Excalibur

The whole Arthurian legend, from Uther Pendragon drawing the sword to Arthur's death. The film builds it as a cycle: birth, life, decay and restoration. John Boorman directed, from Thomas Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur. The cast holds names that became famous later: Helen Mirren as Morgana, Patrick Stewart as Leodegrance, Liam Neeson as Gawain, Gabriel Byrne as Uther Pendragon and Ciarán Hinds as King Lot. Nigel Terry, at 35, carries Arthur from youth to old age. It was shot entirely in Ireland through 1980, in Wicklow, Tipperary and Kerry, with interiors at Ardmore Studios. During production the original cinematographer suffered a nervous breakdown and Alex Thomson replaced him. The music combines excerpts from Wagner and Carl Orff with Trevor Jones's original score, performed by the London Philharmonic. On an 11 million dollar budget it grossed 35 million domestically and won Best Artistic Contribution at Cannes in 1981. Critics praised the visual style and complained about the coherence of the narrative. Who it is for: viewers who like dark fantasy and eighties visual excess. Who it is not for: anyone wanting a tidy story. Compressing the entire legend into two and a half hours means it runs through many of its chapters.