5/5 stars (I’d rate it even higher but that 110% stuff is overused..)
Excalibur is, quite simply, the best movie in cinematic history.
When I first saw this move way back in the early 1980’s I was stunned. Most of the actors were unknowns or at least unknowns to *me*. This extraordinary movie weaves together all of the major pieces of the Arthurian legend from the sword Excalibur and Merlin through the creation of Camelot to the quest for the Holy Grail to the devastating final battle with Mordred.
One may quibble about the historical accuracy of the costumes (most notably the armour in which respect, I must admit Monty Python’s Holy Grail movie was probably much closer to the period). But the sheer wonder of that epic story being presented as a coherent whole combined with a spectacular musical score and the innocence and growth of the players make this the best film that I have seen to date.