Chris
When it comes to tackling the legend of King Arthur on the silver screen, none even come close to touching John Boorman’s Excalibur. Released in 1981, this lavish depiction of King Arthur and Camelot has stood the test of time as the definitive version of the story, despite so many challengers to the throne. Some include First Knight, a more romantic version of the story marred by an unconvincing performance by Richard Gere as Lancelot; the Jerry Bruckheimer-produced King Arthur, which removes all the magic from the story; and Guy Ritchie’s King Arthur: Legend of the Sword. None match Boorman’s movie.
A Dark, Adult Fantasy Ahead of Its Time
Given its status as a classic, it’s surprising that it took so long for the film to hit 4K disc, with it having been licensed by Warner Bros. to Arrow Video, who’ve given it a lavish new edition with tons of bells and whistles. For those who may not have seen Excalibur, the film tells the story of Arthur and Camelot’s rise and fall, taking a distinctly adult look at the medieval fantasy genre, which predicted a trend that would later become commonplace with Game of Thrones. Excaliburpresents the medieval era as dark, muddy, and ultra-violent, with the film earning a well-deserved R rating the year it came out.
The late Nigel Terry, who never really had a role that lived up to this one, convincingly plays Arthur from a boy to an older man, while Nicolas Clay and Cherie Lunghi play Lancelot and Guinevere, with much of the film focusing on their illicit romance. None went on to much fame after Excalibur, but several members of the cast went on to superstardom. A young Helen Mirren plays the film’s villain, the sorceress Morgana, while Liam Neeson has an early role as Sir Gawain, who loses a jousting duel to Lancelot in one of the film’s most exciting sequences. And then there’s a young Gabriel Byrne as Arthur’s father, Uther, while Patrick Stewart once again proves he hasn’t really aged in forty years as Guinevere’s father.
Nicol Williamson’s Legendary Merlin
Best of all is Nicol Williamson as Merlin, with him playing the role as alternately funny, menacing, and compassionate. Acclaimed as one of the greatest actors of his era, Williamson struggled with some demons off-screen, never really getting a chance to show what he was capable of on the big screen, with this being the most notable exception.
4K Transfer and Audio: Faithful to the Original Vision
Fans have been waiting for a 4K release of Excalibur since the format began, and Arrow has delivered a transfer that’s highly faithful to the film’s intended, somewhat soft look. Don’t go in expecting Excalibur to look razor-sharp—it was highly stylized for its era, and Arrow gives us a faithful representation.
The audio mix is a similar story, as the film, despite its scale, was originally mixed in mono. It was eventually upgraded to 5.1 in the DVD/Blu-ray era, so Arrow has given us both options. To me, the mono mix is the way to go, with the film’s soundtrack having been impeccably crafted, with the score a mix of Trevor Jones compositions and classical selections from Wagner, Carl Orff, and more.
The extras are, as usual for Arrow, well chosen. The film has three commentary tracks, including one by John Boorman, who also sits for a new interview with his son, Charley, who memorably plays Mordred. The real gem is a vintage, nearly hour-long documentary from 1981 about the making of the film, directed by none other than Neil Jordan, who, within a few years, would become an iconic director in his own right. He also sits for a contemporary interview about his time on the set.
There’s also a more recent “Behind the Movie” featurette with 2016 interviews from some of the surviving cast members, including Liam Neeson, Helen Mirren, and Patrick Stewart (by then all three of the film’s leads had passed away). Most interestingly is the inclusion of the “TV Cut,” which was actually aired on HBO frequently in the early eighties, as there was a rule back then that they couldn’t show R-rated movies during the day. As such, they would show this PG version during the daytime, and the R-rated version at night.
Final Verdict
If you’re a fan of Excalibur, this set is a no-brainer (buy it HERE). While the price tag is a bit hefty, with Arrow you always get what you pay for. Highly recommended.
