalibur was made available in both a cut PG version and a full R rated version. Subsequent video, laser and DVD releases have been the full version, though television showings still tend to be of the PG version.

1981
Cannes Film Festival
Best Artistic Contribution (John Boorman) - winner
Golden Palm (John Boorman) - nominated

1982
Academy Awards, USA
Best Cinematography (Alex Thomson) - nominated

British Academy Awards
Best Costume Design (Bob Ringwood) - nominated

Hugo Awards
Best Dramatic Presentation - nominated

TIMELINE

1981
August
21: Sweden - theatrical release
28: Finland - theatrical release

October
29: West Germany - theatrical release

1999
September
21: USA - DVD release (Warner Home Video (22018))

2000
January
26: Germany - DVD release (Warner Home Video (22018))

No mortal could possess it! No kingdom could command it!

Forged by a god. Foretold by a wizard. Found by a man.

LINKS

SEE ALSO
Arthur the King (1985)
Camelot (1967)
First Knight (1995)
Knights of the Round Table (1953)
Lancelot du Lac (1974)
Merlin (1992)
Merlin (1998a)
Merlin (1998b)
Merlin's Shop of Mystical Wonders (1996)
Merlin the Magician (1899)
Merlin: The Return
Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
Monty Python and the Quest for the Holy Grail (1996)
Prince Valiant (1997)
Willow (1988)

REFERENCES

MAGAZINES

Trauma 4 p.50 (Sweden)
review

NEWSPAPERS

Expresso, Antena 17 July 1999 (Portugal)
review

BOOKS

Hoffman's Guide to SF, Horror and Fantasy Movies 1991 - 1992 p.126
credits, review

KEYWORDS

magic; sorcery; fantasy; history, mythology; legends; castles; swords; sword fights; the supernatural; war; excalibur; camelot; arthurian; forests; incest; the holy grail; knights; sieges; wizards