From the beginning it is shown that the land and mother nature and Merlin are one, and all part of the same 'magic' of the soul of the Earth. Merlin is a representation of this magic in a human form that barely ages. When this magical soul of the earth decides to take a leading part in the evolution of humankind's consciousness it puts forward Merlin to give instructions and forms a sword as a regal tool to spread co-operation among people with compassion and justice to all. The land crystallises this sword from the water of a mysterious lake. Water has always been the symbol of the Feminine Principle in life, and so it is fitting that an elegantly clothed, beautiful woman,a representative of Mother Nature and all that is magical and fertile, submerged supine in the water, would raise this powerful symbol of the land(the Earth), imbued with its own magical connection to the land as shown by the green light glistening along its blade ( green equals fertility and nature), and deliver by hand to the chosen human. This human, Arthur, becomes the representative of the land and a more acceptable form than the weird Merlin, as Arthur is now magically connected to it, to give governance and leadership.
In the scene with Uryens the sword is seen glistening with its green light of the fecund earth, showing it is of one mind with the earth. Uryens in the first few seconds shows he wants to take the opportunity to kill Arthur and take the kingship and finish the whole confontation. He struggles to turn the blade so that the edge is pointed downward for the purpose of killing, but Excalibur is of one mind with the land and magically connected to it, and resists Uryens movement so that the blade of the sword keeps turning itself back to a flat presentation to Arthur. All of this movement is subtly manifested by Uryens(Keith Buckley) shifting fingers and contorted facial expressions. Uryens can't make the sword do what he initially wants. He realises that he is in the presence of a far greater power that cannot be resisted and sees that Arthur is the one of pure heart and chosen by this power, and so he then willingly performs the knighting. Therefore the sword Excalibur didn't control Uryens mind but with its connection to the mind of the land it resisted the wrong action of turning the blade for a cutting stroke; and then Uryens realised that there was only one right action and did it wholeheartedly.
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