The Green Knight
This review is spoiler-free!
Arthurian legend is quite an interesting thing. In the age of film and television, whenever we see or hear stories of the Matter of Britain (the stories particularly focus on one King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table), we seem to only really get them from the perspective of King Arthur himself. Ironically though, while King Arthur was a big part of the original tales, some of the main stories from within the Matter of Britain don’t particularly focus on the great fictional King, but those of his court. While some may know the names Percival, Merlyn, or Lancelot; one that hasn’t gotten very much love on the big screen is Sir Gawain and his tale by an anonymous author, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. The nephew of Arthur, Gawain’s tale is must more symbolic and therefore more difficult to do just for in an adaptation, but it was only a matter of time before this tale found the right director and cast to do it justice and allow it to reach the silver screen.
The Green Knight begins on a very quiet note. A gentle snowfall brushes against the walls of a small barn as a group of animals trudge around a sleeping drunkard. An unknown woman is quickly rushed away on the lone horse in the pen, and the camera pans into the interior of a brothel. In an instant, the cinematography of this movie is set in place. It’s a gorgeous and quiet opening that seeks not to immediately swing you into the story as many films do, but welcome you into it with ease and care. You’re a part of this world, engulfed in it from the very first moment and it never lets you go.
Sir Gawain (Dev Patel) is awoken in the aforementioned brothel by his lover Essel (Alicia Vikander), only to realize that it’s Christmas Day, a time to make merry with the rest of his family and friends at Camelot. Upon his arrival at home, his mother Morgan Le Fay (Sarita Choudhury) scolds him for his rambunctious (unbecoming of a Knight) behavior before he hustles off to the Round Table. There he meets two family members: King Arthur (Sean Harris) and Queen Guinevere (Kate Dickie), the former of which expresses misgivings that he has not attempted to be more of family to him, asking him to take the seat of prince as Arthur does not have a son of his own. Before the celebrations begin, the mighty King seeks to be told a tale of heroism and honor by one of the many in his court, only for the mysterious Green Knight to interrupt the great gathering.
The Green Knight (Ralph Ineson)
A mystical figure represented through a mixture of armor and natural growth, the Green Knight (Ralph Ineson) seeks a bold knight to take part in his game. Strike at him there and then, and be awarded his axe, but in one year hence, find him at the Green Chapel and receive an equal blow. Not understanding the severity and seriousness of this game, Gawain steps forward to create his own tale. With Excalibur in hand, he strikes down the Green Knight, cutting off his head, leaving the hall in silence. Just as he believes the game has ended, a booming laugh erupts throughout the hall, with the Knight’s headless body picking up it’s head. In shock, Gawain hears the Knight remind him that in one year hence, he must find him at the Green Chapel and receive his equal blow. And that’s where the tale of Sir Gawain truly begins.
Just like the opening scene, the prologue of this film as a whole sets the tone for the story you’re going to be traversing. Rather than a fantasy epic filled with action, we’re given a character study of a young man seeking to make something of himself. When asked by his uncle to tell a tale about himself, he replies that he has nothing to tell. You immediately understand that Gawain feels unfulfilled, and seeks to prove himself honorable to his uncle, and the other knights he finds himself in the company of. But, unwilling to let go of his selfish wants, he forgoes reason and takes up the Green Knight’s challenge. When he’s confronted by the reality that the game is not finished, he questions his choices, but ultimately decides he must seek out the mysterious being.
Sir Gawain (Dev Patel)
Dev Patel plays Sir Gawain with such gravitas and weight, he is able to convey the emotions of this young man so well. At multiple moments throughout the film, you can feel what he’s feeling just through his eyes and facial expressions. You care about this character without him even having to speak his fears or concerns. This goes for a large portion of the film in fact, which lends credence to some of the other great aspects of the film. While there’s other characters to this story, much of the film is seen through his eyes often with continuous shots of just Gawain traveling upon his quest. We experience his naivety, and his selfishness as he crosses great distances and deals with the challenges that face him in hopes of reaching his journey’s end and receiving what he believes he deserves.
Throughout the middle act of the movie, the storytelling takes a back seat, as much of the story is told through imagery and visual symbolism. This journey is one of struggles that force Gawain to reflect on who he is, and how he can improve; and you see that reflected in the world around him. In doing so, we get to see the fantastic visual work by Andrew Droz Palermo and David Lowery shines through. Vast open valleys and dead forests cover the landscape. A thick layer of fog engulfs the land, and the marks of history bear fruit across the sullen and colorless ground. As a result, the use of color and majesty of nature fits the quiet nature of the film really well. In many sequences, the focus on one color helps convey the tone. The world and it’s features truly feels like the second lead behind Sir Gawain. . I won’t spoil the film, but there’s a particularly beautiful section right near the midpoint of the film that left me dumbstruck by it’s fantastic design.
Thematically, this story relies heavily on common themes of Arthurian tales, but also manages to add a few unique elements to the tale. The most obvious and clear thematic element is that of honor, and what it takes to receive it. Gawain’s struggle throughout the film is one of self-righteousness heroism. He believes Knighthood is owed to him, and that it only will be a matter of time until the hand of destiny lays upon his shoulder. This journey he undertakes allows him to reckon with those beliefs about himself, and recognize that the man under the guise of righteousness isn’t quite as glamorous as he believes. The other unique theme that this specific tale spells out is one of death and acceptance of the inevitable. I won’t speak on specifics, but the way it’s infused into the film’s DNA really works well, and especially towards the final act, it starts to show its face, but in a way that fits the tone of the story that’s come before.
The Green Knight is a hard film to talk about because so much of this film is based in symbolism and visual imagery. It’s also what I would often term as a heavy film. This isn’t a movie you pick up in the middle on TV and watch through just because, it’s a story that requires appointment viewing. For many people, I believe this means its a story you only see once, and let it ruminate within your mind. It requires the full attention of the viewer, and while it almost feels necessary to know of Arthurian legend coming in, it never strives too close to specifics, and as such, can stand on its own merits. I’ve realized that given the time between my screening and this review, the film has grown on me not just for the overall glory of it, but because it’s such a beautiful piece of film for a genre that often has difficulty telling human stories. While you certainly will leave the theater with questions, they’re not the kind that the film needed to answer. Rather they’re purposely open ended, allowing you to really take what you want and felt from the story as whole. The Green Knight is a beautiful slow-burn story that relies on its characters and world to produce a strikingly unique film that will stick with you long after the credits roll.
