The Green Knight (2021) - 7/10

Is everyone fresh on their 14th century Middle English poetry? If not, have you at least had your weekly dose of avant-garde filmmaking? No? Well don't worry. The Green Knight is here for you. Now, this film has some truly great flashes of brilliance. I was fairly close to giving the film 8/10. However, while I may praise a good deal of the parts below, the final product is just missing 'something'. So, for one reason or another, I think this is just one of those films where the parts are greater than the sum. Let's dig in though. 

1. Acting 

Every once and awhile I actually find it refreshing to come across a film that requires very dramatic acting. It feels a bit like a throwback and it hearkens back to the theater experience -which is very fitting given the time period of the film. And more specifically, The Green Knight allows for some really great character work that is absent from too many movies. 

Let's start with the main lead of Gawain played by Dev Patel. I've been a fan of Patel's since his breakout in Slumdog Millionaire and I enjoy his more offbeat laced filmography. As Gawain, Patel get to show off a broodier and more dramatic side, while still applying his natural charisma. He is a great fit for the role and, even though his full range is a bit muted, it is done in service of the overall tone. 

Surrounding Patel is a host of great character actors including Alicia Vikander in a dual role, Joel Edgerton, Sarita Choundhury, Sean Harris, Kate Dickie, Barry Keoghan, Ralph Ineson and  many more. In particular, Vikander is able to give Essel a great sense of playfulness and sadness with each line read and glance at Gawain. And when she swaps roles later as The Lady she taps into a sense of mysteriousness and seduction that feel very unique from her other role. The performance from Barry Keoghan is also excellent. His approach and delivery is so unique compared to other actors that I am always drawn to him, even in these small supporting roles. And lastly, Sean Harris playing the legendary King Arthur really brings that dramatic/theatrical flair to the film and makes Arthur feel so important while only getting a minuscule amount of screen time.

None of this is to say that the other actors is this large cast are not great either. Everyone is putting in solid work and is certainly a strength of the film.

2. Cinematography 

I really can't think of another way to describe this film other than avant-garde. Sometimes that phrase is wielded as a critique because it can be unapproachable, but I mean it with great reverence here. I can't get behind every experimental shot choice, but I also can't pretend that I wasn't engrossed by it. The vibrancy of the various Irish locales is captured wonderfully and the camera moves and lighting are often intriguingly chosen. 

More specifically, there is a large variety of types of shots being used for the film that helps keep things feeling singular. One of the longer and more indulgent shots is a 720 degree panning shot that includes a zoom, changing scenery, and an eerie lack of soundtrack. The totality of the visuals is not just symbolic, but also beautiful. Similarly, there is a shot later in the film as Gawain nears the end of his journey and is caught outside during a storm. In the shadows that lay in front of him, he sees the silhouette of the Green Knight on a backdrop of lightning and green tinted sky. Again, it's a symbolic shot, but is filled with such gorgeous imagery that you are just captured entirely by it. And these are just two examples in a film that is packed with stark visuals and captivating camera moves. Even if you can't place the symbolic nature intended by the filmmakers, you will enjoy watching it. 

Lighting is also clearly important to the film. Sometimes that means using the simplicity of the natural light and dreary nature of the Irish locations. Other times, it means injecting striking colors into the scene to create a sense of tone and characterization. For instance, green is an important palette for the film for numerous reasons including its title. We can read into these color choices in many ways, but a big theme for the film is time and its power over men. Green then becomes our symbol for nature and is present in almost every scene of this film. However, we also get notable injections of other colors such as red and yellow. Red appears in particular during Gawain's side quest to retrieve Winifred's skull from the water. As he dives in, the entire scene gets backlit with a bright red. Again we could interpret this many ways, but seems to symbolize violence and danger - another motif we see throughout the film. Yellow is also prominent both in Gawain's cloak, but also backlights the final scenes as Gawain finally arrives at the Green Chapel. Yet again, we can choose to read into that what we will, but seems to be a symbol of Gawain's cowardice and foreshadows how he will fare in his test with the Green Knight. 

Like I said before, avant-garde can be run the risk of being unapproachable at times. But, The Green Knight seems to have a strong sense of what it wants to do visually and is certainly more creative and filled with more intentionality than the vast majority of films we see today. 

 

3. Production/Costume Design 

As a period piece, it makes complete sense for the filmmakers to have chosen Ireland for its filming locations. The undisturbed and almost sacred look to the scenery feels like being transported back to Medieval times, and the preservation of the various castles used for filming provide a great sense of authenticity that would be hard to re-create digitally or otherwise.  

The costume teams are also doing a ton of heavy lifting for the film. The wardrobe and set pieces all feel very period appropriate, but are also filled with heavy symbolism. This dual effort requires a great deal of foresight and its execution was great. To be more specific, the castle scene where Gawain takes refuge in the final act features two female characters; The Lady and the unnamed blindfolded woman. The Lady is adorned in an elegant blue cloak and dress for her scenes. Blue is typically representative of wisdom, stability and serenity - all traits that the character displays in her interactions with Gawain. In particular, with her wisdom and seduction, she exposes to Gawain his fragility and cowardice which are character themes that have plagued him the entire quest. In those same scenes, the blindfolded woman lurks in the background adorned in all white which is typically indicative of purity and honesty. Her almost haunting presence around Gawain during his stay represents the things that he lacks and struggles with. 

