297. The Green Knight; movie review

 

THE GREEN KNIGHT

Cert 15

130 mins

BBFC advice: Contains strong sex references, bloody images

I confess that I am not an expert in 14th-century literature so the classic poem of Sir Gawain and The Green Knight had escaped me until now.

So, on one hand I was pleased for the knowledge expansion provided by David Lowery's film and on the other I wish it had been a tad more accessible.

Yes, anyone expecting a movie with action-packed battles between good and evil are going to be in for a disappointment.

This is a theatrical-style movie which demands high levels of concentration from its audience.

It stars Dev Patel as Gawain, a young man at court who is keener on chasing skirt than picking up a sword in defence of King Arthur (Sean Harris).

However, his conscience is pricked when Christmas celebrations are interrupted by the arrival of The Green Knight (Ralph Ineson), a horseman who appears to be sculpted from a tree.

He challenges any man in the court to lay a blow on him and win his green axe but in return they must visit him the following Christmas and receive an equal strike in return.

Gawain agrees to stand up and be counted - a decision which he regrets plenty in the months which follow.

A year later, his journey encounters love, betrayal, treachery and much danger.

Patel brings gravitas, youth and exuberance to the role of Gawain while Alicia Vikander impresses with two parts - as a poor young woman who has eyes for Gawain and as the flighty lady of a country manor which is en route.

Joel Edgerton is surprisingly under-used as her rather weird husband.

Actually, he is far from the only strange element during The Green Knight.

Indeed, its ending seemed baffling to me but I suspect scholars may think it fits perfectly with the text from which it is adapted.

Reasons to watch: If you enjoy theatre-style films

Reasons to avoid: Not always easy to follow

Laughs: None

Jumps: Two

Vomit: None

Nudity: None

Overall rating: 6/10

Did you know?  The first known references to Gawain outside Wales began to appear in the first half of the 12th century. For instance, William of Malmesbury writes in his Gesta Regum Anglorum of around 1125 that "Walwen's (Gawain's)" grave had been uncovered in Pembrokeshire hundreds of years after his death, following the 11th-century Norman conquest of England.

The final word. David Lowery: "The idea of making a movie about a knight on a quest popped into my head, partially because I had just discovered my old Willow action figures. I settled on Sir Gawain and The Green Knight because I had read it in college and that story had always stayed with me." Flickering Myth

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