Excalibur (1981)
Country: GB
Technical: col 140m
Director: John Boorman
Cast: Nigel Terry, Nicol Williamson, Helen Mirren, Cherie Lunghi, Nicholas Clay
Synopsis:
Merlin helps Uther Pendragon sire a child who will one day wield the sword Excalibur, uniting the Britons against the dark forces conspiring to crush them.
Review:
Dramatically, Boorman's magnificent folie de grandeur is a rambling mess on account of its determination to include every Arthurian story possible (Morgana and Mordred, Lancelot, Guenevere and Perceval all have their moments). In addition, the cast seem to have been directed to pronounce their dialogue as if having no ear for English, as in some homegrown Italian peplum, a practice presided over by an anachronistic and mannered performance from Williamson's Merlin. A pity, because it could have been so good if it had held to the idiom of its visual and aural palette, all shining armour, lurid reds and Richard Wagner.
Country: GB
Technical: col 140m
Director: John Boorman
Cast: Nigel Terry, Nicol Williamson, Helen Mirren, Cherie Lunghi, Nicholas Clay
Synopsis:
Merlin helps Uther Pendragon sire a child who will one day wield the sword Excalibur, uniting the Britons against the dark forces conspiring to crush them.
Review:
Dramatically, Boorman's magnificent folie de grandeur is a rambling mess on account of its determination to include every Arthurian story possible (Morgana and Mordred, Lancelot, Guenevere and Perceval all have their moments). In addition, the cast seem to have been directed to pronounce their dialogue as if having no ear for English, as in some homegrown Italian peplum, a practice presided over by an anachronistic and mannered performance from Williamson's Merlin. A pity, because it could have been so good if it had held to the idiom of its visual and aural palette, all shining armour, lurid reds and Richard Wagner.
Country: GB
Technical: col 140m
Director: John Boorman
Cast: Nigel Terry, Nicol Williamson, Helen Mirren, Cherie Lunghi, Nicholas Clay
Synopsis:
Merlin helps Uther Pendragon sire a child who will one day wield the sword Excalibur, uniting the Britons against the dark forces conspiring to crush them.
Review:
Dramatically, Boorman's magnificent folie de grandeur is a rambling mess on account of its determination to include every Arthurian story possible (Morgana and Mordred, Lancelot, Guenevere and Perceval all have their moments). In addition, the cast seem to have been directed to pronounce their dialogue as if having no ear for English, as in some homegrown Italian peplum, a practice presided over by an anachronistic and mannered performance from Williamson's Merlin. A pity, because it could have been so good if it had held to the idiom of its visual and aural palette, all shining armour, lurid reds and Richard Wagner.