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The Green Knight, directed by David Lowrey and starring Dev Patel is a coming of age story based on the fourteenth-century poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.
The film takes quite a few liberties with the source material but keeps the core idea of a less than extraordinary young man attempting to prove his valor after accepting a competition with a supernatural giant, all the while struggling far more than the average Arthurian hero.
When I took my seat in the theatre I had a decent idea of what was in store. The poem the movie is based on is not a particularly action-filled one, instead, it is more focused on the ideas of honesty, duty, and the morals of the knighthood.
For the most part, the movie does this as well while elaborating on such things in added scenes absent from the poem and subverting more than a few Arthurian tropes.
Overall the movie plays out much like a morality play, building situations and characters meant to extoll certain virtues and showing Gawain either growing as a character or keeping to his flawed ways and thus being chastised for it.
Online the movie seems to be loved by many and loathed by many. The common thread of the loathing seems to amount to false expectations that the movie would be a typical action-adventure fantasy film filled with swordfights and battles rather than an exploration of growth, indecisiveness, and mortal existentialism that the film actually is.
So if you are expecting a fantasy epic like Lord of the Rings, look elsewhere. But if you enjoy arthouse aesthetics, a slow-burning plot, and dreamlike fantasy then The Green Knight is a perfect movie for you.
The fact that this film is so polarizing seems to be par for the course considering many of A24’s releases in the past, which are exalted by many as visionary film making and panned by just as many calling them pretentious snobbery too often reliant on overindulgent arthouse imagery.
In my opinion, The Green Knight is a good movie but can be rightly criticized in a few scenes for offering up admittedly gorgeous sequences that serve little to no purpose other than being appealing to the eye.
I say this as someone who is genuinely fond of A24’s and arthouse aesthetics overall, but there was one scene in particular that after the movie was over I found myself wondering why it was included other than to have something for the trailer.
Arguably the two strongest aspects of the film are the visuals and Dev Patel’s performance as Gawain. But the weakest part of the film is the pacing which sometimes teeters on being unnecessarily languid. Overall I would say that the film is good, beautifully crafted, and grows more interesting the more you ponder what it is trying to say.
While I keep to my opinion that the film overall is good rather than great, I also believe that it deserves to be considered a fantasy classic. While it is a beautifully crafted piece, it also handles magic in a way very unique amongst the majority of fantasy films. The magic in The Green Knight is a very unexplained force, that blends reality and the surreal.
The film’s surrealism begins immediately with a shot of Gawain crowned as a king sitting completely still on the throne. A narrator begins to talk of the struggles of rulership, and Gawain’s head bursts into flames.
This scene is crucial because it establishes the film’s heavy use of surrealistic imagery and through the scenes imagery the central conflict of the film. This conflict is Gawain’s struggle with personal growth and what is to be expected of him.
From that point forward whenever something magical takes place, the film uses unconventional cinematography and or surreal imagery, but the surreal is also an indicator for the film explaining Gawain’s mental state.
For example, when Gawain is invited to a Christmas celebration at King Arthur’s court the shots are relatively conventional. After talking with Arthur about how he feels about being with the legendary knights of the round table, Queen Guevivier says that it will only be a matter of time until he proves himself a great and honorable knight. Then once the Green Knight appears the cinematography noticeably changes.
Guinevere takes the knight’s letter and her voice changes as whatever spell was written into it cause her to read it with a booming voice that sounds like a prophecy promising to prove greatness and honor.
Cinematography wise the scene is a single close up and the lighting shifts from a realistic color pallet to one being drenched completely in red. While relatively tame in comparison to other scenes in the movie the juxtaposition is nonetheless noticeable between the presence of magic in the scene and before its appearance.
What is also noticeable is that the magic spell affirms what Guenivere promised would come and what Gawain needs to grow as an individual and join the ranks of the other men of Arthur’s court.
This starts the trend of magic not only embodying the change that Gawain needs to embrace but showing Gawain's mental state. In the letter reading scene, as much as the prophecy promises all that Gawain needs it is presented in a way that is more menacing than exciting.
This reinforces what Gawain has expressed in several scenes before this, that he isn’t ready for the responsibility of knighthood. So when the chance to prove himself is presented it is perfectly fitting that it would sound equal parts horrific and heroic.
Magic plays this role time and time again, presenting itself through spectacle to enhance the character growth of Gawain. Even in the scene where Gawain has an encounter with giants, in my opinion, the scene most easily ridiculed for overindulgence, the magic can be read with this role in mind and hold far more meaning than it does at first.
The ability for the film’s magic to serve as both spectacle and subtext is an incredibly clever usage of magic in a fantasy film.
Not to mention the surreal atmosphere the magical elements create, gives The Green Knight a whimsical gritty tone that perfectly captures a sense of myth and legend all too often lacking in Arthurian films and even many movies based on other myths.
And just like the source material, the film is all the richer for interpretation due to the magic and myth’s sub concise stylings.
The way they handled magic made everything feel more mythological than fantastical.
