Director Zack Snyder, famous for his visually striking and often intense comic book movies, isn’t shy about acknowledging his influences. It’s fitting, then, that his all-time favorite film is John Boorman’s Excalibur – a visually bold and dramatic retelling of the King Arthur story. Snyder calls it a beautifully moving and perfect blend of film and mythology, and its unique style has clearly inspired his own work.
The film Excalibur is celebrated for its intense battle scenes, beautiful visuals, and powerful music featuring works by Richard Wagner and Carl Orff. It also helped launch the careers of now-famous British and Irish actors like Ciarán Hinds, Patrick Stewart, Gabriel Byrne, and Liam Neeson. Neeson played a small but striking role as the daring Sir Gawain, a knight in King Arthur’s court (played by Nigel Terry).
Before ‘Game of Thrones,’ There Was ‘Excalibur’
I’m a huge fan of Arthurian legend, and Excalibur really stood out to me. Sure, the story revolves around Arthur pulling the sword from the stone, but it’s not the clean, polished version you might expect. This film is dark. It portrays Camelot and the whole world around it as incredibly rough – think lots of violence, political backstabbing, and even some pretty shocking stuff like incest and decaying bodies. It’s a gritty, realistic take on the myth, and definitely not a fairytale.
The movie was primarily filmed in the beautiful Irish countryside. The vibrant green landscapes create a strong visual contrast with the bright red blood, highlighting how the characters’ arrogance and greed damage the natural world. The stunning visuals and lighting in Excalibur earned it an Academy Award nomination for Best Cinematography, which was the film’s only nomination.
The movie Excalibur features an original score by Trevor Jones, but it saves its most impactful musical moments for pieces by two famous German composers. When Arthur pulls the sword from the stone and gathers the Knights of the Round Table, the soundtrack surprisingly uses “Siegfried’s Funeral March” from Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelungen, hinting at the tragedy to come. Later, as Arthur, now healed, rallies his troops to fight his ambitious son Mordred, the powerful “O Fortuna” from Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana swells, making the audience feel Arthur’s renewed strength and determination.
Why Does Snyder Love ‘Excalibur’ So Much?
Warner Bros.
Zack Snyder admires Excalibur because it treats fantasy as a genre for adults, unlike many other fantasy stories that are aimed at children. In an interview with DGA Quarterly in 2010, Snyder noted the similar realistic depiction of violence in Excalibur and his own film Watchmen, stating that both show the brutal truth of heroism – people die. Considering Snyder’s films are known for their intense violence, it’s clear why he appreciates Excalibur’s mature and gritty style.
Snyder particularly admired the visually stunning and dreamlike quality of Excalibur, describing it as “painterly.” He noted the film’s clever use of lighting to differentiate between the worlds of the living and the dead. He found the overall surreal atmosphere impressive, characterizing the film as a romanticized and timeless vision of medieval England—almost as if it’s set on another planet entirely.
He draws a connection between the visually striking style of Excalibur and his own film, 300, noting a shared quality between historical dramas and fantasy. He explains that both films create a kind of myth – Excalibur by bringing legend to life, and 300 by turning a real event into a legendary story. He asks how people visualized stories before the invention of film, suggesting that 300‘s distinctive look was inspired by this question.
As a big fan of both Zack Snyder and classic films, I’ve always noticed his clear love for Excalibur. He actually pays direct tribute to it in two of his movies – 300 and Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. In both films, and like in Boorman’s Excalibur, the hero gets pierced by a spear or staff. But instead of going down easily, they actually pull themselves further onto the weapon, getting close enough to defeat their enemy before finally falling. It’s such a dramatic, almost operatic image – a warrior defying death to achieve victory – that it totally makes sense Snyder would revisit it, and even use it twice!
‘Excalibur’ Gave Liam Neeson a Particular Set of Acting Skills
While the movie Excalibur isn’t for everyone, it’s important because it launched Liam Neeson’s acting career. Neeson himself has said he had very little on-camera experience before filming Excalibur. He credits director John Boorman with being a great teacher, explaining that Boorman would show the actors what he was looking for behind the camera, providing a valuable learning experience.
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If Zack Snyder’s suggestion isn’t enough to get you interested in Excalibur, consider this: the film played a role in the creation of several well-known movies, like Schindler’s List, Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, and Batman Begins, to name a few.
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2026-02-01 16:19