EXCALIBUR

Ireland, 1981, 140 minutes, Colour.
Nigel Terry, Helen Mirren, Nicholas Clay, Cherie Lunghi, Paul Geoffrey, Nicol Williamson.
Directed by John Boorman.

John Boorman has vivid visual imagination showing environment shaping society and characters. He is a symbol enthusiast. This combines to present (with background Wagner excerpts) the core ingredient of the Arthurian legends: the savagery of the Dark Ages, the idyllic achievement of Camelot, druid religion becoming Christian, the betrayal of Lancelot and Guinevere, the decline of ideals to evil power. Nigel Terry is a complex, convincing Arthur. The realistic style, especially in lumbering, unwieldy battles, makes impact; the special effects for magic and vision are not so persuasive. Merlin and his mysterious influence is fascinatingly highlighted (despite Nicol Williamson's idiosyncratic performance) and the centuries-old mythic elements (de-romanticised) are still absorbing. The film relies on Malory's presentation of the Arthurian legend with influence very much by Jungian thought. Boorman says that Jung's analysis of the unconscious is in the vein of Merlin's work.

Boorman has made few films but they are all striking, especially his science fiction Zardoz, gangster thriller Point Blank and Deliverance. He did not succeed commercially with Leo the Last and Exorcist II: The Heretic. The link between Excalibur and Star Wars has been highlighted by Boorman. The success of science fantasy in the late '70s enabled him to make the film - fantasy had become popularly acceptable by 1980.

1. The popularity and influence of the Arthurian legend? The Dark Ages, mythology of hope, chivalry, peace, national unity? The changing of religion in Britain? The quality of the myth? Its imaginative detail, symbolic value? Its part in British folklore? British memory? The Renaissance and Malory's version? King Arthur and the Round Table in visual art, poetry e.g. Tennyson? Twentieth century presentations - T. H. White, Mary Stewart, Camelot, popular cinema? How do these influence our response to this film? Expected emphases, characterisations, themes? This version breaking with the romantic treatment? The parallels with operatic treatment e.g. Wagner and the use of his music? The presentation of the Arthurian legend for the 1980s?

2. The place of the legend in 1980? A world of chaos, battle, hopelessness? The possibility of hope? Presumption for human success and its failure? The ever-presence of evil? The disappearance of Camelot? The perennial yearning for Camelot? The film reflecting the times?

3. The work of John Boorman? His interest in environment? Psychology and symbol? Myth-making? His presentation of American myths, religious myths in his films? The beauty and ugliness of the environment? His capacity for visualising it? Making its presence physically felt? His drawing on these capacities for this film?

4. The colour photography of Ireland, the use of light and darkness, day and night? The war of the Dark Ages? The silvers and greens of Camelot? The red of blood and battle? The editing and the pace - especially for the battle sequences? The interweaving of the elements of the myth? The artificial special effects for the unrealistic world of Merlin, Morgan, Perceval and his dreams? The musical score and the use of parallel Wagner themes?

5. The overall structure: the title emphasising and symbolising the sword for the Arthurian legend? The introduction to Uther Pendragon and Merlin in the Dark Ages? The opening captions? The establishing of the brutality of wars? Arthur emerging from this dark world - of battle, magic, deception? His power to take the sword from the stone and his being established as king? Civil war, peace? The prosperity of Camelot - yet evil within it? The collapse of Arthur's marriage, the Round Table? Morgana and the conception of Mordred? The decline of Camelot? The final reconciliation, deaths and the completing of the cycle? Arthur's body being taken away by boat - for perhaps another Camelot? How satisfying the structure of the legends and myths? The emphases? Bringing them to completion?

6. The picture of the Dark Ages - Britain and the wars, the bloodthirsty battles, the lumbering effort to wage war and individual combat, the physical nature of being involved in such battles? Sieges and betrayal? Lust and the use of lust for power? Arthur's battles and the civil war and the breaking of the siege of the castle? The final battle with Mordred? The tension between chivalry and brutality, might and power? Excalibur signifying battle ~ as a gift, magic, power, authority? Its being broken against Lancelot and its being restored by the Lady of the Lake? Guinevere’s hiding it? Its role in the completion of Arthur's life and mission? Its being returned to the lake until the right time?

7. Uther as king, his brutality, intense waging of war, determination, lustful envy of the king's wife, the clash with his opponent and the making of peace? The banquet and Igrayne's sensuous dance, the soldiers beating their swords on the table, the frenzy? Uther's pact with Merlin? Leading the troops out, the ambush of the king, Uther's taking his place with his wife? The origins of Arthur's conception? Merlin's pact and his achievement?

8. Igrayne and her being deprived of her child, the sequences with Uther, her grief when the baby was taken? Morgana and her presence in the kingdom, her watching Arthur being taken, her watching Merlin? Merlin's role in the preparation of Camelot?

