When you’re talking about the best fantasy movies ever made, Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings trilogy usually ends up at the forefront of the conversation — and for good reason. The J.R.R. Tolkien adaptations are as close to perfect as the genre has ever gotten. When it comes to the best looking fantasy films, though, Jackson’s trio of masterpieces has some stiff competition. One film in particular, which was released two decades prior to Lord of the Rings, created a visual style that has yet to be replicated in the realm of fantasy filmmaking.
In 1981, Deliverance and Point Blank director John Boorman delivered a film called Excalibur, which focused quite a bit on the role of Merlin and magic in Arthur’s rise to power. It’s a dreamlike spectacle to be sure, and a recent update finally made Excalibur the boost it needed to truly stand out as the most stunning entry in the genre’s history.
Arrow Video’s ‘Excalibur’ Restoration
This year, Arrow Video released the long-awaited 4K restoration of Excalibur. The special edition of the 4K was fully remastered and restored from the original camera 35mm negative, presented in its classic 1.66:1 aspect ratio for the very first time on home video. In other words, this is the first time in 45 years that fantasy fans are able to see Excalibur in its true presentation and picture without catching a screening at a theater. The restoration covers both versions of the film as well: the 141-minute Theatrical Cut and the 120-minute TV Version.
What makes this release of Excalibur so exciting for longtime fans of the fantasy genre is the fact that this movie doesn’t look like quite like anything else, and we’ve never really gotten to see a high-quality version of it at home. Because of the dream-like and ethereal aesthetic of Excalibur, which sometimes feels like a watercolor painting come to life, the compression given to formats like VHS, DVD, and even Blu-ray has always toned down its visuals in such a way that it has never looked like it should. The dream and vision sequences would appear too dark or wildly out of focus, and the transitions between shadowy realms were often jarring.
The restoration from Arrow Films has taken meticulous care of the original presentation of Excalibur and brought Boorman’s color palette back from the DVD grave, giving it back the pop and aura that many thought might have been gone for good. It’s a fantastic presentation through and through, and packed with a massive lineup of special features that also feel like small miracles. There’s a brand-new interview with the 93-year-old Boorman himself, more than a decade after his last directorial work. The release also contains a never-before-seen documentary from Niel Jordan, which was shot during the production of Excalibur.
This is the definitive release of Excalibur on home video — of that there’s no denying. It’s a little disappointing that such a beloved piece of genre history took this long to get the treatment it deserves, but it also feels like a miracle we got it at all.
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What Is ‘Excalibur’?
For those who are still reading and somehow aren’t familiar with the mind-bender that is John Boorman’s Excalibur, it’s a film that attempts to tell the story of Arthur’s entire life, beginning with the magic and destruction that surrounded his birth. From the very first couple of scenes, it’s easy to see that this take on the source material, written by Boorman and Rospo Pallenberg, is more interested in the symbolism and surrealism of the legend than anything else. While that can sometimes create confusing moments within the film, it ultimately creates an audio-visual experience that cannot be replicated.
Excalibur stars Nigel Terry as King Arthur, Nicol Williamson as Merlin, and the one and only Helen Mirren as Morgana. The film also served as a breakout for future stars Patrick Stewart and Liam Neeson. It’s a stacked cast that does wonders with some iconic material, further adding to the legend Excalibur has built for itself over the years.
- Release Date
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April 10, 1981
- Runtime
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141 Minutes
- Director
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John Boorman