BEOWULF
US, 2007, 113 minutes, Colour.
Ray Winstone, Anthony Hopkins, Robin Wright Penn, John Malkovich, Angelina Jolie, Brendan Gleeson, Crispin Glover.
Directed by Robert Zemeckis.
Watching Beowulf, I had the sometimes wonky experience of rapidly changing moods and moving from dislike to admiration to dislike again. Perhaps a useful clue is given by some reviewers: it will appeal to the 300 crowd. 300 was a macho, macho actioner, based on a graphic novel, some absurd dialogue from absurd accents and designed to look like a moving image graphic novel.
While taking its inspiration from the old English epic poem, Beowulf, the screenwriters (with graphic novel backgrounds and enthusiasms) have tried to make the poem more coherent in plot and in motivation. They have succeeded. However…
Before writing about the ‘However…’, acknowledgement must be made of the extraordinary production qualities. Firstly, the film was made in 3D – and, if you must see it, try to see this 3d version see it and on an IMAX screen. It is often breathtaking. Never has there been such clear 3d photography and projection. So much seems literally in your face and often movement seems to be coming over our shoulders and flying towards the screen. This is top technology.
The other important aspect is that Robert Zemeckis introduced what he calls captured performance in his family film, The Polar Express. This is a form of animation film-making. The actors use skintight clothing, have sensors all over their faces and wear electronic helmets. They perform within a limited ‘black box’ space with cameras moving rapidly and intricately through the action. The sensored material is then the foundation for the computer work as the designers and costumers, the set decorators and the make-up artists, using the basic filmed performances, flesh them out bringing form and colour, gearing the mouthing of the dialogue to the performance.
This means that some characters look like the actors (especially Anthony Hopkins and Angelina Jolie), some more or less like (John Malkovich) or artificial (Robin Wright Penn) or completely different: Ray Winstone is transformed into an almost two metre high sleek warrior hero. He also stands in for the dragon while Crispin Glover is the monster Grendel. The dragon fight is quite spectacular.
Back to the however… The film is a mixum gatherum of Danish carousing, perilous sea adventures and killing of monsters, political intrigue, fidelity and infidelity, epic action and all too human sins.
Some of it works well, some of it is difficult to gauge as the actors sometimes declaim as if they are voicing animation while others act more naturally. And the accents… allegedly Welsh (following Anthony Hopkins) but not really suggesting 6th century Denmark.
Beowulf is something of a ‘guy’ thing. But it does have Anthony Hopkins saying, “See you in the morning, Odin willing”!!
1.The status of Beowulf as literature? As an epic poem? As a work of the imagination? The oral tradition? Mythmaking?
2.The Nordic background, audience knowledge of this period of history? Nordic mythologies?
3.The technique of performance capture, the clothing of the actors in lycra, the sensors on their face, the electronic helmet, capturing performance, action, acting, the appearances from the computer: costumes, décor, the appearances of the actors or not, the action, the creativity with the shaping of the film? Its scope, action, stunts, creatures? Animation and realism?
4.6th century Denmark, the landscapes, gloomy, the sea, caves, the court? Interiors, the Barbarian days? The castle, the special effects, the battles?
5.The tradition of Grendel, the monster, his mother, the fatherhood by King Hrothgar? The dragon, Beowulf’s son? His death? Angelina Jolie and the image of the seductive mother?
6.The court and the carousing, the opening, the king and his history, the reserve of the queen, the tensions in their marriage, the courtiers and their chant? John Malkovich as the adviser, the curse of Grendel on the land? Grendel and the severity of the attack, the destruction of the court? The decision that Grendel should be fought, the seeking of a warrior?
7.Beowulf and his friend, on the sea, the adviser’s (*?advisers) taunting Beowulf about being beaten in the swimming in the ocean, Beowulf’s version of the story, swimming, the destruction of the sea monsters? Beowulf at the court, the quest for Grendel? His entourage? His pledges? His attraction for the queen? The court trusting Beowulf? His wanting to stay, listening to the queen singing?
8.The build-up to the fight, the preparation, the vigil, Beowulf as naked, wanting to be equal with Grendel? The night, the flirting with the women, letting Grendel in, their deaths? The build-up to the fight, the camerawork, the editing, Beowulf’s defeating Grendel, taking his arm? Grendel going away to die? Grendel and his use of Old English, talking with his mother, his mother’s love for him?
9.Beowulf as hero? His drinking, the opening again of the banquet room? The curse lifted? The gratitude of the king? The gratitude of the queen?
10.King Hrothgar, Grendel as his son, relationship with the queen, his disappearing into the sea?
11.Beowulf going to the cave, his being seduced by Grendel’s mother?
12.The time passing, the change, Beowulf as strong, as weak? The adviser’s son and his presence, conversion to Christianity? The rivalry between Christianity and the old pagan gods? Beowulf and the attractive young girl, his growing tired of the queen? His lies? His having lost the cup in the cave, its reappearance? His deceit?
13.Beowulf and the dragon, confronting the dragon, the excitement of the fight, the cliffs, the risk to the queen and the young girl? The dragon’s death – and revealed as Beowulf’s son?
14.The queen, the young girl, the queen helping her, the cliff-hanging, to safety? Beowulf’s associate, coming to the rescue?
15.The friend, his taking over from Beowulf, his strength, the queen, her appearance, his place in the kingdom, the confrontation with Grendel’s mother, their facing off, the future uncertain?
16.The myth of the Dark Ages, mythmaking, heroes, dragons and monsters, a hero with a fatal flaw?
