“Excalibur” and the Legend of King Arthur-part II

Despite several changes and additions to the text of Malory, this movie represents in a unified manner and generally faithful to the work, the legend of Arthur from his birth to his death as the entire corpus of these legends (the “Matter of Britain”) tells. Therefore, there is not in this movie an attempt to historical research on the legend, like with other movies on this same subject, such as “King Arthur”, but there is only and exclusively the legend, devoid of historical speculation and opinions.

Indeed, the merit of Boorman in this movie, which makes it almost unique among the many titles that exist on King Arthur’s legend, is to have told this story coming back to its most distant origins, which have their roots in the ancient Celtic world and in its mythology, abandoning and ignoring completely all the subsequent influences belonging to another age; influences that instead are prominent in the text of Malory.

Among the changes, the most important-ones are:

the concept of the “Dragon”; the fact that in the movie it is the betrayal of Lancelot and mainly the betrayal of Guinevere, to cause the weakening of King Arthur, and so the decadence of the Kingdom; for to renew the Kingdom it is so necessary to find the lost Grail, and the Secret of the Grail itself. As someone says, certainly there are been times in which King Arthur repented for having drawn the sword from the stone, but he never renounced his quest.

The movie can be divided into five parts:

-the story of Uther Pendragon;

-Arthur becoming King, and his conquests;

-the story of Lancelot and Guinevere;

-the decadence of the Kingdom and the quest for the Grail; 

-Mordred and the death of King Arthur;

For to read my complete article, this is the Link:

http://luthoralexander.blogspot.com/2010/03/boormans-excalibur-and-legend-of-king.html

“Excalibur” and the Legend of King Arthur-part I

“The Dark Ages.
The Land was divided and without a King.
Out of those lost centuries rose a Legend …
Of the Sorcerer, Merlin,
Of the coming of a King,
Of the Sword of Power”:
so begins the movie of John Boorman, “Excalibur”.
Among the many movies dedicated to the legend of King Arthur, the so-called “John Boorman’s Excalibur” is undoubtedly one of the best on this issue.

History and legend, reality and fantasy are mingled together in the numerous texts related to this story. It tells of a King who became sovereign of a vast empire, comprehending the entire Europe; after a long and brilliant life, a life of conquests and wise administration of Justice, a life lived with valorous knights, his friends, King Arthur retired in an enchanted island, from which a day he will returns, for to take back the Sword of Power, Excalibur, and for to rule again the world … .    

    
The legend of King Arthur has been written in many ancient texts, grouped in the “Matter of Britain”, a collection of books dating from the 900 to the XV century. Among the authors of the “Matter of Britain”, Malory is one of the most known. And the screenplay of the movie “Excalibur”  was in fact adapted by R. Pallenberg from “Le Morte d’Arthur”, written by Malory, the most famous text regarding this legend.

For to read my complete article, this is the link:

http://luthoralexander.blogspot.com/2010/03/excalibur-and-legend-of-king-arthur.html