150 Word Review: 'Excalibur' (1981)
The sword and the stoned
What director John Boorman’s Excalibur lacks in blockbuster special effects, it makes up for with febrile atmospherics. Boorman’s lurid, operatic retelling of the legend of King Arthur takes place in an ancient, wild England of the imagination, populated by filthy Shakespearean actors, including Nicol Williamson as Merlin, a mischievous, wild-eyed wizard. Williamson, one of the great hams of stage and screen, gives a booming performance.
Excalibur is a who’s who of “that guy!” including Liam Neeson, Patrick Stewart, and Gabriel Byrne, all young and full of actorly fury. Helen Mirren is villainous Morgan le Fay, and she is magnificent. There is plenty of swordplay, and blood is spilled. Nigel Terry plays Arthur, first as a squire, and then as a tired, old king wearing a heavy crown. Boorman crams the entire Arthurian legend into a few hours; it is never dull. Everyone must be so sweaty under that shining armor.
Mirren and Neeson hooked up on this production, and ended up living together for a couple of years as a result of it.
Still remember the charm of making to this day “anal nathrak uthvas bethud”