黑暗时代

讲述英国阿瑟国王的故事，片子名字就是他那把传说中插在石头里的大剑。片子挺长的，从他父亲说起 ，到阿瑟的出生和死亡，都讲了一遍。一些相关的传说，包括后来的圣杯任务什么的，也都包括了。情节编排都挺紧凑的，该登场的人物也都粉墨登场了，Lancelot，Merlin，Guenevere，Gawain这些关键人物是一个都没拉下，每个人的刻画都挺用心的。

由于片子老了点，很多特级在现在的眼光里看来，都挺假的，有些甚至接近了可笑的地步，但故事情节，人物对话，和演员表演都很不错，呵呵，甚至比一些现在的所谓好莱坞大片还好看。

付完费才发现，该片拍于1981年，出于对中世纪由来已久的热爱，津津有味地看完，蓦然发觉亚瑟王和梅林的传说，就像魔戒，都发生在众神谢幕人王登场之际，只不过，魔戒中尚能看到上古的不同神族，在帮助人类消灭魔都之后，才翩然而去，而到了亚瑟王时，世间仅有巫师踪影，众神已成传说。

忽而又觉得，亚瑟王和他的圆桌骑士们对于忠诚、职责、诺言、信念的笃信和坚持，就像春秋战国时期的墨家、荆坷、专诸、聂政、要离等豪侠义士，他们可以一诺千金、生死相托、轻身践诺、舍生取义，他们没有妥协、圆滑、暧昧和权衡，他们就是鲁迅先生口中的“拼命硬干的人”、“舍生求法的人”，“就是中国的脊梁”和灵魂。

又一部因《头号玩家》而找来看的片子，气质很独特。

灰狼这个简评真的超级贴切“即诗意又滑稽，即恢弘又简陋，既完整又跳跃，既厚重又廉价，这个电影似乎不容易归类，似乎是有舞台史诗剧的倾向，然而又不是很在意华丽的后景，但瓦格纳的音乐很配。”

场景切换很有舞台剧的感觉，场景设计什么的也是，很有点游离感，有种看皮影或者布袋木偶之类的感觉，不像一般电影那样身临其境。就特别适合当童话故事看，挺适合小朋友。

梅林太可爱了，那真叫一个出口成章 “...looking at the cake is like looking at the future. Until you have tasted it, what do you really know? And then, of course, it is too late...”（亚瑟：咬蛋糕）“...too late...”哈哈哈哈

还有演员阵容好强，海伦米伦，连姆尼森，皇后也好漂亮，第一眼还以为是海伦米伦，结果没想到是莫甘娜，亚瑟是典型英国脸？兰斯洛特算法国脸？

这片子应该按魔戒那标准拍一下，否则配乐真有点糟践了。

The sorcerer Merlin (Nicol Williamson) retrieves Excalibur from the Lady of the Lake for Uther Pendragon (Gabriel Byrne), who secures a brief alliance with Gorlois, the Duke of Cornwall. Uther's lust for Cornwall's wife Igrayne (Katrine Boorman) soon ruins the truce, and Merlin agrees to help Uther to seduce Igrayne on the condition that he gives Merlin whatever results from his lust. Merlin transforms Uther into Cornwall's likeness with the Charm of Making. Cornwall's daughter Morgana senses her father's mortal injury during his assault on Uther's camp; and, while Igrayne is fooled by the disguise and Uther impregnates her, Morgana sees through it, watching Uther as Cornwall dies in battle. Nine months later, Merlin takes Uther's son Arthur. Uther pursues but is mortally wounded by Gorlois' knights. Uther thrusts Excalibur into a stone, crying that "None shall wield Excalibur, but me!", and Merlin proclaims, "He who draws the sword from the stone, he shall be king."

