That scene at Cornwall always makes me uncomfortable
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Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — Excalibur
ionian — 11 years ago(March 18, 2015 01:58 AM)
After they forge a truce, then head to Cornwall to celebrate and Igrayne dances for them. When Uther loses his beep and keeps saying "I must HAVE HER!" and is visibly pissing off Cornwall each time he says it. Finally Cornwall screams at him and Uther spits back. Then it cuts to Uther laying seige to Cornwall's castle.
I know it's a movie and you have to suspend belief, and normally I do. But for some reason, that specific cut always makes me think about what happened in the space the cut occupies.
I mean, how awkward must that have been. So Uther spits. Then Cornwall has to tell every to get the hell out of his castle. All Uther's knights have to start gathering up all their stuff all the while being pissed at Uther for ruining things. I mean they had food and drink. Music. They were relaxing and Uther screwed it up. There must have been some knights apologizing on the way out like, "Sorry our boss is an a$$hole."
Igrayne was probably crying and saying, "I didn't mean it."
Cornwall is telling everyone to get out and Uther is saying, "Go ahead and throw me out! I'm just going to get some catapults and I'm coming back!"
I don't know - cuts never bother me but the amount that happens from one scene to the next makes me think about what happened during the cut because it was so awkward.
AlsoI swear when Uther sneaks into Cornwall disguised as the duke to screw Igrayne and he lifts his helmet, tell me he doesn't look like the Burger king.
For every man who has ever lived, in this universe, there shines a star.
-Arthur C. Clarke -
Rekaert — 10 years ago(May 08, 2015 05:51 PM)
Like you, it narked me slightly also.
Presumably Cornwall must have been somewhat irate, due to his guest visibly lusting after his wife to the point of nearly mounting the table.
What then?
Presumably, Uther didn't have the men present to press his rapey claim, and so was ejected from the castle. Perhaps a bit lenient of Cornwall. Fragile truce, clearly lusting intent, spitting on the floor in the globally accepted sign-language of "beep you!", perhaps should have killed him.
Not really Igraine's fault, as Cornwall did ask her to dance, and was enjoying it himself till Sir Rapist started gurning across the feasting table. Not to mention, he was pretty much flaunting his sexy wife in Uther's face by way of saying, "Throne? Sure, take it. Look what I have? Nyah nyah!"
Wouldn't Cornwall's men intervene and say, "Hey, boss. We dig the whole chivalry thing, but you KNOW he's coming back here with catapults, trebuchets, knights and one very persistent erection. Let's kill the guy now, finish off the feast, and then sleep well tonight. Profit?"
There's a whole realm of possibility there that would have been nice to see. Though perhaps in more period-relevant dialogue than I've represented here -
doktordaoud — 9 years ago(August 31, 2016 09:03 AM)
You're correct and if you want to use modern dialogue like 'Uther wanted to tap that bootay' go 'head, all good ha.
Cornwall was parading his main chick in front of his newly aligned crew of hoods under Uther. That can never really go well with another crew of testosterone-fueld barbarians still hyped from last night's rauh run & pillage. All that energy's going somewhere.
And Uther's men must have been mad salty since I'm sure there were more than enough willing wenches in Cornwall's realm ready spread 'im and get nasty with some fresh-off-the-warpath warriors. I mean c'mon, alpha men were in the house and ready party and the wenches were probably already WWW: warm, wet & willing (yeah I went there ha). No wine, roses or roofies needed.
Uther's men had to be pissed like 'Damn! We could walked down the proverbial hill and phuqqt all the sheep in Cronwall's kingdom but our fool boss had run & try to phuq Cornwall's one main sheep. Now we're really gonna have to do sheep to take the edge off'
The cut to the battle was a bit drastic but acceptable to me. The whole way the conflict came to be was interesting enough with how Uther returned in the person of Cornwall setting off a chain of epic history was compelling.
And it's clear to that post-'Camelot' era medieval films, Excalibur was main influence on everything afterwards in the same category like Braveheart, Gladiator, Lord of the Rings / Hobbit, Game of Thrones, etc.
Salutes to Boorman, Respo, Arthur, Merlin, Morgana, Uther, Cornwall, Ingrayne & the Knights of the Round Table. -
pmac7902 — 9 years ago(May 19, 2016 10:34 AM)
Well I don't know if what you said was actually a scene left on the cutting room floor but if it wasn't, it outta be! Especially the "Sorry, our boss" part. I never thought about what happened between those things except to think (and then things went badly) but now every time I see it, I'm going to imagine your scene lol
And yes, I agree with the Burger King/Lord Cornwall thing. -
Medinensis — 9 years ago(May 23, 2016 12:55 PM)
Oh the number of films that do this kind of thing a sudden cutaway that makes you wonder what followed immediately from the last action shown, or as you say "in the gap."
This time, however, the gap is easy for me to fill in: Uther got up and immediately stormed out with his men following him.
From what we are shown he was just that kinda guy brash, proud, egomaniacal, impulsive . . .
Need I go on? -
chester-copperpot-1 — 9 years ago(August 30, 2016 09:45 PM)
Ionian and Rekaert, you should write your own show. You're hilarious together, perfect banter.
I'm much more stricken by the overt sexual symbolism. Cut from the mens pissing contest over a woman to a giant wooden phallos trying to penetate the castle gates. It's Uther beeping both of them over. First, he's beeping Cornwall in the ass, taking over his castle. Then he's beeping Cornwalls wife. I find that particular cut hilarious