How can a medieval fantasy epic that came out in 1981 possibly look better than most of today’s fantasy films and TV shows? Well, that’s exactly the case with John Boorman’s Excalibur, a legendary adaptation of the King Arthur myth.
The Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones are without a doubt the benchmarks for modern fantasy epics, but before them, Excalibur broke new ground in the genre. Interestingly, this film originally started as an unproduced Lord of the Rings adaptation, before evolving into a retelling of the legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. Nearly 44 years later, despite massive advancements in filmmaking technology and CGI, the light-soaked, color-drenched Excalibur not only holds up but also outshines most modern fantasy content.
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Excalibur Remains The Definitive King Arthur Film
A Bold Fantasy Adaptation Ahead Of Its Time
Being one of the most famous stories of all time, the legend of King Arthur has been adapted countless times for the screen over the past century. Yet, Excalibur is arguably the best of them all. The film draws heavily from Sir Thomas Malory’s 15th-century romance Le Morte d’Arthur, which translates to The Death of Arthur. Boorman’s Excalibur isn’t perfect, but it remains the definitive Arthurian film, and it doesn’t look or feel like any of its predecessors or successors.
At the time of its release, Excalibur‘s reception was arguably just about moderate. The film earned $35 million in the United States and Canada on a budget of $11 million. To put this in perspective, that year’s highest-grossing movie, Raiders of the Lost Ark, made over $212 million at the North American box office on a budget of $20 million. Excalibur‘s reviews were also mixed to positive at the time and currently holds a 72% score on Rotten Tomatoes. The film went on to win an award for Best Artistic Contribution at the 1981 Cannes Film Festival, and its cinematography earned an Oscar nomination.
How Excalibur Influenced Zack Snyder’s Films
Excalibur is clearly one of those films defined by its legacy over the years, rather than its contemporary performance. The film’s visual style set the precedent for countless other period pieces and remains the benchmark for any Arthurian retelling. It’s safe to say that filmmaker Zack Snyder is one of Excalibur‘s biggest fans. The Man of Steel director called it his favorite film in a 2012 Newsweek interview, and labeled it a perfect meeting of movies and mythology.
In fact, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice pays homage to Excalibur. The iconic flashback sequence shows Bruce Wayne and his parents walking home from seeing Excalibur, just before they are tragically murdered. And it doesn’t stop there. Superman sacrificing himself to kill Doomsday with a Kryptonite spear mirrors Arthur’s act of killing Mordred with Excalibur. Snyder has also often expressed his wish to direct his own Arthurian film adaptation.
Why Every Fantasy Fan Must Watch Excalibur
Unlike Modern Content, Excalibur Feels Heavy And Real
Much like Game of Thrones, John Boorman’s take on King Arthur is not a family-friendly fairy tale. The heroes aren’t perfect, the battles aren’t sanitized, and instead, Excalibur is a raw and violent story at its core. Yet, it carries an otherworldly quality, enriched with striking imagery and heavy symbolism. Unlike the stylized sword fights of modern fantasy, Excalibur presents combat as slow, heavy, and exhausting. The sets, costumes, and props feel incredibly tactile, perfectly immersing the viewer in its mythical medieval world.
Excalibur Launched The Careers Of Big-Name Actors
Another reason Excalibur still holds up is its cast, featuring actors who would go on to become legends in their own right. The film primarily stars Nigel Terry as Arthur, Helen Mirren as Morgana Le Fay, Nicholas Clay as Sir Lancelot, Cherie Lunghi as Guinevere, and Nicol Williamson as Merlin. More importantly, it introduced relatively unknown Irish actors in their first major roles – actors who are now well-renowned, including Ciarán Hinds, Gabriel Byrne, and a young Liam Neeson. Patrick Stewart, though not Irish, also cites Excalibur as his first major film project.
Music And Visual Style Makes Excalibur Unforgettable
The score, featuring works by Richard Wagner and Carl Orff, along with original music by Trevor Jones, adds to the film’s epic feel. But what makes Excalibur truly timeless is its distinct visual style. The use of lighting, for example, adds a mystical layer. For example, whenever magic is at play, a green glow reflects off the knights’ armor or appears within the scene itself, which enhances the film’s otherworldly atmosphere.
Have Modern Fantasy Movies Fallen Off?
Bold Visuals and Gore Outshine Today’s Digital Age
Excalibur is a classic reminder of how visually lavish movies used to be. While the digital vs. film debate may never be settled, the film’s rich, glossy grain elevates its aesthetic in a way that modern fantasy content struggles to match. In fact, comparing Excalibur‘s visceral imagery with today’s drab digital color palettes almost makes it feel like filmmaking has regressed, at least in the fantasy genre.
And it’s not just the colors. The film fully embraces its darker side without taking itself too seriously – something many modern fantasy films and TV shows struggle to achieve today. The grit and gore in Excalibur feel even more real than Game of Thrones, especially in the brutal final act, which is filled with hacked limbs, blood, and death.
Morgana’s lair is equally grim, littered with decaying corpses and bones picked clean by crows. Due to this, the film’s original 3-hour runtime was cut down to 140 minutes and received an R rating in the U.S. Interestingly, HBO aired both versions: the PG-rated cut during the day and the R-rated version at night.
Excalibur Feels Like A Lord of the Rings Of Its Era
The imagery in Excalibur was inspired by John Boorman’s original vision for his unproduced Lord of the Rings script. Speaking to IndieWire in 2012, the British filmmaker expressed his initial disappointment, which later turned into relief after Peter Jackson made his trilogy.
[We] couldn’t get it made. And really I’m so pleased we didn’t because if I’d made it, rather clumsily at the time, it would mean that Pete Jackson‘s fantastic trilogy would not have been made. So he owes a lot to me.
One could even argue that Excalibur feels like a live-action adaptation of Tolkien’s novel but with a distinct late-70s or early-80s aesthetic. For fantasy fans, Excalibur is essential viewing; and for creators, a wake-up call to restore the genre to its magical glory. Excalibur is available for rent on Apple TV+, Amazon Prime Video, and Microsoft Store.
Excalibur
- Release Date
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April 10, 1981
- Runtime
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141 Minutes
- Director
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John Boorman