Throwback Thursday: Excalibur

 Excalibur is a retelling of parts of the King Arthur legend and a movie I happen to enjoy very much. I don't know what it is but this movie just feels special. The cast includes the likes of Liam Neeson and Patrick Stewart and stars Nigel Terry. The film covers some of the life of his father Uther, Arthur's rise to power and subsequent falling out with Lancelot , the quest for the holy grail, and ultimately the redemption of Lancelot. From the score to the special effects everything just screams high fantasy and the movie is a lot of fun to watch.

 I don't remember how old I was when I first saw it, young, way too young most likely but my parents never really cared about shielding me from "R" rated movies. I enjoyed it then for the sword fights, the castles, and Merlin's magic. Don't get me wrong I still love all of those things but the movie took on new dimensions as I got older. The great score and epic visual style are things I have only recently started to appreciate. The great performance of Nicol Williamson really sticks out to me as an adult as well. I was a little afraid of him as a kid, he does a great job of balancing fear, humor, and unpredictability. These all combined make him stand out to me as the ideal wizard character, I have only felt like I was watching a "real" wizard twice, once with Nicol Williamson's Merlin and once with Ian McKellen's Gandalf.

 An effect that really stood out to me is when Uther "rides the dragon's breath" conjured by Merlin to satisfy his lust for Igrayne. The rolling fog looks ominous as if foreshadowing things to come and the swell of the music as he rides send a shiver down your spine. The castle sets and props all look great, the extras fit seamlessly into the background, and the costumes are fantastic. The suits of plate are polished to a mirror finish and look just like you would imagine them to. Another thing that sticks out in my memory is the Lady of the Lake, the keeper of Excalibur whose hand you see burst forth to present or reclaim the sword. I don't know what it is but this has always given me an uneasy feeling, after all you only ever see her arm, who knows what is really in that lake or what power is really behind the sword.

 If you love epic fantasy and great atmospheric movies you can't go wrong with Excalibur. I'll leave you with a clip I was able to find to showcase a little of Merlin's performance. Thanks for reading!