The Green Knight

As a huge fan of the actor Dev Patel and the director David Lowery, I was beyond excited to see The Green Knight last night and it certainly did not disappoint!  I think it is absolutely brilliant and it is now my favorite movie of the year (so far).  Gawain (Patel) is the dissolute nephew of King Arthur (Sean Harris) and, while he is eager to prove himself, he fears that he is not destined for greatness.  On Christmas Day, King Arthur invites Gawain to join him and his Knights of the Round Table.  He knows that he is not worthy to sit at the king's side so, when a mysterious Green Knight (Ralph Ineson) summoned by his mother Morgan Le Fay (Sarita Choudhury) enters and issues a challenge, Gawain recklessly accepts.  He is allowed to strike the Green Knight with his ax on the condition that he submit to the same blow one year hence at the Green Chapel.  Gawain beheads the Green Knight, who does not falter, with one stroke but spends the following year in torment about keeping his end of the bargain.  He eventually sets off on a literal, but mostly metaphorical, journey to perform acts of courage and chivalry and undergo a test of honor at the castle of a lord (Joel Edgerton), lady (Alicia Vikander), and enchantress (Helena Browne) before facing the Green Knight.  This is a bold retelling of the classic legend and, even though I usually don't like it when liberties are taken with the source material, the final sequence absolutely blew me away and I am sure that I will be thinking about it for some time to come! The cinematography is beautiful and atmospheric but the action is slow because events are not explained but, rather, shown through imagery and symbolism.  Patel is riveting in the role and I was completely enthralled by his performance!  In fact, the last time I was so spellbound by a movie was when I saw A Ghost Story, also written and directed by Lowery.  This is definitely not for everyone and, if you prefer a more straightforward narrative, this is not a movie you will enjoy.  At my screening there were several people who walked out in the middle but there were also many people, myself included, who remained through the credits until the house lights came on in order to ponder the message about what it means to live with honor!  I think it is a masterpiece and I can't wait to see it again!

Note:  I usually taught Beowulf as part of the epic poetry unit in my British literature classes but every so often I would substitute Sir Gawain and the Green Knight just to mix it up.  If I was still teaching, I would definitely make the switch this year!