IMDb > Excalibur (1981)
Excalibur
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Excalibur (1981) More at IMDbPro »

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Excalibur (1981) -- A spirited accounting of one of the most obscure periods of the world's history. This reprisal is magical in its execution and gives its audience something to watch.
Excalibur (1981) -- Another retelling of the tale of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.
Excalibur (1981) -- ZuGuide.com - Trailer (Flash)
Excalibur (1981) -- MyMovieScripts.com - Trailer (Flash)
Excalibur (1981) -- CineMagia.ro - Trailer (Flash)

Overview

User Rating:
7.4/10   22,680 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 7% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
John Boorman
Writers:
Thomas Malory (book)
Rospo Pallenberg (adaptation)
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Contact:
View company contact information for Excalibur on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
10 April 1981 (USA) more
Tagline:
No mortal could possess it! No kingdom could command it! more
Plot:
A spirited accounting of one of the most obscure periods of the world's history. This reprisal is magical in its execution and gives its audience something to watch. full summary | full synopsis
Plot Keywords:
more
Awards:
Nominated for Oscar. Another 2 wins & 9 nominations more
User Comments:
A Great Film more (275 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Additional Details

Also Known As:
The Knights (USA) (working title)
more
Runtime:
140 min | USA:119 min (edited version)
Country:
USA | UK
Language:
English
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Mono
Certification:
Canada:R (Nova Scotia/Ontario) | Iceland:16 (video rating) | Iceland:12 | Sweden:15 | Germany:12 (DVD rating) | South Korea:15 (cable rating) | Argentina:13 | Australia:M | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Chile:14 | Finland:K-16 | Ireland:15 | Singapore:M18 | UK:15 | USA:PG (cut) | USA:R | West Germany:12 (f)
Filming Locations:
County Kerry, Ireland more

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Guenevere's wedding dress was hand made from hundreds of beads. Young brides requested the dress to no avail. more
Goofs:
Revealing mistakes: Arthur jumps from Leondegrance's castle wall to take Uryens off his horse, and then appears to be trampled by that horse. more
Quotes:
Arthur: I have often thought that in the hereafter of our lives, when I owe no more to the future and can be just a man, that we may meet, and you will come to me and claim me as yours, and know that I am your husband. It is a dream I have... more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in The Sasquatch Gang (2006) more
Soundtrack:
Prelude to Tristan and Isolde more

FAQ

Does John Boorman own Percival's horse?
Did Nicol Williamson get knocked out?
When did Nicol Williamson flubb his lines?
more
52 out of 71 people found the following comment useful.
A Great Film, 17 November 2003
Author: (baronalbany38@yahoo.com) from Albany, NY

I am an Arthurian buff and a film fan (aspiring to be a novelist and a screenwriter). EXCALIBUR is a great, great film that holds up very well after more than 20 years. It is an expert distillation of the essential Arthurian legend (this from someone who has read and re-read Malory's original work, Le Morte D'Arthur, on which the movie was based, as well as Tennyson, White, Steinbeck, and many of the other modern fictional treatments, as well as a lot of the secondary literature on the history and meaning of the Arthur myth). The film is wonderful on many, many levels, from Boorman's masterful direction and writing (along with Pallenberg, his screenwriter), to the cinematography, the armor and costumes, the sets and production design, and the acting (with a great cast too numerous to mention). The film has violence, sex, myth, drama, intrigue, heroics, pathos, and aspirations to art, all in the best senses of those terms. The film probably works best if you already have some sort of sense of the Arthur legends, but I would recommend it to anyone. Also, listen to Boorman's director's commentary on the DVD. Perhaps the best and most lucid DVD commentary that I have heard on video; interesting and sharp comments throughout the entire film, and well worth replaying if you aspire to filmmaking in any way, or just want to hear a smart filmmaker talk about his work. I have tried to write Arthurian stories and an Arthurian script, but all have so far paled in comparison to Boorman and Pallenberg's work. Long live Boorman and long live EXCALIBUR!

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Excalibur (1981)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
What was Guinevere thinking? farside8
Merlin's last words robert-552
Merlin vs Gandalf obin_gam
Does this creep anyone else out? chrisely
Hasn't aged well apparently wootsat
Some of the acting is terrible but . . . mypcforums
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