Excalibur (1981)

Excalibur (1981) is a mythic, visually striking retelling of the Arthurian legend that follows the rise and fall of King Arthur and the fate of the magical sword Excalibur. The story opens with Uther Pendragon receiving the sword from Merlin, who later hides it in a stone so that only the rightful king may draw it. Years later Arthur, Uther’s illegitimate son, pulls Excalibur free, unites the knights of the Round Table and builds the glory of Camelot. Guided — and sometimes manipulated — by Merlin, Arthur marries Guinevere, confronts wars and enchantments, sends his knights on the perilous Grail quest, and finally faces betrayal from the love affair between Guinevere and Lancelot and from his own son Mordred, born of the sorceress Morgana. Watching Excalibur is an immersive, often operatic experience: expect bold, painterly cinematography, stark and sometimes brutal battle sequences, moments of quiet, mystical ritual, and a soundtrack that heightens the film’s epic, timeless quality. The tone moves between wonder and violence, blending high fantasy and raw human drama. The film emphasizes destiny, honor and the fragility of idealism — how glory can be built and undone by desire, jealousy and fate. If you watch it, you’ll be swept into a richly stylized medieval world where magic is real, loyalties are tested, and mythology is rendered with both grandeur and grimness. It’s a powerful, occasionally dark meditation on kingship and the cost of myth, best appreciated by viewers who enjoy sweeping fantasy, moral complexity, and cinematic spectacle.

Actors: Nigel Terry, Helen Mirren, Nicholas Clay

Director: John Boorman

Runtime: 140 min

Genres: Action, Adventure, Drama

7.3 /10 56 /100 7.3 /10 6.7 /10