And these are just a few examples of the quality of production and design that went into crafting the film. Much like the lighting, the film's world is layered with symbolism and intentionality which helps make the world feel full.  

4. Writing 

Outside of Medieval Literature enthusiast, this may be where the film can suffer the most. Adapting a 700 year old poem and making it feel relatable to modern audiences must be a difficult endeavor. However, at its core, the film is really just about a man going on a journey and learning about himself. So while this film will struggle to connect with audiences on its surface level, it is still a familiar narrative about the expectations placed upon you by others, or yourself, and how we come to terms with that through our actions. 

As far as the plot goes, the film is easy to follow, but not always the most exciting. The hero is put through a series of trials while he journeys to his ultimate goal. The trials are heavily emotional and character driven, so you have to really dig into the scenes to understand them. This isn't always easy for audiences, including myself, to do while actively watching it unfold. Rather, its full impact is probably more fitting on re-watches. The film also has very little interest in holding the audiences hand through any of it. I typically prefer a show-dont-tell type of approach, but (for all its flaws) exposition can be a helpful tool to connect your viewers to your story.

Character wise, Gawain is an interesting and somewhat challenging protagonist. The film is almost entirely focused on his emotional arc and his actions can be frustrating. That is not a knock either - main characters certainly do not have to be charismatic or even likable in order to be a protagonist. But, I am just acknowledging that it can be hard to engage with a film where the main character is not necessarily someone you are rooting for or have an attachment to. 

5. Sound Design 

I really liked the sound design for the film - especially in its quieter moments which feel counterintuitive. The background for the film is filled with an almost ghostly quietness at times that really highlights the dread and isolation surrounding Gawain. It also makes other noises feel especially poignant such as the distinctness of branches creaking around the Green Knight as he rouses from his sleep at the finale. 

Despite my praise of the quiet moments, the film does also have an original score. It is used smartly in moments to extenuate the building tension and is more reminiscent of a gothic horror film than anything else. The sharp and rhythmic notes, in particular, bring a sense of anxiety and unease to any scene it pops up in. 

6. Editing 

 Another area that may hurt the film is its 130 minute runtime. In some ways I respect it. The film has no sense of urgency and seems to not care if you're able to stay with it the entire time. However, most of the time, it feels like things could be shorter and still accomplish the same goals. The scene featuring Gawain meeting the Giants, for instance, could easily be cut out or shortened. Moreover, some of the long takes are almost begging you to glance at the clock or go take a bathroom break. The scene of Gawain embarking on his journey, for instance, begins with a 80 second single-take tracking shot of Gawain riding his horse in almost complete silence. It seems to serve a clear purpose of creating a sense of isolation for the character and the audience, but it is also highly indulgent. Would a transition at the 30 second mark not have accomplished the same thing without alienating the audience? Moments like these are really rolling the dice with the likability of the film. 

7. Visual Effects

Part of the stark visual imagery that appears on screen is due to the great work of Weta Digital. A large part of their job was building out the sets and natural background of the scenes with great compositing work. However, they also had to create some of the more fantastical elements from scratch and try to work them in as naturally as possible. The Giants are an obvious example, but also the anthropomorphized fox looked pretty good. Also the lighting that we talked about earlier, is getting a digital boost. Some of that you can create in camera, but a lot of it is either being helped or purely created by the teams at Weta. All in all, I thought the VFX work was pretty great. Some of it may stick out, but large chunks of it I didn't even notice until looking at the breakdown. 

8. Originality or Strength of Adaptation 

I did actually take a Medieval Literature class at some point during my education, but I cannot recall if we looked at this particular story. From the little I've read, this film mostly follows the larger plot points of the original narrative, but is certainly making lots of deviations either to provide its own interpretation, or for simple production rationales. This is also not the only adaptation of the poem either. Where it stands amongst those will largely be subjective  since none of them seem to be 'the preeminent' adaption. 

9. Stunt Coordination 

Apart from some minor sword work and falls, the film is not particular action driven. Nothing really to note here.  

10. Direction 

David Lowery is an interesting writer/director to keep an eye on. I think he is an an incredibly ambitious and creative filmmaker that just hasn't been able to find the right balance of story and visual yet. I respect how he is willing to take big swings, but I hope that in the future the stars will align and his talent will be married with the 'right' project where everything coalesces. Until then, this was a good effort where the parts are greater than the sum. 

Legacy/Final Thoughts

The Green Knight managed to make $20 million on a $15 million budget for A24. It wasn't a smashing success with audiences, but I'm glad films like this can still get made. It also garnered a good deal of praise from critics and nabbed a few awards nominations/wins at the smaller shows. Nevertheless, I think the film is just a touch on the wrong side of approach-ability and its avant-garde visual nature, though beautiful, is not enough to overcome some of its weaknesses. Ultimately, this is just an auteur film that will be liked by a more niche audience; and that's okay. I think I am just a bit disappointed because it has some flashes of true brilliance and creativity that most films lack.