Exaclibur (1981) John Boorman   Shot entirely in the shimmering green of Ireland, Excalibur is a film of surpassing passion and visual splendor. Producer/director John Boorman went back to Le Morte d'Arthur for inspiration, and while some truncation of Malory's work was required, the resultant film succeeds in being not only adventurous and sensual but also literate and deep. Excalibur also focuses on an interesting angle of the legend-the twilight of the pagan world as Christianity spread throughout Britain. Excalibur also broke the anachronistic tradition of using medieval sets and costumes to depict this Dark Ages myth. Instead, Boorman opted for a unique and original design style. True, it is not necessarily historic, but it is dreamlike and utterly captivating. The battle scenes are visceral and gruesomely realistic (setting the trend for later efforts, such as Henry V and Braveheart). An all-British cast of Shakespearean actors (among them Nicol Williamson, Patrick Stewart, Helen Mirren, and a young newcomer named Liam Neeson) bring these mythical characters to believable, full-blooded life. Finally, a captivating soundtrack of Wagner, and original music by Trevor Jones (Last of the Mohicans), help the film to surge with passion and mysticism. Alas, Boorman's three-hour director's cut has never been seen, but even at 140 minutes, Excalibur is arguably the finest Arthurian film ever made. —Paul Andrew MacLean

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