With the premiere of HBO's Game of Thrones a mere three weeks away, it seemed like a good time to find something to get in that medieval siege armor mood, so what better excuse to take a peek at the newly released Blu-ray of John Boorman's Excalibur.
Boorman's last two films since Deliverance (1972) had both received comparatively lackluster receptions; the midnight movie trip-fest Zardoz (1974) and Exorcist II: The Heretic (1977), universally considered to be one of the worst sequels of all time. Boorman needed a hit, he needed a fresh perspective, so he looked to the past and Sir Thomas Malory's 15th Century Le Morte d'Arthur, while looking home to his native UK as the only place to film his long-imagined dream project.
Released in 1981, Excalibur still feels very much like a film from the Seventies, especially when you get a load of the Magic Mushroom font used in the opening prologue...
There's a lot of Stevie Nicks hair on the women and a lot of Artistic Nudity. But the film holds up, the myth of Arthur and Camelot has remained a fascinating one and it still pulls us in. Excalibur is lavish and astounding and looks tremendous. The Blu-ray is a bit softer, image-wise than most, largely due to the era in which the film was made and the film stock in use at the time. Boorman was also looking to evoke a very gauzy, romanticized mood at times (Arthur and Guenevere's wedding), the tone becoming much darker and brutal during the film's many combat scenes, which are remarkable. Blu-ray reveals all, and in most cases the details in the film's production design hold up beautifully, though I was astounded to learn that sequins existed in the 12th Century.
Name one other film that features Helen Mirren, Gabriel Byrne, Patrick Stewart and Liam Neeson, all in very early roles of their careers. Gabriel Byrne is almost unrecognizable, playing a character of such rage and aggression, it's hard to reconcile him with the calm psychologist of In Treatment.
The real star of Excalibur is Nicol Williamson as Merlin. The story is essentially told through Merlin's point of view, as he becomes increasingly aware that "our kind's" age is slipping away, that this new age is a time for Men, not creatures, as Merlin clearly sees himself as something other than a Man. He's a Necromancer. His performance makes the film, conjuring up Merlin as a hypnotic, wry and sad character, possibly cursed by having the ability to see too much. He wants Man to attain a greater good, but fears he will too often be disappointed.
Excalibur is fascinating. The combat sequences are utterly brutal and the armor is astounding and frightening, bristling with spikes, helms shaped into the heads of various beasts. When a limb is cleaved off or a knight falls, it's a realistic collision of steel and mud and blood. Supernatural elements and the sin of man are woven throughout the film making the Arthurian myth seem vital and surprising.
If you've never seen Excalibur, this is the perfect time to seek it out. If you've seen it but find that you're memory's a bit fuzzy, giving Boorman's 30-year-old vision of Camelot a look will definitely not disappoint, but rather awaken your love of medieval myth and excite you all the more for what's about to come.
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