Comparison of Two Films About King Arthur

Few works of literature or legend are as varied as that of King Arthur and his round table, forever retold by each generation. Without question, the defining work of Arthurian Literature is Sir Thomas Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur. Morte d'Arthur is a compilation of all the King Arthur legends that existed before Malory. Malory tried to bring all the stories together into one cohesive whole. Morte d'Arthur is a trove of stories about magical encounters and various quests that is loosely centered on the rise and fall of King Arthur.

Since it was written, there have been countless interpretations and adaptations. Today, we not only have countless Arthurian books, but many movies on the subject as well. In this paper I hope to compare and contrast two such Arthurian movies, Excalibur and King Arthur, and discuss what each film adds to the treasury of Arthurian lore. It is hard to believe that two completely opposite movies are based on the same literature. The movie Excalibur is like a modern day Morte d'Arthur, while the more recent King Arthur differs greatly from all former Arthurian works by attempting to be historically plausible.

Excalibur

Although Excalibur is based mostly on Malory, it also contains stories from Chrétien de Troyes and Alfred, Lord Tennyson's Idylls of the King. The film takes scenes straight from Malory, but it also changes Malory slightly by condensing some of his many details and mixing them with stories from other Arthurian writers. It smoothes over many of Malorys contradictions then manages to throw in some plot twists of its own.

Excalibur

The first scene of the film introduces the most important symbol of the film, Excalibur. Throughout the entire movie at every critical juncture, Exc...

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..."with machines." Two of her fingers were broken. Arthur receives another shock when he realizes that these ministrations were performed by a priest. The priest believes that to torture heathens is an act of kindness that would enable them to enter heaven.

The final blow that completely crushes Arthur's belief in the Church is the news he receives on Pelagius' excommunication. How can the Church excommunicate a man who believes in such lofty and glorious ideas?

Conclusion

While Excalibur keeps both the content and form of Malory, King Arthur tries something new by trying to translate the barely-fitting together cacophony of Morte d'Arthur into a historically plausible film. Though Excalibur is more enjoyable to real King Arthur lovers, King Arthur is strangely refreshing in its extreme adaptation of the overused story, while being still familiar in its core.