GRENDEL, GRENDEL, GRENDEL

Australia, 1981, 94 minutes. Colour.
Voices: Peter Ustinov, Keith Michell, Arthur Dignam, Ed Rosser, Julie Mc Kenna, Ric Stone, Bobby Bright, Ernie Bourne, Barry Hill.
Directed by Alexander Stitt.

Beowulf was a hero, Grindle a monster. What if we looked (lightly and ironically) at humans - a funny lot - and society, war and religion from Grande’s point of view? Animator Alexander Stitt has given us a colourful, entertaining, often wise film with imaginative drawing and an excellent cast of voices headed by Peter Ustinov as Grindle. Julie McKenna? sings the title song attractively. Producer Philip Adams prologues with an illustrated lecture on our capacity and eagerness for facing our monsters. Too heady for children and for many adults, it will be much liked by animation devotees and those (not over-serious) fond of myths and symbols. Alexander Stitt has done a number of commercials, short features and the Life Be In It programme.

1. The cinematic achievement of the film: and its styles, character sketches, music, the creation of a comic world. funny touches of wisdom and ingenuity, the vocal characterisations? (And the prologue photos of Peter Ustinov and the recording the voices)? The delightful identifying of characters and voices at the end?

2. The impact of Philip Adams' prologue - its necessity, interest, creation of a mood for the film? The atmosphere of his entering the room and its being dark, the visual history of monsters. his overall comments on the range of monsters and their place in history? The psyche and the need for monsters? Human fears, projections, nightmares and ability to cope? The various monsters e.g. the Devil, Dracula as symbols of religion and society? Contemporary symbols of a war-torn world, a world of space exploration? Human beings needing monsters - to cope with politics, society, religion?

3. The Beowulf legend in itself and its being the stuff of heroic saga? A memory of man and his heroism, achievement, creation of society? The place of religion, ritual and monsters of evil? The saga poetry and the origins of society?

4. The impact of reversing the saga and presenting a comic monster? The audience laughing and not being afraid? Understanding the plight of monsters - their being humanised and their feats being gently mocked? The view of how sill men look from the monster's point of view? Human pretensions, self-deception and abuses? Wisdom by parody?

5. The comic tone - the initial date with Tuesday, 515 A.D., Somewhere in Scandinavia? The mood of the title song and the lyrics? The animation of the various words? The indication of Grendel’s mother? Grendel as a monster with a mission and his fearful impact on humans~? Peter Ustinov’s urbane charm as Grendel? The humorous drawing of Grendel and of the human beings - especially the voices and provincial English accents? The serious tone of much of the dialogue and the basic philosophising?

6. The portrait of Grendel - appearance and all that was made of this, the lumbering walk, the genial behaviour, acting like a monster and eating human beings - and throwing limbs down the well for Mother? The soliloquies and the talking with Mother and her silence? Grendel’s discovering human beings, their language and behaviour, thinking them silly? The experience of being caught in the tree? In becoming the great Bogey? Superstition, worship, ritual, Grendel on engravings? The importance of the dream and the encounter with the dread dragon - being terrified of the dragon and the dragon making the point about humans being terrified? The dragon and its humorous touch - song and dance routines, comic remarks? Explanation of Grendel's mission and to make men afraid? Grendel trying to put this into practice? Terrifying people but so homely? The dragon and the prophecy of the white wolf? The build-up to the final confrontation? The fight, the loss of the arm? Grendel becoming powerless? The preparation for Grendel's attack by the song of the minstrel boy? (Grendel being rendered armless!) How enjoyable a characterisation of the monster? Presenting the ambiguities of being a monster with the light touch?

7. The portrait of the kingdom and its primitiveness? King Hrothgar and his aides? Their wandering around and hunting? Battles? Mistakes? The king lost in the bear trap and the confrontation with Unferth? His deal with Unferth and having him as his champion? The battles and Unferth's wise advice? The presenting of Unferth as hero? The gradual establishing of society, the marriage with the queen and the bold children? Hunting, survival? The increasing fear of the great Bogey? Religion and ritual? Humorous visual presentations of behaviour in the Dark Ages?

8. The supporting characters: Dung and Wiglaf? Support of the king, lack of perception, comic touches? Unferth and the building up of his heroic status? His help of the king? His infatuation with the queen? The queen and her role in the castle, her fears, her children?

9. The need for songs and the building up of self-importance? The arrival of The Shaper and his minstrel assistant? His influence in the court, the songs and Keith Michell's rendering of them? The magnifying of the king, the kingdom, society, monsters, heroism? The presentation of saga - with gentle parody? The Shaper and his role in the court, his leading vindictive religious ritual? His being poisoned by the king?

10. The boy and his assistance, his singing the song in anticipation of Beowulf's coming? Its light and humorous and satiric touch?

11. The way of life of the king and his assistants - hunting, fighting, family life, the castle manners, religion?

12. The inflating of their fear of the great Bogey? The projection of fears? The need to appease the great Bogey, fight it, liberate themselves from it? The summoning of Beowulf and his dramatic winter arrival? The thugs in his entourage and their behaviour in the castle? Beowulf's dominance, control, self-importance. eying of the queen?

13. The build-up to the climax - Grendel's preparation, the singing of the song.. the fight? The trapping of the guards, Beowulf defeating Grendel? disarming Grendel? Grendel's regrets on what might have been?

14. Grendel taking his place in myth and legend? Beowulf's place? The ironic presentation of the origins, of grand sagas?

15. The conventions and expectations of animation as different from live acting? The possibilities-of being literal and the possibilities of being freer, suggesting and delighting, insights at an angle?