A surreal adaptation of Sir Thomas Malory's "Le Morte d'Arthur", chronicling Arthur Pendragon's conception, his rise to the throne, the search by his Knights of the Round Table for the Holy Grail, and ultimately his death.
Nominated for 1 Oscar. 2 wins & 10 nominations total
Top Critics Reviews
rotten:
What a wondrous vision Excalibur is! And what a mess.
– Roger Ebert,
Chicago Sun-Times,
23 Oct 2004
rotten:
For all its audacity, a misguided folly.
– Geoff Andrew,
Time Out,
26 Jan 2006
fresh:
Exquisite, a near-perfect blend of action, romance, fantasy and philosophy, finely acted and beautifully filmed by director John Boorman and cinematographer Alex Thomson.
– Variety Staff,
Variety,
8 Oct 2008
fresh:
There is humor here (in the form of a vaudeville Merlin, played by Nicol Williamson) as well as a diminution of scale that seems intended to help audiences through the thornier byways of Boorman's vision.
– Dave Kehr,
Chicago Reader,
6 Nov 2013
fresh:
Give Boorman credit for the loopy grandeur of his imagery and imaginings, for the sweet smell of excess, for his heroic gamble that a movie can dare to trip over its pretensions -- and still fly.