Beowulf
Beowulf and Grendel is a touching story of vengeance, mercy and helplessness in the conflict between Norsemen and Christianity. It is based on the poem of the same name written between the seventh and eleventh centuries. The film scores in depicting the dark story against the craggy mountainous backdrop of Iceland. It also includes a chilling portrayal of death as a bone white creature of the sea, with dangerous claw like digits that grab the victim out of the blue.
The story set in 500 AD in the tumultuous time when Christianity was on the ascent in Northern Europe. It depicts the king of Danes, King Hrothgar portrayed by Stellan Skarsgard killing the father of the blonde-troll child, Grendel, played out by Ingvar Sigurdsson. Grendel grows up to be vengeful towards his exploiters, with a feeling of being wronged and misunderstood. The screenplay by Andrew Rai Berzins is skewed with sympathy towards Grendel who is portrayed as a victim of brute reprisal.
Enter Beowulf from the sea, essayed well by Gerald Butler as the slayer of Grendel. He comes to the aid of the King with his troops to kill the monster Grendel who is demanding revenge by killing Danes in the King’s Mead Hall. Beowulf is torn between his duty as a soldier and his sense of betrayal when he realizes that King Hrothgar is as much to blame for Grendel’s misdeeds. Beowulf wavers when he learns the truth behind Grendel’s behavior. Sarah Polley as Selma the witch who shares Beowulf’s confidence adds to the multiethnic star cast of the movie.
The director Gunnarsson sticks to the original poem but adapts the dialogues to modern day language so that present-day audiences understand the mythical tale. However in showing Grendel as a wronged monster, he strips him of his mysteriousness. There are hardly any special effects and he uses vivid action sequences to portray gruesome and lifelike killings.
Angelina Jolie in Beowulf
Gunnarsson has chosen the Icelandic locales well to portray this medieval Scandinavian tale. He captures well the conflict in the mind of Viking Beowulf and the multinational cast does justice to the film. He underplays the dark undercurrent of tension between Christianity and the Norsemen, but ultimately shows the Christian morals of humanity and kindness triumphing over the primitive Norse beliefs. The film shows some Norsemen converting while others retain their primeval beliefs. King Hrothgar leaves no fences uncovered and wears a cross and a hammer of the Norse god Thor to protect himself from the wrath of Grendel.
Beowulf and Grendel is gory in parts and has some disturbing fight sequences. Overall Beowulf is a must watch for its action, adventure and scenic beauty as much as its costumes and drama.
Rating: 2.5/5
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Posted on Thursday, December 13th, 2007 at 8:45 pm
December 14th, 2007 at 12:53 pm
I must see this movie.I have downloaded it.Looks really good.
April 30th, 2008 at 1:39 pm
new formal–world is always busy-so brain drain–only education –only busy
March 4th, 2009 at 6:47 am
that guy is pretty sexy
March 4th, 2009 at 6:51 am
cheese again, ive seen this movie and it is really weird and nasty and perverted!!!
August 18th, 2009 at 10:01 am
I’ve seen this flick several times; it is very well done. This type of animation is a little creepy when you first see it, but the use of it certainly adds flexibility. Anthony Hopkins isn’t anywhere near that fat, and Ray Winstone does not, by any stretch of the imagination, have a similar build to Beowulf. Imagine Winstone’s face on Hulk Hogan’s body; you get the picture.
Angelina Jolie, however, seems largely unchanged. My wife thought I demonstrated an unusually keen interest, which caused some issues.
The makers of this movie crafted a rather complex spiritual morality tale from a centuries old poem, and they did such a good job of it that I wonder what they could do with the Epic of Gilgamesh or Le Morte D’Arthur. Yes, there are parts that are a little violent, and a touch gruesome. But Germania was hardly a gentle paradise during the Dark Age.
Yes, there is a religious uncertainty, reflective of the times where Christianity was coming into ascendancy over paganism. Yes, Beowulf is both a heroic figure and a entirely mortal, normal man. An ancient literary work like Beowulf has the potential be turned into a dry Professorial dissertation on Anglo-Saxon poetry, but there is none of that here. This movie was just plain fun.