In this scene from George Romero’s messy, mystical, countercultural take on the Arthurian mythos, Merlin (Brother Blue) councils King Billy (Ed Harris) on the tensions between notions of destiny and self-fulfilling prophecy. The clip includes some shots from a later scene in which Merlin’s prophecy (and Billy’s dreams) come true, in the form of a newly-arrived, rival knight who bears the emblem of a black bird on this crest of arms. Although badly injured, Billy – who lives by the motto “Fight or Yield” – immediately prepares to challenge the knight and test his own destiny.
