Helen Mirren Filmography
Excalibur
Role: Morgana
Many strong men try and fail. Years later, a boy will draw Excalibur from the stone and become king. The boy's name is Arthur, the son of Uthur and Igrayne. Guided by his protector Merlin, Arthur marries Guenevere, gathers the Knights of the Round Table, and a golden age begins. It will, unfortunately, be short-lived. Arthur's best friend Sir Lancelot and Guenevere harbor a secret passion. This passion, along with Arthur's sister, spell doom for Camelot.
Arthur's evil half-sister Morgana uses her own magic to conceive a son with her brother. Morgana raises her golden boy with the sole aim of taking Camelot for her own. Arthur will need Merlin's magic, Excalibur and small band of brave knights to save his kingdom from evil.
John Boorman's 1981 version of Arthur's myth is beautifully photographed with many breathtaking images. Though visually impressive, there is something missing. Perhaps not enough time is spent on the halcyon days of Camelot. Almost from the time of Arthur's marriage and the formation of the Round Table there is conflict. There is no clear image of the peace, hope and idealism of Camelot. Maybe there could have been less focus on pursuit of the Holy Grail and more on the ideal society for which Arthur and his men are fighting. Neither is there true chemistry between the three actors playing Arthur, Lancelot and Guenevere. There is no sense of love between the three which makes the betrayal of Lancelot and Guenevere less powerful. This lack of chemistry alters the dynamics of the whole film.
Nigel Terry stars as Arthur with Helen Mirren as Morgana, Nicol Williamson as Merlin, Cherie Lunghi as Guenevere and Nicholas Clay as Lancelot. Several well-known actors made their film debuts in Excalibur, among them: Liam Neeson (Sir Gawain), Gabriel Bryne (Uthur) and Patrick Stewart (Leondegrance). Mirren's role as Morgana is supporting with limited screen time, but she makes the most of that time to create a character of pure evil - not a hint of vulnerability in the bewitching Morgana! Her spider-weblike costumes also add a sinister touch to the character. She is wonderful but there was not enough Morgana to maintain my interest through the long stretches where she does not appear. A beautiful, but passionless film.
