ok, got my tix for Friday. This has the potential to be a sleeper hit in a time of warmed over Marvel movies and poorly executed Hasbro movies.
It looks great, although they kind of lay almost the entire Green Knight story out beginning to end right in the trailer. I wish they wouldn't do that. I've only seen one other movie by this director. A Ghost Story. It was a solid and interesting idea, but in the end, it was a 10 minute story dragged out to an hour and a half or whatever. I hope this isn't the same deal.
I'm really hoping this one does well at the box office cuz I want to see more films like this get made. Planning on seeing tomorrow
Well, Sir Gawain & The Green Knight itself is just an epic poem that fits inside about 100 pages in decent-sized font, IIRC. That's probably the reason it never saw adaptation until now. Good news is the trailer only shows Gawain getting to the Green Knight - you don't know what happens after that (the images of him on the throne are obviously dream scenes).
I have some very very mixed feelings on this one. Definitely incredibly shot, but definitely not how I would have told that story. Think I’m gonna have to let it soak in a bit. also, they didn’t need to put enfys nest in there. She’s such a bad actor, especially compared to Patel, who was brilliant. edit: the more I think about it, the more I think the director didn’t understand the original story. Some of the changes and omissions definitely change the feel of the story, giving it a bit more of a nihilistic tone.
It's a different interpretation. It definitely takes some liberties Spoiler but, I kind of like that it leads to a very sardonic ending versus the actual poem. Keep in mind, the actual ending of the poem where The Green Knight is revealed to be the master of the castle that he encounters towards the end, knicks him and sends him home could still very well happen. But I think I like the way it plays out in Gawain's head that he has a fairly bleak future ahead of him, so, might as well die a hero in legend than live long enough to become the villain.
I had more fun dissecting it afterwards than actually watching it. The movie is not at all interested in keeping your attention. Its a very well executed film but it’s also just boring and slow to watch. I would recommend watching it if you're into super slow movies that are more about examining how it all fits together and less about an engaging plot. This is not your standard mythic adventure story. You're wasting your time expecting that. Onto my spoiler filled thoughts... Spoiler: Spolierificos So yeah, Gawain is pretty much a bum and the opposite of a knight. I'm not even quite sure if he wants to be a knight. He kinda sucks at everything. He's not evil or mean spirited but he's also not chivalrous, smart or talented. At first I thought he was put on this quest because his mom wanted to get him into shape but it's more likely that she wanted the throne and Arthur went along with it because (a) he's childless and (b) it's possible that Gawain is his bastard son anyway. Gawain is a bumbling dummy and maybe the only redeeming quality is that he eventually sees himself as the loser that he is and willingly allows himself to get beheaded at the end in order to avoid decades of mediocrity and terribleness.
I don’t disagree. Spoiler I do think there’s something interesting about his interpretation. I’m not entirely sure how to discuss my issues with it as I don’t dislike the ideas in theory. He took the character and turned him into a privileged immature character that Kong’s for greatness, but isn’t sure how to get it and expects it to fall in his lap. I mean, I see what he’s getting at and what his message is, but maybe I’m just tired of this kind of deconstruction at this point. I’m trying to pinpoint my exact issue with the film. Maybe it’s the editing or maybe it’s the omissions. The pacing could have been smoothed out a lot I feel, especially at the beginning. Its beautifully shot. That much is true. There’s some obvious inspiration from the Holy Mountain in there, which appealed to me as it’s a favorite film of mine. Patel is brilliant as Gawain. I love the scenes with the thieves (“rest your bones brave knight”), but I’d have rather had the original storyline for the master of the castle, even though the way he wrote it did work. I also don’t think the green knight needed to be a spell, because I’m not sure why it was being cast if it’s not done by Morgan Le Fay. The movie definitely elicited some responses for me. I was legitimately angry when he ran at the end (before we see that it was his life passing before his eyes, which was a massive relief.). If it had not returned to him submitting himself to the green knight, I’d have disliked the movie quite a lot. I guess I don’t think it’s a bad movie, but aspects don’t appeal to my current sensibilities. Maybe what I don’t like is recognizing hints of myself when I was in my early twenties when I myself felt desperate for meaning and greatness, but maybe I just simply want Gawain to be something more than that. So most of my complaints could be entirely personal. I always felt that Gawain was sort of a representative for all mankind and his struggle was with nature itself, represented by the green knight. He was an honorable character but had flaws, just like all mankind. So maybe, I just wanted something a little more optimistic and less cynical. it’s also entirely possible that a second viewing would change my entire opinion of the movie.