9. Merlin as the focus of the film - his presence, appearance, dress, his metal cap, staff? Manner of speaking? His not being of Earth, his antique origins, powers and magic, spells, link with the druid gods, necromancer and sorcerer? His character and tone? The initial solemnity, his leading of Uther and the pact to get Arthur and possession of him? His talk of dragons and symbols of evil and power? His weaving his spells? His becoming more human as the film went on - and the ironic humour? His making mistakes and being surprised at his magic? His arrival with Arthur drawing the sword, his presence at Arthur's vigil with the serpents? His power over nature? Training Arthur, presence in the court, his work with Morgana and the final clash with her? His taking her to the cave and her weaving spells to trap him? His being freed by Arthur and coming to support him? His final vindication with the trapping of Morgana in the fog? His capacity for understanding the past, seeing the future - his guiding of Arthur and Arthur's refusal to see the future? His passing into legend and his symbolism of supernatural power?

10. The visual presentation of the druid religion - dark, passionate gods, nature, thunder and lightning, magic, the stones and the places of worship? The role of this pagan religion in the history of Britain? Morgana and her childhood, her place in Arthur's court, her observation of Guinevere’s fascination for Lancelot, her inciting Gawain, her jealousy, her eagerness to become a sorceress, spells and potions, the vision given by Merlin and her trapping him, her use of Merlin's power to conceal her identity and conceive Mordred with Arthur, her bringing up Mordred, the encounter with Perceval, her pushing Mordred to clash with Arthur and gain the kingdom? Her pride against Merlin and her trapping herself in the fog, her repeating the incantation and her losing her power and her beauty? Merlin's destruction of this symbol of evil power?

12. The society of the time - the poor, wars, village life, the jousts, Arthur and his work on the farm, the squires, the battles and their brutality? The transformation to Camelot and the sequences in the castle - with the variety of people at the court? The decline of Camelot and the poverty and famine, civil war? The glimpses of the possibility of peace?

13. Arthur and his origins, his mythological role? A young man of the people, his humour at the ]oust and the stolen sword and his taking Excalibur? His running away, the encounter with Merlin and the discovery of the truth, people's acknowledging him to be king, his vigil with the snakes and the insects and reptiles? His eager training with Merlin? His friendship with him and reliance on his wisdom? The loyalties of the other knights and the civil war? His valour in raising the siege of the castle? His single-handed success? His being knighted in the river? The establishing of his vision, the Round Table. the building of Camelot, his establishing peace? The infatuation with Guinevere and his wedding? The encounter with Lancelot and the fight, the breaking of Excalibur, Lancelot being his champion? The banquet at Camelot and the discussions about peace - and the ever-presence of evil? Gawain and his challenge? The tournament and Lancelot's wounds, his prayers for Merlin to heal Lancelot? His response to Guinevere’s betrayal and his going into the forest and leaving Excalibur with the lovers? His being deceived in the conception of Mordred? His growing old, sick? Sending the knights on the search for the Grail and the hope for the future? Perceval and his reviving Arthur? The reconciliation with Guinevere in the convent, Lancelot and his being the champion in the final battle? The commission to Perceval to put Excalibur back in the lake? His death and being taken off in the boat for a future time? How well presented as a character, growth as a man, as king? A symbol of the potential of Camelot?

14. Lancelot - from across the seas, the knight in shining armour, the confrontation at the bridge, the battle, the breaking of Excalibur, the friendship with Arthur? The mission to Guinevere and the infatuation? His not being present in court? The significance of his dream - his fighting and wounding his naked self? His searching inside the armour and finding it empty? His fighting for Guinevere with the wound? Its being healed by Merlin? His reference to it at his death and his love for Guinevere? The sexual encounter of Guinevere and Lancelot in the forest? Arthur leaving Excalibur and their leaving each, other? His growing old in the countryside and Precava’s encounter with him? His return to champion Arthur at the end? The reconciliation and his death? His being held as a model of the Knights of the Round Table - virtue, sin and repentance?

15. Perceval as a young nun, following Lancelot, becoming his squire? Arrival at Camelot, surveying all the people there, his cooking? His rising to the defence of Guinevere? His being knighted? His search for the Grail for so many years, his adventures, the encounter with Mordred, with Morgana and his being hanged with the other knights? His vision and the grasp of the Grail? His final vision and reaching the Grail? His helping Arthur with the secret of the Grail: Arthur and the land being one? (How effective the special effects for this vision of the Grail - the significance of the Grail: religious, political, personal?)

16. The other knights and their adventures,, presence at Camelot? Sir Kay and his loyalty to Arthur? Guinevere’s father, the rebel knight and his knighting Arthur in the river? The quest for the Grail and the death of the knights? Gawain and his jealousy, the tournament and vicious fight with Lancelot? Gawain's death? The significance of the Round Table, a pattern for orderly society?

17. Guinevere as heroine - her fighting in the siege of the castle, her infatuation with Arthur and him with her? Her dancing and Merlin's warning? Her sewing his wounds? The marriage sequence? Her eyes for Lancelot? The meal and her honour being challenged, her presence at the joust and Lancelot's success the healing of his wounds? Her going to Lancelot in the forest., her seeing Excalibur and taking it away? Her long years in the convent and final reconciliation and giving Excalibur to Arthur?

18. Themes of war: the reasons for war, the brutality. the people involved, heroism, blood and pain. honour and death?

19. Themes of peace and harmony: the nature of prosperity. the presence of evil?

20. Love and honour: passion. betrayal, hurt. responsibility? Arthur being king before being husband? Guinevere’s love for him as king and as husband?

21. The Arthurian legend and its use by poets, psychologists, theologians and philosophers - for the symbols of life and its journey, quest, pain, endurance and hope?