The Passing of Arthur and Excalibur

John Boorman adapted the ”Passing of Arthur” in the movie

“Excalibur.” Movies are not the only adaptations of Tennyson’s

poem but there are several art and music adaptations. Examples

of these adaptations include music by Loreena McKennit and

paintings by John William Waterhouse, Howard Pyle and Arthur

Rackham. In Bela Balazs’s Art Form and Material Balazs states

that a good adaptation is a reinterpretation of the original.

Boorman uses nature and color to recreate the atmosphere of the

original text. These techniques enhance the richness of the

movie, provide a more in depth view of Arthur’s life and make the

setting more interesting.

Tennyson’s descriptive writing allows the reader to form

detailed pictures. The atmosphere Tennyson creates focuses a lot

on the beauty of nature. During the scene when Bedivere throws

Excalibur in the lake he describes the area with “zigzag paths,

and juts of pointed rock, the shining levels of the lake...the

winter moon, long cloud and frost.” He produces an atmosphere of

bleakness and despair.

Tennyson concentrates on the image of the winter moon while

Bedivere tries to get rid of the Excalibur. This picture makes

the reader think that the setting is a winter night. According

to Webster’s dictionary, winter symbolizes of coldness, misery or

death. Winter is the season when living things die. The moon

only comes out during the night. At night people “rest” from

their busy lives and do nothing. Night closely related to winter

because both are very dark and bleak times. The lack of light

shows the sadness happening to Arthur. As Arthur passes the only

light he has comes from the winter moon. The reader gets the

feeling that Arthur is heading there. Tennyson chooses dark

words and images to create a very desolate and gloomy setting.

Sidney Lumet states in Making Movies “there are no

unimportant decisions in a movie.” Production designers put a

lot of effort to recreate the original text. The setting is a

very important factor in making a movie. It contributes to much

of the style of a movie. Settings reflects many of the directors

insights and opinions. There are times where the director goes

to great lengths just to form the perfect scene. They leave no

detail spared. According to Lumet, a director’s goal is to

create a setting so that the audience feels apart of the movie’s

world.

When the director needs to find a setting for his/her movie

Lumet recommends to “find places that are closest to what you

want to end up with.” If the setting needs to be changed it can

change the atmosphere and become expensive too. Art direction

progresses on its own according to the text. Scenes can change

color, style, etc. based on the plot. Lumet feels that “small

elements add up.” It takes a lot of planning, deciding and

concentration to create the perfect setting. There is more

behind the setting then what the eyes behold.

Poems are subject to interpretation. They allow the reader

to create different images and thoughts completely on their own.

Movies