try to tell your average moviegoer what make this a great film and you might have to describe the art direction and large than life power of the prop and set and fight . tell an authenticity nazi about the liberty that boorman take with the historic detail and and they will roundly criticize it . tell a student of arthurian legend of the difference between lmorte dartur and excalibur and they might suspect the story be a dumbing down of the arthurian legend for the mass . and that simply not the point of excalibur . excalibur be film with great care and attention to detail in show the transition that be symbolic of the dark age make way for the new idea and christianity take root . it about what the king be all about and and why a king have power in our imagination . it about vicious war give way to hope and and the danger of complacency and comfort . it about more than it seem . john boorman go through incredible pain to make this movie as exacting a he do and and you can see it . he do not want to merely retell the well know legend of arthur and his world . he want to illustrate the meaning behind arthur himself . the sword be merely a connection and metaphor for that power and purpose . in the end and the story be about the myth of the king and how his condition be once believe to be the extension and direct representation of the state of the kingdom he actually rule . but forget all of that and the movie be cool . it look and feel be something you never forget . the film have the distinction of show liam neeson and gabriel byrne in their first movie role . nicol williamson merlin be perfect and leave me want more of him . and for a high school student just research the realm of mythical and fantastic literature and this movie be addictive when it first come out . i love it so much .