The Green Knight is the most thought-provoking film of the year.
If you’re expecting an epic like The Lord of The Rings or Guy Ritchie’s underrated King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, The Green Knight isn’t that film. David Lowery‘s take on Sir Gawain is a frightening journey of self-discovery.
Dev Patel is extraordinary as Gawain. Full of youthful eagerness to be a legend worthy of joining his uncle’s roundtable. Becoming a legend isn’t for the faint of heart. Unfortunately, at nearly every turn, Gawain takes the easy route. Lowery throws the whole film on Patel’s more than capable shoulders.
Alicia Vikander pulls double duty in the film. She’s strong as Gawain’s lover, Essel. However, she’s even better as The Lady, a seductive, far more intelligent royal than Gawain. Joel Edgerton, Sarita Choudhury and Sean Harris as King Arthur round out an ensemble cast that seems to know more about the Green Knight than they’re letting on.
Lowery uses very long tracking shots throughout the film. Many of these sequences are shrouded in fog or bathed in a colorful filter that adds to the disorientation. Some of these scenes build to a point and others just kind of end. The Green Knight is frequently spectacular, but at times certain scenes just feel odd.
When the titular Green Knight issues his challenge, everyone seems to recognize a game is afoot with the exception of Gawain. He accepts the challenge. In return, he must face the Green Knight again in one year. Over the course of the journey, Gawain is presented with challenges that test his mettle.
The slow pacing, lack of action, little dialogue and a deliberately confusing ending won’t work for everyone Gawain isn’t the most likable protagonist. Unlike Sir Gawain, The Green Knight is an honorable retelling of this Arthurian tale.
With the overview out of the way, let’s delve deeper into Gawain’s journey. The Green Knight is available in theaters.
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Celebrating Christmas with The Green Knight
Gawain is a young man without a purpose. He’s enthralled by the legendary knights surrounding his uncle, King Arthur, but lacks the conviction necessary to become one himself. Throughout The Green Knight, Gawain only does what comes easy. He likes sleeping with Essel (Vikander), a sex worker and lover. Essel clearly fancies Gawain, but when pressed for a more public presence along Gawain’s side when he returns, he’s noncommittal.
King Arthur offers his nephew an opportunity to sit beside him and the queen in his mother’s place. Gawain is reluctant but accepts. Arthur asks Gawain to tell everyone in the room a story. An embarrassed Gawain has nothing to offer. Arthur responds, “not yet.” Patel is outstanding at showing Gawain’s embarrassment, which is crucial because Gawain humiliates himself repeatedly in The Green Knight.
The tender scene between uncle and nephew is interrupted by The Green Knight. He makes an offer for anyone in the room to challenge him. Gawain accepts the challenge. In another example of Gawain being out of his depth, he has no weapon of his own and must use the king’s sword. The Green Knight drops his weapon and offers his head. Gawain ignores the obvious trap and lops off the knight’s head.
The Green Knight picks up his head. He reminds Gawain, in one year, the game will continue in another location.
Gawain’s Journey
The year between The Green Knight’s beheading and Gawain’s journey is outwardly celebratory. Gaiwan is showered with fame and unearned glory. Lowery and his cinematographer, Andrew Droz Palermo, keeps a solemn touch on the proceedings. The creepiest shot being a puppet show for children that reenacts the beheading.
In private, Gawain is terrified of the task before him. He doesn’t believe he’s destined for greatness and it shows. Gawain’s journey starts off on a terrible note. He runs into a scavenger played in impeccably creepy fashion by Barry Keoghan. This first exchange makes it clear how unprepared Gawain is for this task.
Gaiwan fails repeatedly throughout the journey with one exception. In my favorite part of The Green Knight, Gawain finds a seemingly abandoned cottage where he meets Winifred played by Erin Kellyman (The Falcon and The Winter Soldier). She asks for his help and he agrees to help her. Patel and Kellyman are fantastic here. Gawain is always a step behind everyone he encounters. He tries to use a lesson learned from the scavenger, but Winifred blasts this particular notion apart. Gawain doesn’t do everything right, but this is one of the few scenes in The Green Knight in which he does something almost honorable.
Gawain also meets a lord played with charisma to spare by Edgerton and his wife. The Lady bears an identical resemblance to Essel, but is in a more appropriate class for Gawain. The Lady repeatedly puts Gawain in his place. Vikander is outstanding throughout this sequence. She’s far more intelligent than Gawain and uses her cunning to showcase Gawain’s lack of honor.
An Unknown World
When Gawain meets The Green Knight again, the encounter starts in a strange place and ends in an appropriately ethereal fashion.
Gawain isn’t alone on his journey. A lovely and strangely loyal fox stays by Gawain’s side for much of the journey. The Green Knight is full of outstanding shots which provide glimpses into a more fantastical story than the one they’re telling.
From a production standpoint, The Green Knight is flawless. Frequent Lowery collaborator, Daniel Hart, turns in a wonderful score.
The Green Knight Final Thoughts
Lowery’s version of The Green Knight is strange, yet largely wonderful. Patel is sensational in every scene. Without his performance, this film simply can’t work. Kellyman, Vikander and Edgerton help flesh out this world worth exploring.
The Review
The Green Knight
PROS
- Dev Petel's best performance to date. The film sits on his shoulders and he's fantastic in every scene.
- Every frame is gorgeous.
- Daniel Hart's score fits the film like a glove.
- Alicia Vikander, Erin Kellyman and Joel Edgerton deliver appropriately creepy and at times seductive supporting performances.
CONS
- Very slow, deliberate pace throughout the film.
- There's more than one scene that's odd for the sake of being odd instead of serving the overall story.
