EXCALIBUR (1981)

SHORT REVIEW: Apparently everyone over-acted in The Dark Ages. This has become a classic film over the past few decades. There is some reason for this. It’s a memorable film visually, and the King Arthur legend does provoke some interest. Strangely, there are some of the best young English actors (Patrick Stewart, Liam Neeson, Gabriel Byrne, Helen Mirren, and Nicolas Clay) but is loaded with over-the-top bad acting. Phew, you haven’t heard this many Britons screaming since they introduced dentistry to the island. Screaming = Acting. This is the Patrick Stewart school of acting. Didn’t anyone tell this gaggle of English stage actors that there are microphones around so they don’t have to project to the backseat of the house? The film itself starts out strong and forms well into the second act. The issue is with the ending. Once Arthur and his land grow ill and the search for the Holy Grail continues, the film becomes unfocused. This is primarily due to a shift in narrative alliances. We move from the age-old love triangle of Lancelot, Guenevere and Arthur, to the battle between Merlin and Morgana, then to Perceval’s journey. These elements of the legend are connected and needed – they just don’t mix well in this film. While there are some outstanding sequences in the film and for the most part worth a watch, it is a flawed piece. Everything that is wrong with the film could have been corrected with two changes: 1. A more definite narrative that followed a single aspect of the legend more clearly (allowing the other elements to either be dropped or play a lesser role.) 2. Less screaming of lines – film is the home of subtlety. Despite the hollering, the actors do their best given the inherent silly scenes they play out. The film is seriously performed and does offer a realism to the legend. The weakest actor is the lead. Nigel Terry is out of place as a king. I am certain he was selected because he doesn’t look the part – making his pulling the sword from the stone more dramatic. But Terry never seems to get the role right. He doesn’t grow in the character and doesn’t command the screen. It is hard to believe anyone would follow a man like this. A film is like an expensive meal. Each flavor needs to be better than the last. Having Terry in the lead is like having a nine-course meal made out of rice cakes and Elmer’s glue. After watching this film, watch Monty Python And The Holy Grail. It puts the former in its place and enhances the genius of the latter. Related Reviews: Other Liam Neeson films Batman Begins (2005) Kingdom of Heaven (2005)