Excalibur (1981)

3 corrected entries

★★★★☆

Starring: Helen Mirren, Cherie Lunghi, Nicholas Clay, Nigel Terry

Corrected entry: In the final battle before Lancelot appears, Percival, Kay and Arthur are in a circle surrounded by enemy knights. Kay accidentally hits Arthur on the back of his head with his sword. Arthur grabs his head and is visibly staggered by the blow. (02:10:00)

Correction: Something that could easily happen in a real battle.

Corrected entry: Out in the forest Merlin sleeps and Arthur stands next to a branch along side Merlin's staff. A large snake slithers down, Arthur touches it and runs away. In the next shot the snake is gone. (00:32:20)

????

Correction: Since the species of snake is not native to Britain, it's entirely possible that the scene contains enchantments, wrought by Merlin, which are therefore not subject to the natural laws of physics.

Corrected entry: When Arthur pledges Lancelot into his service on the rocks after breaking Excalibur he calls him by name, even though Lancelot never told him his name.

Correction: Yes, he did. When Arthur and Lancelot speak prior to their joust, Lancelot introduces himself with his full name.

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Mistakes

Audio problem: When Uther takes the baby from Igrayne and gives it to Merlin, Igrayne's screaming and whimpering is not consistent with her mouth movements.

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Quotes

Arthur: Thanks be to God you're alive.
Lancelot: I, the best Knight in the world bested! This is a great day! For my search is over, my King. Make me your champion.
Arthur: But your life and lands are far from here.
Lancelot: I gave up my castle and my lands. This is my domain. Within this metal skin. And I pledge all that I still own. Muscle, bone, blood and the heart that pumps it.
Arthur: And a great heart it is. Sir Lancelot, you will be my champion.

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Trivia

Trivia: Producer/screenwriter/director John Boorman deliberately chose renowned stage actors Nicol Williamson and Helen Mirren to play the sorcerer Merlin and the sorceress Morgana, knowing very well that Williamson and Mirren hated each other in real life (because of a disastrous stage production of Macbeth they worked on, years earlier). Boorman anticipated real friction, tension and anger between the two actors, which was the effect he wanted onscreen. On the contrary, the experience of working together in "Excalibur" completely changed Nicol Williamson and Helen Mirren into the best of friends.

Charles Austin Miller

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Questions

Question: At the very end, Arthur's body is being carried away on a barge, with three women standing above him. Are those three women the fates?

Answer: They were the Goddesses of Avalon. A group of women who each have a specific magical power. They were the makers of Excalibur, healed King Arthur's wounds from his first battle and took him to his final resting place, readying him for the day he would be needed again.

Most Arthurian myths attribute elves as making "Excalibur", and also "Clarent," King Arthur's other magical sword.

raywest ★

Answer: Or possibly they were attendants of Arthur, who would set the ship on fire, then have the option to die with their king, or to try to swim to shore. The Vikings did stuff like that. Why not imagine that the Brits did too?

Answer: Not the fates, but enchantress fairies. The Lady of Lake, who took back Excalibur at the end, was such a fairy.

raywest ★

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