Found myself completely lost in the dreamlike atmosphere by the end.
The magical elements really elevated what could have been a simple morality tale.
Those saying it's too slow aren't paying attention to how the pacing builds tension.
Never seen magic portrayed quite like this in a fantasy film. Really unique approach.
Each viewing reveals new layers to how the magic reflects Gawain's journey.
The visual effects during the magical sequences were stunning without feeling overdone.
I appreciate how they trusted the audience to interpret the magical elements themselves.
Watching this in theaters was an experience. The magical scenes were so immersive.
Anyone else feel like the magical scenes got more abstract as the story progressed?
Not what I expected but exactly what I needed from a modern fantasy film.
The blend of realism and surrealism reminded me of reading actual medieval stories.
Can't believe how divisive this film is. The magical elements alone make it worth watching.
I think this film works better if you view it as a fever dream rather than a traditional narrative.
Just because magic isn't explained doesn't mean it's poorly written. Sometimes mystery is better.
People calling it pretentious are missing the point. It's supposed to feel like a legend or myth.
The way magic was used to show character development was brilliant. Never seen anything quite like it.
Second viewing completely changed my perspective on the giants scene. So much symbolism I missed first time.
Loved how they left so much unexplained. Made the magic feel more authentic somehow.
The use of color during the magical scenes was incredible. Really enhanced the otherworldly feeling.
Initially disappointed it wasn't more action-packed, but the dreamlike quality really grew on me.
Anybody else notice how the magic gets more intense as Gawain's mental state deteriorates?
The surreal scenes really captured the feeling of medieval mythology better than any other film I've seen.
After reading the original poem, I appreciate how they adapted the magical elements even more.
I think we need more fantasy films willing to take risks like this one did.
The magical elements were stunning but I wish there had been more traditional fantasy elements too.
I found myself getting lost in the visuals even when I wasn't fully following the plot.
Watching this film felt like being in a dream state. The magic really enhanced that feeling.
Still not sure what to make of the ending, but I can't stop thinking about it.
The way they handled magic reminded me of old folklore where nothing is ever fully explained.
I usually hate artsy films but something about this one really worked for me. Maybe it was the fantasy elements.
The scene transitions between reality and fantasy were so smooth. Really impressive filmmaking.
People complaining about the pacing are missing the point. It's supposed to feel like a fever dream.
Dev Patel carried this movie. His performance made even the weirdest scenes feel grounded.
That's what I liked about it though. Magic should be mysterious and unexplainable sometimes.
The magic scenes were beautiful but I wish they'd explained more about how it actually worked in this world.
Honestly couldn't tell what was real and what wasn't by the end, but I think that was the point.
Saw it in theaters and was blown away by the visuals. Really need to watch it again to fully appreciate all the symbolism.
The way magic was portrayed reminded me more of old fairy tales than modern fantasy. It felt ancient and mysterious.
A24 strikes again with another polarizing film. I personally love their approach to genre films.
That's fair about the pacing, but I think the slow moments really help build the dreamlike atmosphere.
Tried watching it with my kids thinking it was a family fantasy movie. Big mistake. This is definitely made for adults.
I'm surprised more people aren't talking about how the magic represents Gawain's character development. It's so well done.
The cinematography during the magical scenes was incredible. Never seen anything quite like it in a fantasy film before.
While I appreciate what they were going for, I think they could have trimmed about 30 minutes without losing anything important.
The surreal elements really captured the feeling of reading old medieval texts. It's weird and dreamlike in just the right way.
Has anyone else noticed how the magic seems to mirror Gawain's psychological state throughout the film? Really clever storytelling.
The visual effects were stunning but I couldn't connect with the story at all. Just felt like pretentious nonsense to me.
Not every fantasy film needs to be Lord of the Rings. I found it refreshing to see something more experimental with the genre.
I've seen it three times now and keep noticing new details. The magical elements really reward repeated viewing.
The scene where Guinevere reads the letter gave me chills. The way her voice changed and the lighting shifted to red was so effective.
That's exactly why I loved it though. We have plenty of straightforward fantasy movies. This one dared to be different.
I went in expecting a traditional fantasy adventure and left feeling confused. Wish someone had warned me it was more of an art film.
Dev Patel absolutely nailed the role. His portrayal of Gawain's internal struggle between honor and self-preservation was spot on.
Actually, I interpreted the giants scene differently. I saw it as representing Gawain's feelings of inadequacy compared to the legendary knights he's trying to live up to.
The giants sequence felt so out of place. I mean, it looked stunning, but what was the point? Felt like style over substance to me.
Am I the only one who found the pacing incredibly frustrating? I get that it's meant to be artistic, but some scenes just dragged on forever.
The burning crown scene at the beginning completely threw me off guard. I wasn't expecting such a bold opening, but it really set the tone for the whole movie.
I absolutely loved how this film handled magic. The way it blended reality and surrealism really captured that ancient mythological feeling I've always wanted from Arthurian adaptations.