|
Excalibur (1981) 7.4
Merlin the magician helps Arthur Pendragon unite the Britons around the round table of Camelot even as forces conspire to tear it apart Director:John Boorman |
| Watch Trailer 0Share... |
The 25 Most Immersive Worlds in Cinema
Highly immersive cinematic worlds can carry a movie, and we've rounded up the best of the best.
User Lists
Related lists from IMDb users
Related Items
Search for "Excalibur" on Amazon.com
Share this Rating
Title: Excalibur (1981)
Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below.
Learn more
People who liked this also liked...
Ladyhawke
(1985)
Adventure
|
Drama
|
Fantasy
Director:
Richard Donner
Stars:
Matthew Broderick,
Rutger Hauer,
Michelle Pfeiffer
Krull
(1983)
Action
|
Adventure
|
Fantasy
Director:
Peter Yates
Stars:
Ken Marshall,
Lysette Anthony,
Freddie Jones
Dragonslayer
(1981)
Action
|
Adventure
|
Fantasy
Director:
Matthew Robbins
Stars:
Peter MacNicol,
Caitlin Clarke,
Ralph Richardson
Willow
(1988)
Action
|
Adventure
|
Drama
Director:
Ron Howard
Stars:
Val Kilmer,
Joanne Whalley,
Warwick Davis
Zardoz
(1974)
Drama
|
Fantasy
|
Sci-Fi
Director:
John Boorman
Stars:
Sean Connery,
Charlotte Rampling,
Sara Kestelman
Hope and Glory
(1987)
Comedy
|
Drama
|
Romance
Director:
John Boorman
Stars:
Sarah Miles,
David Hayman,
Sebastian Rice-Edwards
Deliverance
(1972)
Adventure
|
Drama
|
Thriller
Director:
John Boorman
Stars:
Jon Voight,
Burt Reynolds,
Ned Beatty
The Beastmaster
(1982)
Action
|
Adventure
|
Drama
Director:
Don Coscarelli
Stars:
Marc Singer,
Tanya Roberts,
Rip Torn
Legend
(1985)
Adventure
|
Fantasy
|
Romance
Director:
Ridley Scott
Stars:
Tom Cruise,
Mia Sara,
Tim Curry
Conan the Barbarian
(1982)
Adventure
|
Fantasy
Director:
John Milius
Stars:
Arnold Schwarzenegger,
James Earl Jones,
Max von Sydow
The Emerald Forest
(1985)
Action
|
Adventure
|
Drama
Director:
John Boorman
Stars:
Powers Boothe,
Meg Foster,
Yara Vaneau
Highlander
(1986)
Action
|
Adventure
|
Fantasy
Director:
Russell Mulcahy
Stars:
Christopher Lambert,
Sean Connery,
Clancy Brown
Edit
Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Nigel Terry | ... | ||
| Helen Mirren | ... | ||
 |
Nicholas Clay | ... | |
| Cherie Lunghi | ... | ||
| Paul Geoffrey | ... | ||
| Nicol Williamson | ... | ||
|
|
Robert Addie | ... | |
| Gabriel Byrne | ... | ||
|
|
Keith Buckley | ... | |
| Katrine Boorman | ... | ||
| Liam Neeson | ... | ||
| Corin Redgrave | ... | ||
|
|
Niall O'Brien | ... | |
| Patrick Stewart | ... | ||
| Clive Swift | ... | ||
Edit
Plot Summary
|
Plot Synopsis
See All (158) »
Storyline
The myth of King Arthur brought once again to the screen. Uthur Pendragon is given the mystical sword Excalibur by the wizard Merlin. At his death Uthur buries the sword into a stone, and the next man that can pull it out will be King of England. Years later Arthur, Uthur's bastard son draws Excalibur and becomes king. Guided by Merlin, Arthur marries Guenivere and gathers the Knights of the Round Table. Arthur's evil half-sister Morgana sires a son with him, who may prove his downfall. Written by Greg Bole <bole@life.bio.sunysb.edu>
Plot Keywords:
knight | knights of the round table | holy grail | rape by deception | rise and fall |Taglines:
Forged by a god. Foretold by a wizard. Found by a king. See more »Parents Guide:
View content advisory »
Edit
See more »
See full technical specs »
Details
Language:
EnglishRelease Date:
10 April 1981 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
The Knights See more »Box Office
Budget:
$11,000,000 (estimated)Gross:
SEK 2,986,757 (Sweden)Company Credits
Show detailed
company contact information
on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
| (edited)Sound Mix:
MonoColor:
Color (Technicolor)Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1
Edit
Arthur: Merlin! What have I done?
Merlin: You have broken what could not be broken! Now, hope is broken.
Arthur: My pride broke it. My rage broke it! This excellent knight, who fought with fairness and grace, was meant to win. I used Excalibur to change that verdict. I've lost, for all time, the ancient sword of my fathers, whose power was meant to unite all men... not to serve the vanity of a single man. I am... nothing.
See more »
by Richard Wagner
Specially recorded by London Philharmonic Orchestra (as The London Philharmonic Orchestra)
Conducted by Norman Del Mar
See more »
Did You Know?
Goofs
Full plate metal armor was not invented until about the year 1350, and not used in Europe until much later than that. Numerous such anachronisms (use of stirrups, weaponry) can be excused as being faithful to Sir Thomas Malory's book, which followed 15th-century conventions of making historical characters behave in a contemporary way. See more »Quotes
[Arthur has broken Excalibur on Lancelot's chest]Arthur: Merlin! What have I done?
Merlin: You have broken what could not be broken! Now, hope is broken.
Arthur: My pride broke it. My rage broke it! This excellent knight, who fought with fairness and grace, was meant to win. I used Excalibur to change that verdict. I've lost, for all time, the ancient sword of my fathers, whose power was meant to unite all men... not to serve the vanity of a single man. I am... nothing.
See more »
Soundtracks
Prelude to Tristan and Isoldeby Richard Wagner
Specially recorded by London Philharmonic Orchestra (as The London Philharmonic Orchestra)
Conducted by Norman Del Mar
See more »
This movie is absolutely tremendous. Held my attention the entire time. I have seen the others, from the 1950s Knights of the Round Table, to First Knight, even the recent Mists of Avalon, and this is the best of the bunch. Brutal at times, then again, the story takes place during the Dark Ages. Anthropologists don't know too much about the historical Arthur, except from early English and Welsh texts based on oral legends of a Celtic chieftain named Arthur, who lived around 600 AD, and who fought a famous battle.
This story delivers great performances, sets and battle scenes. In the scene in the beginning where Uther becomes king, as witnessed by Merlin, we can see the look of disgust and pity on his face as knights get their arms chopped off! Merlin has worked for years to arrange peace in the kingdom and the moment is at hand, the dawn of a new Golden Age...although it will be Arthur, not Uther, who ushers this in, and it lasts all too briefly. Merlin is played by Nicol Williamson in an outstanding performance! He is comic, wise, and very, very, deadly if you cross his path. The best on-screen Merlin I have ever seen. Arthur is the true hero whose all too human capacity for love gets the best of him and threatens to leave the kingdom in the clutches of the vile Mordred. Morgana, as played by Helen Mirren, is a stunning combination of beauty and evil. The other cast members round out this great film: Patrick Stewart, Liam Neeson, Gabriel Byrne. The sets are astounding, dark foreboding man-made castles contrasted against lush green forests reflecting a lost time when the forces of nature, not man, dominated the earth. See this film! Easily John Boorman's best picture to date.