The film

Movie details 

Ø Title                    Excalibur Ø   Directed by          John Boorman Ø   Produced by        John Boorman Ø   Written by           Thomas Malory                                   Rospo Pallenberg                                   John Boorman Ø   Starring               Nicol Williamson                                   Nigel Terry                                   Helen Mirren Ø   Music by             Trevor Jones     Carl Orff     Richard Wagner

Ø      Cinematography   Alex Thomson Ø      Editing by             John Merritt Ø      Distributed by      Warner Bros. Pict                                                     Ø      Release date        April 10, 1081 Ø      Running time       Original cut                                        140 min.                                       Edited cut                                       119 min. Ø      Country                United States                                       United Kingdom Ø      Language             English Ø      Gross revenue     $34,967,437

Cast
Ø      Keith Buckley as Uryens Ø      Nigel Terry as King Arthur Ø      Helen Mirren as Morgana Le Fay Ø      Nicol Williamson as Merlin Ø      Nicholas Clay as Lancelot Ø      Cherie Lunghi as Guinevere	Ø      Liam Neeson as Gawain Ø      Patrick Stewart as King Leondegrance Ø      Clive Swift as Sir Ector Ø      Gabriel Byrne as Uther Pendagron Ø      Robert Addie as Mordred Ø      Paul Geoffrey as Perceval

Synopsis

King Uther Pendragon upsets a fragile peace when he lusts after Igrayne, the wife of his former rival. With Merlin's help, he enters Igrayne's castle disguised as her absent husband and fathers a child, who will be Arthur, with her. Arthur is then raised by Merlin, and Uther is killed, thrusting before he dies the sword Excalibur into a stone from which it can be withdrawn only by the rightful ruler of the land. Arthur meanwhile grows up unaware of his lineage and destiny. By accident, he draws Excalibur from the stone and is proclaimed reluctant king. Eventually he establishes peace in the realm that is ensured by the fellowship of the Round Table. He marries Guinevere, but their happiness is shattered when Lancelot arrives. First cool to each other, Lancelot and Guinevere are soon involved in an adulterous affair that threatens the realm. Merlin himself is threatened by the wily Morgana, Arthur's half-sister, who has for years been secretly plotting revenge for the murder of her father by Merlin and Uther. When an enraged Arthur breaks Excalibur, the kingdom is plunged into chaos as the knights set forth in search of the elusive Grail, many falling into traps set by Morgana. Only Perceval is successful in his quest for the Grail, which he brings back to Camelot to heal Arthur. The renewed king rides forth to reclaim his land and to defeat Morgana and their son Mordred. In the final battle, Arthur kills Mordred but is himself mortally wounded. As Arthur sets sail in a boat captained by three mysterious women, Perceval returns Excalibur to the Lady of the Lake, its magic denied to future generations for all times. Loosely based on Sir Thomas Malory's fifteenth century Le Morte D'Arthur, Boorman's film is a dark brooding meditation on the Arthurian legend in which Arthur becomes the Grail King.

Bibliography:

• http://www.lib.rochester.edu/camelot/acpbibs/harty.htm#excalib
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Excalibur_(film)