I don't think the film is being cynical but I do think... Spoiler: More Spoilerificos It actually tells you what it is without masking anything. Gawain is a bum and he remains a bum from his first scene up until his last scene. When he finally submits to getting beheaded, he sorta stops being a bum but is that really a win when it took him a lifetime to realize he's a bum? I think folks expected a heroic story and I don't blame them for expecting that. But the movie at no point promised that. I don't think presenting a story of an unchivalrous character who doesn't change until the last moment of his life is not cynical. It's interesting from analytical perspective but that's it. Watching the movie was not very engaging experience. I almost wonder if that was done on purpose too. You kinda feel like a loser after watching the film about a literally loser knight.
Spoiler The spell is being cast by Le Fay, with the blind woman at the manor towards the end in on it according to the poem. But it was meant for Arthur, not Gawain, as Gawain was next in line for the throne. In the movie, she probably thought her loser son wouldn't have anything to do with The Green Knight. In the poem, Gawain is just one of his knights who steps in before Arthur can do the job himself (Arthur is also a capable guy, in the poem, and not old and weary). In the poem, the Green Knight is also the master huntsman towards the end of the story in disguise.
I mean I know that he’s the hunstman at the end, but the movie doesn’t tell you that. And wait? that was supposed to be le fay casting the spell? Gawain is the son of Morgause, not Le Fay, so I wasn’t sure what they were trying to get at. Spoiler what I meant was, that summoning the green knight didn’t need to be shown explicitly in the film, since it only has context to those who know the poem. Having the green knight just show up ends up having the same effect and opens the film to broader interpretations.
Ack, yeah, you're correct. Morgause is the sister who casts the spell and the old lady at the manor is meant to be La Fey, IIRC, although the two are obviously connected here within the context of the film.
And up on further thought... Spoiler There's a gag here regarding La Fey in the movie. That's almost certainly the old lady at the manor and was probably hoping that, since Gawain is a dishonorable idiot, would succumb to the lady of the manor and give the master a child that is in line with the throne (since he won't touch her in bed anyway) in exchange for being the Green Knight. But Gawain fails to do even that (firing his load outside the womb) and still gets the belt, LOL! Thus Le Fey's plans are mostly quashed. She still (probably) manages to get rid of Gawain, assuming he is actually beheaded at the end after taking off the belt...but this particular master stroke gets foiled after Gawain actually manages to find his honor (by missing his mark!) in the final trials of the film.
I was not very moved by this film. It wasn’t boring or slow or anything, I enjoyed his journey however there wasn’t much emotion or awe involved. I guess I expected more mythical things to cross his path or mythical events to occur. That did start to happen... Spoiler That whole Giants scene was particularly amazing. Gave me that physical stomach clutch and inability to breath that I hope for in cinema. But outside that and a small ghost encounter I didn’t get much else. That could be on me however. The whole film didn’t look all that amazing either. Yes better than most average stuff but on the high cinematography end of things this one was a little low. Enjoyed the use of yellow that really popped now and again and the little greens here and there as well going back to the green knight and nature. Dev Patel did a great job and was an easy and handsome hero to root for. You just wanted him to survive through the whole thing. Spoiler: Theme elements What I took from the film was that all this honor stuff and petty challenges we have with others are particularly meaningless and to live a life outside of those is a better existence. Nature and death will swallow you up either way so might as well enjoy it and not ruin your life with silly notions of honor. Honestly I prefer his alternate path through escaping at the end. The whole segment after that was some of the best parts of the film. My body started to physically react to the later scenes. So overall I was disappointed but I didn’t hate it. Glad I watched it but I don’t see myself ever revisiting it.
Overall, the film felt a little bit like reading a Choose Your Own Adventure novel and there a couple times you see the "bad" ending and we back up to the other choice we had thumb-marked a moment ago. YMMV.
LOL! True. Spoiler First choice (Christmas Game): A. Ignore Green Knight (lose chance to gain honor) END B. take challenge and knick Green knight (look stupid) END C. take challenge and cut off head (get honor bound to die in same way) CONTINUE Second choice (Bound by thieves): A. Give up and die (lose chance to gain honor) END B. Risk cutting yourself to free yourself and continue quest (you survive!) CONTINUE Third choice (ghost story): A. Go find her head (get honor but no one knows or cares) CONTINUE B. Leave her behind (get dishonor but no one knows or cares) CONTINUE Fourth choice (master of the manor): A. Sleep with his lady (get dishonor but obtain immunity belt) CONTINUE B. Don't sleep with lady (get honor but no immunity belt) CONTINUE C. Take belt in act of lust but don't actually "give it to her" (get honor and immunity belt but piss off lady?) CONTINUE Fifth choice (fox temptation): A. Pretend you finished the quest (only the fox knows and he SAYS he won't tell anyone, risk honor) END B. Proceed to the chapel (get honor and probably get beheaded) CONTINUE Sixth choice (The Green Knight): A. Get beheaded (get honor and maybe become a myth or legend) END B. Run away (earn dishonor, become a crappy king and get beheaded in a revolution) END Very few of these really are "good choices". LOL!