Years later Sir Ector and his sons, Kay and Arthur (Nigel Terry) attend a jousting tournament. Sir Leondegrance (Patrick Stewart) wins the chance to try pulling Excalibur from the stone, but he fails. Kay's sword is later stolen, and Arthur pulls Excalibur from the stone while trying to replace the stolen sword. Word spreads, and Merlin announces to the crowd that Arthur is Uther's son and, hence, the rightful ruler. Leondegrance immediately proclaims his support for the new king, but not all are willing to accept. While the others argue, Merlin and Arthur enter the forest, where Merlin tells Arthur that he is the rightful king and that the king and the land are one. Overwhelmed, Arthur falls into a long sleep. When he wakes, Arthur goes to aid Leondegrance, whose castle is under siege by Arthur's enemies, led by Sir Uryens. During the battle, Arthur defeats Uryens and then demands Uryens knight him, handing him Excalibur to do so. Uryens is tempted to kill him but is deeply moved by Arthur's display of faith and decides to knight him (Merlin is stunned by something he did not foresee). Uryens falls to his knees to declare his loyalty, which leads the others to follow suit. Arthur meets Leondegrance's daughter Guinevere (Cherie Lunghi) soon afterwards and is smitten but Merlin foresees trouble.

Years later, the undefeated knight Lancelot (Nicholas Clay) blocks a bridge and will not move until he is defeated in single combat, seeking a king worthy of his sword. Lancelot defeats Arthur and his knights, so Arthur summons Excalibur's magic and defeats Lancelot but breaks Excalibur. Arthur is ashamed of abusing the sword's power to serve his own vanity and throws the sword's remains into the lake, while admitting his mistake. The Lady of the Lake offers a restored Excalibur to the king, Lancelot is revived and Arthur and his knights unify the land. Arthur creates the Round Table, builds Camelot and marries Guinevere; Lancelot confesses that he has fallen in love with her too. Arthur's half-sister Morgana (Helen Mirren), a budding sorceress and still bitter towards Arthur, becomes apprenticed to Merlin in hopes of learning the Charm of Making from him.

Lancelot stays away from the Round Table to avoid Guenevere. He meets Perceval (Paul Geoffrey), a peasant boy and takes him to Camelot to become a squire. Sir Gawain (Liam Neeson), under Morgana's influence, accuses Guinevere of driving Lancelot away, "driven from us by a woman's desire", forcing Lancelot to duel with Gawain to defend his and Guinevere's honour. The preceding night, Lancelot is attacked by himself in a nightmare and awakens to find himself wounded by his own sword. Arthur hastily knights Perceval when Lancelot is late to the duel but Lancelot appears just in time and defeats Gawain, while nearly dying from his wounds. Merlin heals him and he rides out to the forest to rest. Guenevere realises her feelings for Lancelot and they consummate their love in the forest; meanwhile, Merlin lures Morgana to his lair to trap her, suspecting that she is plotting against Arthur.

Arthur finds Guenevere and Lancelot asleep together. Heartbroken at their betrayal, he thrusts Excalibur into the ground between the sleeping couple. Merlin's magical link to the land impales him on the sword and Morgana seizes the opportunity to trap him in a crystal, with the Charm of Making. Morgana takes the form of Guinevere and seduces Arthur. On awakening to the sight of Excalibur, Lancelot flees in shame and Guinevere lies weeping.

Morgana bears a son, Mordred and a curse caused by Mordred's unnatural, incestuous origin, strikes the land with famine and sickness. A broken Arthur sends his knights on a quest for the Holy Grail, in hopes of restoring the land. Many of his knights die or are bewitched by Morgana. Morgana captures Perceval, who narrowly escapes. Perceval encounters an ugly bearded old man with armour under his tattered robes, who preaches to followers that the kingdom has fallen because of "the sin of Pride". A shocked Perceval recognises the man as Lancelot. After Perceval fails to convince Lancelot to come to Arthur's aid, Lancelot and his followers throw Perceval into a river. Perceval has a vision of the Grail, during which he realises that Arthur and the land are one. Upon answering the riddle he gains the Grail and takes it to Arthur, who drinks from it and is revitalised, as is the land, which springs into blossom.

Arthur finds Guinevere at a convent and they reconcile. She gives him Excalibur, which she has kept safe since the day she fled. Frustrated in preparation for battle against Morgana's allies, Arthur calls to Merlin, unknowingly awakening the wizard from his enchanted slumber. Merlin and Arthur have a last conversation before Merlin vanishes. The wizard then appears to Morgana as a shadow and tricks her into uttering the Charm of Making, producing a fog from the breath of the Dragon, and exhausting her own magical powers which had kept her young. She rapidly ages and her own son kills her, repulsed by the sight of his once beautiful mother now reduced to a decrepit old crone.

