By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 3.3 cats
Director: David Lowery
Starring: Alicia Vikander | Dev Patel | Joel Edgerton | Sarita Choudhury
Country: canada, ireland, united_states
Year: 2021
Running time: 125
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9243804/reference
Brett says: “From the mind of director David Lowery comes a total re-imagining of the classic Arthurian legend. More accurately, it is not merely a re-invention of the source material’s plot, but also a thematic undressing of the moral chivalric code scholars have tried to universalize since the writing of such romantic tales from the 1300s and beyond.
“To provide a sample of how the film flips the script on what we’ve come to know of the tale of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, one needs not look further than the title of the film. There is no mention of Sir Gawain in the title. How can this be possible when the main character is indeed Sir Gawain? Upon closer examination into the irony and unraveling of classic medieval thematic traditions, one might conclude that Sir Gawain is, in fact, the Green Knight. No, this isn’t a doppelgänger type of situation in which Gawain is both the hero and title villain; it is instead a reference to the fact that Sir Gawain’s inexperience and lack of moral seasoning under the banner of classic chivalry and proper courtly love make him “green” in a another connotative context that is not indicative of color. The literal “Green Knight” that we so often associate as Gawain’s rival is secondary to the anti-hero persona that the inexperienced Gawain combats within himself. And true enough to the source material, this humanistic inner debate is indeed present in the original work, but Lowery is daring enough to explore this side of human nature further in this particular film version.
“While not an exact mirror, the deconstruction of the source material’s pristine heroic outcomes with canonized expectations for our romantic hero contains many parallels to Martin Scorsese’s THE LAST TEMPTATION OF CHRIST, including a stunning climactic time lapse that leaves the audience cold and scrambling about inside of a moral vacuum while the hero—or anti-hero—weighs out his own humanity amid his lofty spiritual and righteous obligations.
“All of these defiances of medieval storytelling tradition are still presented without any anachronistic faux pas that have plagued other deconstructionist attempts at Arthurian legends. No, THE GREEN KNIGHT still sounds, looks, and feels like a medieval romance should. So, for the traditional medieval scholars out there, there is plenty to love in that regard. Though audience members will recognize shifts away from the original medieval work, Lowery and team provide many opportunities to acknowledge these discrepancies along with the audience through subtle uses of metadrama if the audience is keen and willing enough to play along. As such, the attention to authentic medieval romance detail is not neglected at all, and Lowery is clearly not a loose cannon that just arbitrarily decides to throw a familiar story out the window for his own directorial whims. Though it is not the same level of intellectual integrity, a rough comparison is in how Marvel Studios is always careful to nod to their comic book loyalists and acknowledge their canonical needs as they manipulate and reconfigure source material into new, re-imagined storylines for the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
“Aside from the satisfying cerebral aspects of the film, the audience is also rewarded by a studio budget that allows for top-of-the-line visual production design elements that are breathtaking and jaw-dropping. It is a film that feels like it still has independent spirit through its writing and unconventional defiances of traditional studio storytelling. However, it is blessed with a major studio budget that allows it to look like a million bucks (or, in this case, millions of bucks).
“At this stage among the released films of 2021, THE GREEN KNIGHT appears to have what it takes to be my frontrunner for film of the year so far. 5 cats
“Not recommended for viewers resistant to anti-heroic themes or considerations
“Not recommended for viewers who demand faithful line-by-line reproductions of the original work.”
Diane says: “I paid extra (!) to watch THE GREEN KNIGHT at home on my small screen. Director/writer/editor David Lowery is also responsible for A GHOST STORY, which I was crazy about, and his latest has received rave reviews. But I was disappointed in this two-hour version of Sir Gawain’s quest (think Knights of the Round Table). I didn’t find an emotional connection, and the occasional MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL humor only puzzled me. Lead Dev Patel’s watery eyes and questioning look were not enough to support Gawain’s existential search.
“Some cinematographic achievements were carried over from GHOST STORY, like 360 pans that are also temporal shifts, and both films use expansive time and space to good effect. Standouts in the cast are Kate Dickie and Sean Harris as the King and Queen, and Barry Keoghan (KILLING OF A SACRED DEER) as a deranged con artist.
“Ultimately, GREEN KNIGHT makes me want to watch two other movies again: GHOST STORY for its strong emotions and creative cinematography, and, of course, the ultimate hero quest, PINOCCHIO (2019)!
“I wish others better luck with this movie. 2 cats.”
Michael says: “I watched this film last night, largely because it was Brett’s #1 film of the year, and I think Brett has a really great perspective on film and wanted to see what I thought. Sadly, it wasn’t for me, and in my irritation at opening 2+ hours on this film, I popped off a dismissive review last night that read:
“‘Catching up with this one now that Brett has announced his top films of the year with THE GREEN KNIGHT on top. I wish I had seen the film that Brett saw, for although I see how director David Lowery meant to make that film, I didn’t see it on my viewing. Perhaps that’s my own failing, but the 2-hour plus running time seemed interminable, and if I hear one more choral song lead by a mystical soprano, I may just offer up my own head. 2 cats’
“This morning, upon sleep and a little reflection, I decided I had been too harsh last night, and that there was more about the film that I liked that I didn’t mention. I decided a fuller review was warranted, and so was an additional cat. I still can’t say I liked the film, but I can say that I appreciated it.
“Let me start by saying that while I also appreciated A GHOST STORY, director David Lowery’s much acclaimed previous film, I didn’t love it. In THE GREEN KNIGHT, he tried hard… (really, really hard) to base his take on a classic story in the roots of traditional medieval lore while upending it and exploring it for what it really is. In that he was successful. Were those knights all chivalrous paragons of virtue and honor? Or might some of them fallen into it by accident, then use their status to maybe… I don’t know… take advantage of their celebrity? (Hmmm… could this be a comment on today’s world that the extensive celebrity status our communities face?) At any rate, while the heavy-handedness of his point annoyed me while watching, but thinking back, it is an interesting angle to explore, and Lowery really commits.
Tom says: “I so loved this in the way it was dreamy, surreal and kept you on your toes with the continuous sense of peril and the re-imagining of the time. I agree with Brett, but it is arty in a way that will pull cineastes both ways. Good double bill with THE LAST DUEL?”
Peg says: “I loved it, found it very unusual and haunting, and just brilliant production design.