Excalibur (1981) References

[Silver Nemesis]

I know this has already been discussed on every other site, but since we didn't have a thread on the subject I figured we could use one. Batman v Superman contains some obvious allusions to John Boorman's 1981 film Excalibur, which in turned was based loosely on Thomas Malory's Le Morte d'Arthur.

During the flashback depicting the death of Bruce's parents, we see Excalibur listed on the marquee as one of the films showing in the theatre. The poster for Excalibur is also visible.

The mutual impalement of Superman and Doomsday mirrors the gory showdown between Arthur and Mordred at the Battle of Camlann (in Malory's original version of the story, it was Arthur who impaled Mordred with the spear, only for Mordred to impale himself further in order to deal the killing blow against his father; in the film their roles are reversed).

One other possible connection with Excalibur, although admittedly a tenuous one, is the first encounter between Arthur and Lancelot. While they later become best friends, they initially meet in a one-on-one duel that concludes with Arthur almost killing Lancelot. This inspires a moment of self-reflection in Arthur that makes him realise his folly, much like Batman in Snyder's film.