Arthur and Mordred's forces meet in battle, with Arthur's army benefiting from the fog that conceals their small size. Lancelot arrives unexpectedly and turns the tide of battle, later collapsing from his old, self-inflicted wound which had never healed. Arthur and Lancelot reconcile and Lancelot dies with honour. Mordred stabs Arthur with a spear but Arthur further impales himself to get closer and kills Mordred with Excalibur. Perceval refuses to carry out Arthur's dying wish, that he throw Excalibur into a pool of calm water, reasoning that the sword is too valuable to be lost. Arthur tells him to do as he commands and reassures him that one day a new king will come and the sword will return again. Perceval throws Excalibur into the pool, where the Lady of the Lake catches it. Perceval returns to see Arthur lying on a ship, attended by three ladies clad in white, sailing into the sun toward the Isle of Avalon.//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Excalibur_(film)">Plot

如此史诗般的电影，不明白为什么有这么多人不待见。三十年前的拍摄水平，能到这个程度已相当不易，如今即便重看星战，也能看出许多粗糙和幼稚。若抱着宽容的心态不去刻意挑剔那些特效布景和动作，在这电影里能看到很多想看的内容。那些尘封在过往里的历史和传说，那些纠葛缠绵的爱情故事，那些掩藏在盔甲与面罩下的激情与义气，无不让人心驰神往。
两个多小时很短，放不下太多东西，但比起克里夫欧文的版本，这电影还是比较正统的，基本上忠实于历史和传说，看完之后对亚瑟王和他的圆桌骑士就能有一个初步和笼统的了解。
PS，如果我是格温妮亚，我也会选择兰斯洛特，哈哈。

好消息：这版Excalibur对于亚瑟王传说基本上没有魔改；

坏消息：基督味儿太冲了。

最近大致地读了一下亚瑟王传说的梗概，就以这部电影为轴来做一个简单的梳理。

电影以Uther与Cornwall的一场战斗开始，并在宴会上看中了人家的老婆Igrayen（影片并没有选择另一版本的“正义处决叛乱的公爵并迎娶了他的寡妇”那样对尤瑟的形象进行美化）。此处的Cornwall应该就是康沃尔亲王丁塔尔吉公爵，电影中直接以“康沃尔”（地名）来称呼丁塔尔吉。

尤瑟登上王位是兄终弟及，登基前夜梅林就已经让他看见了“龙”，因此尤瑟也有一个称号是“龙头王”。年轻风光的尤瑟王在傍晚坐在悬崖上的巨石边，在老朋友梅林的吟唱下入眠，醒来时巨龙已被唤醒，鲁莽又热血的尤瑟以梦为马（划掉）靠着对美女的欲望踏着龙息直入公爵城堡，在特定历史文化背景下性爱与情欲才能被表现得如此直白大方。

此时Arthur同母异父的姐姐Morgana已经出生，且和抱着孩子匆匆溜的梅林一眼万年（不是）。电影对于梅林带走亚瑟作出了一种解释，大概他在看到尤瑟为欲望不惜代价请求自己用魔法帮助他时就预见了尤瑟的陨落，“now no one trusts you”，因此亟需培育下一个国王（）

尤瑟在追赶梅林时遇袭殒命，一般传说中认为尤瑟是病死的，且尤瑟此时并没有低配版湖中剑，他的遗言是“希望亚瑟以光明正大的方式继承王位”，于是梅林空降了一柄只有亚瑟能拔出的石中剑，名为“Caliburnus”，后来此剑因亚瑟违背“骑士精神”而断裂，梅林再度为他寻得的才是被称为“Excalibur”的湖中剑。

亚瑟被梅林带走后交由骑士Ector抚养，并成为了Ector之子Kay的侍从。电影中最先支持亚瑟称王的Lord Leondegrance of Cameliard，在15世纪英格兰作家托马斯·马洛礼的《亚瑟王之死》中是一位苏格兰国王，因感激亚瑟帮他抵御外敌入侵，将女儿Guinevere嫁给亚瑟，顺带还送给了亚瑟一张圆桌。

亚瑟王传说的最早来源是830年左右成书的《不列颠史》，1136左右“蒙茅斯的杰佛里”创作的拉丁文编年史小说《不列颠诸王记》在欧洲掀起一阵亚瑟王文学热，但诸如仙女摩根（Morgana莫甘娜）、圆桌骑士与圣杯、奥克尼的路特王（King Lot of Orkney）等都是后来十二世纪法国与威尔士作家的手笔。在这里想说的其实是，在传说中亚瑟王同母异父的姐姐莫甘娜原本是路特王的妻子（当然也有说法是Uriens的，就是影片中最先反对亚瑟称王但后来加入圆桌骑士的那位），路特王起兵叛乱但被镇压，因此派妻子莫甘娜前去求和，莫甘娜趁机诱惑了亚瑟并生下了Mordred。

扯回来。这位梅林爷爷好可爱！（可爱到我想全文摘录他语重心长喋喋不休揶揄亚瑟怎么能爱上桂妮薇儿的语录：

“I once stood exposed to the Dragon’s breath so a man could lie one night with a woman. It took me nine moons to recover and all for this lunacy called love, this mad distemper that strikes down both beggar and king. Never again! Never!”

“...and a beloved friend who will betray you...You are not listening! Your heart is not! Love is deaf as well as blind. You have a land to quell before you can start all this hair pulling and jumping about!”（我们的梅林大法师绝对嘟嘴了

“...looking at the cake is like looking at the future. Until you have tasted it, what do you really know? And then, of course, it is too late...”（亚瑟：咬蛋糕）“...too late...”

所以爷爷对所谓“爱情”看得如此通透，不安排点薇薇安的剧情吗（）

电影中兰斯洛特自称前来寻找一位值得效忠的国王，亚瑟在与他的长矛比试中落於下风，于是上了头，拿出Excalibur砍翻了Lancelot。在后来流传的故事中，亚瑟王是在与佩林诺王（King Pellinore）的长枪比试中落败而违背骑士精神使用石中剑，导致神剑碎裂。这位佩林诺王在日后平定奥克尼的路特王的战争中与亚瑟并肩作战，而他的儿子正是寻找圣杯的Percivale（珀西瓦尔），在电影中投靠兰斯洛特一路跑到了卡梅洛特的小伙子。

在与兰斯洛特会面前，亚瑟看到梅林在河里捉鱼。这倒是有点老德鲁伊疯疯癫癫的样子了。9世纪成书的《不列颠史》中有一位威尔士宫廷中因为战争的打击而失意选择隐居山林的“米尔蒂恩”，或许是梅林的来源之一。梅林最初在威尔士民间传说中是因为恐惧战争而精神失常的德鲁伊兼吟游诗人，中世纪威尔士人民为了纪念他，编撰了一部名为《丛林里的疯子》的故事集。

Lancelot与Guinevere的爱情是由十二世纪的法国诗人克雷蒂安·德·特鲁瓦 (Chrétien de Troyes)创作出来的，兰斯洛特并非最初亚瑟王传说中的人物，但也许来源于凯尔特神话。特鲁瓦的长诗《马车骑士》是根据热衷于宫廷爱情故事的玛丽·德·香槟 (Marie de Champagne)的指示完成的，描述了兰斯洛特的成长史。兰斯洛特的父亲班恩，也在抵御路特王时与亚瑟王同阵营；兰斯洛特出生后便被湖中仙女薇薇安带走，交给其叔叔抚养，因此也被成为“湖边骑士”。

兰斯洛特加入圆桌骑士后，电影简短地以一次战争的结果展示了亚瑟王领导下的骑士们抵抗盎格鲁-撒克逊人入侵的事迹，主要出现了Lancelot、Lot（加入亚瑟王麾下的路特王？）、Uriens和Gawaine。

“少女的骑士加韦（Gawaine）”也值得一讲（也译作高文），在十二世纪成书的《不列颠诸王记》中，加韦的父亲正是曾起兵反叛的路特王（King Lot），而这位路特王娶的是亚瑟同母异父的姐姐安娜，似乎又与莫甘娜无关了（但总之他是亚瑟的姐夫）。从十二世纪开始，以特鲁瓦为首的法国作家对加韦的形象就有所丑化，但在威尔士的传说中，加韦的地位完全取代了兰斯洛特。在爱尔兰神话中，加韦的父亲被认为类似于库丘林的生父——太阳神卢格（Lugh），他的力量也会随太阳的强弱而增减。

电影中，在亚瑟王与桂妮薇儿的婚礼上，梅林再度遇到了莫甘娜。这里莫甘娜请求梅林教给自己魔法，并最终用学来的法术将梅林困住，应当是取自某一版本的故事中，梅林爱上了女猎人薇薇安并将之引荐入亚瑟的宫廷，而薇薇安厌恶梅林的追求，欺骗梅林学到了他所有的魔法并将之困在了古墓里。

这里必须一提仙女摩根（莫甘娜）与其他一些角色的流变。在较早的亚瑟王传说中（如《不列颠诸王记》）摩根是“彼世”阿瓦隆岛上的仙女，精通变形术与医术，因此行医济世，且在最后试图为垂死的亚瑟王疗伤，并最终和其他仙女一起将之带往阿瓦隆岛。从十二世纪开始，法国文学作品中摩根渐渐演变为反派角色，“亚瑟同母异父的姐姐”这一身份大概也是这时加入的，这样带有浓厚凯尔特“异教”气息的角色注定无法在基督教徒的作品中正派。

兰斯洛特的加入将圆桌骑士与亚瑟王朝推向巅峰，也为亚瑟王的传奇带来终结。兰斯洛特与桂妮薇儿的私通，莫甘娜与亚瑟的乱伦，最终让寻找圣杯成为了唯一的救赎。梅林也在这时离开了亚瑟，表示这个世界还有许多我要探索。

实际上梅林神秘失踪的时间要早一些，在亚瑟获得湖中剑、兰斯洛特加入之初，这位老德鲁伊就已经退隐了。实际上圆桌骑士寻找圣杯也不是为了“救赎”，而是对于冒险与真理的渴望（圆桌骑士与圣杯在我个人看来已经完完全全是基督传教式的宣扬了，对于了解古不列颠亚瑟王的传说并没有多少帮助）。在中世纪传说中，貌似唯独亚瑟王没有加入寻找圣杯的行列，但他大概很乐意在圆桌旁听取骑士们找寻途中的逸闻趣事。最终找到圣杯的不是电影中的帕西瓦尔，是兰斯洛特的儿子加拉哈德（其母也正是因为仰慕兰斯洛特而变成桂妮薇儿的模样与之同床共枕），兰斯洛特因为与王后通奸而在圣杯的光芒中晕厥（那当然是基督说了算）。圣杯中的红色液体据说是耶稣之血。

在奔赴最终决战——卡姆兰河谷战役前，亚瑟表示愿意原谅桂妮薇儿，请她继续做自己的王后。此时王后（出于基督教义的要求）已在修道院忏悔许久，而远走法国的兰斯洛特在收到曾经的挚友加韦骑士的请求后，率军赶赴卡姆兰河谷援助亚瑟王，战后与桂妮薇儿仅仅有过短暂的会面，便各自在修道院终老。

刚刚恢复的亚瑟王在傍晚坐在悬崖上的巨石边，终于又想起了自己的老朋友梅林，和多年前色欲熏心的年轻尤瑟王一样需要他。没有人知道梅林最后的结局，流传的故事中认为他被薇薇安设计杀死，或是被困在某处无法脱身，这部Excalibur同样没有给出答案，他和最初那个威尔士宫廷中受了惊吓逃进深山老林的疯癫德鲁伊一般不知所终。

最终，垂死的亚瑟王命帕西瓦尔将湖中剑交还湖中仙女薇薇安，在凯尔特神话中接受这个任务的是独臂骑士贝狄威尔，他与亚瑟王自幼一同长大的异父异母的兄弟Kay、少女的骑士加韦一样是最早追随Arthur的骑士，也是最后幸存的圆桌骑士，他将Excalibur扔回湖中，将亚瑟王扶上仙女们前来接引他前往阿瓦隆的小船（其中本该有精通医术的莫甘娜），最后在修道院与世长辞。

没有魔改，忠于原著（也许并没有这个东西），将爱与罪、罪与罚、希望与救赎忠实地展现，是我很喜欢这一版的地方。亚瑟王从古老的凯尔特传说中走出，最后和库丘林一样都成为了基督教的传教士。圆桌骑士与圣杯是一个很棒的故事，不过感谢基督，我们大概永远无从得知这些故事与神话的原貌。

①Excalibur is well-known in English cultrue ,so this movie is a very common story about a man became a leader. ②The naked shoot is very artistic. ③The Lady of the Lake is so impressive.