KRR: So, 'The Green Knight' is a Beautiful Mixture of the Brazen and the Bleak.
David Lowery, the acclaimed auteur behind Ain't Them Bodies Saints, A Ghost Story, and The Old Man & the Gun, said he originally set out to make a movie about "a knight on a horse." But, as these things tend to do - especially when they're under Lowery's control - the concept grew from a minimalistic idea to a maximalist construct. What resulted from that growth is one of the most beautiful, meticulously crafted films of the year.
The Green Knight is the child of Lowery's "knight on a horse" idea and an Arthurian legend. The film follows Gawain (played by Dev Patel), the nephew of King Arthur, who is nothing more than a drunkard who lives with his mother. That is until one Christmas morning when the Green Knight, a hefty, wooden giant, confronts the Knights of the Round Table and challenges them to a game: Lay a strike against him in combat. The twist? If one succeeds then in one year's time they must venture north to the Green Citadel and receive the same blow back. A strike for a strike. Gawain, looking to make something of himself, steps forward with King Arthur's sword, accepts the challenge, and beheads the Green Knight.
But the Green Knight does not die. His great wooden body mounts his steed, holding the head of the still living giant, and dashes north, laughing maniacally on the way out. What follows is the story of "Sir" Gawain's quest to find the Green Citadel and receive his blow one year later. And while that sounds like it would make for a grandiose, Lord of the Rings-esque fantasy adventure, The Green Knight is anything but. Instead, it is a sparse coffee-table book of stunning visuals and meditative self reflection.
-SPOILERS AHEAD-
"Honor," Gawain answers when asked why he is seeking the Green Knight. "That is why a knight does what he does." A strange thing to hear muttered from the mouth of Dev Patel, as Patel has become one of the most venerated and beloved actors in Hollywood. That's precisely what makes him the perfect fit to portray Gawain. It's clear from the outset of the film that Gawain is our protagonist, but for once in Dev Patel's career, is his character really worth rooting for?
Yes, The Green Knight's protagonist is endearing, but he's also an out of touch, careless slob. Like any mid-20s-something still living with his parents, he's a little too self-obsessed and a little too unmotivated. Time and again throughout The Green Knight, Gawain does what most knights wouldn't: He doesn't help those he comes across, he explicitly expects rewards for his favors, he acts anything but nobly. The very reason for him going on the quest is because he acted foolishly. A smarter man would only cut the Green Knight slightly, knowing he would only receive the same cut in return. To behead is definitionally "overkill."
Practical effects so good, you'd think they actually beheaded Ralph Ineson.
However, it's because Gawain is so haphazardly ordinary - too naïve, too selfish, too foolhardy - that makes his hero's journey so extraordinary. The Green Knight features no largescale fight scenes, no storming of castles, no rescuing princesses. It may follow in the footsteps of the fantasy films before it, but it does so with seemingly no intention of recreating their success. The Green Knight is not about a knight earning his honor on the battlefield or by slaying a monster; instead, it is about a knight seeking to find the honor within himself.
In that way, this fantasy film is less Lord of the Rings and more The Alchemist. The dialogue is sparse, the action is drawn out, and the sets are meant to serve as portraits rather than places. Of course, like any good fantasy adventure, there are mythical beings along the way: Foxes that can talk, giants the size of mountains who wander endlessly, and ghosts in search of being set free. Gawain encounters these beings as he stumbles through royal forests, cold mountaintops, and barren battlefields, but his focus never wavers from his one true quest: To find greatness.
Lowery even makes grey look great.
Greatness for Sir Gawain, in both the poem and movie alike, is found at the Green Citadel, where he is to complete his end of the Green Knight's bargain and receive his blow. While Gawain's particular quest is wholly unique, his search for a greater self-worth is universal. All of us, especially when we are in our twenties, are prone to some soul searching. We all climb the same pyramid towards self-actualization. That climb may mean having a family, it may mean accumulating vast amounts of money, it may mean kayaking in Patagonia, or - in the case of The Green Knight's flawed, but relentless protagonist - it may mean facing your destiny head on. Excuse the pun.
That story is something we can all relate to, regardless of how one feels leaving the movie theater. I'm sure many moviegoers left feeling underwhelmed by the lack of action, the meandering plot, the philosophical nature of a movie that could be chockfull of epic clashes and grandiose set pieces. While it may not be for everyone, that doesn't mean The Green Knight isn't excellent. It is. In fact, it is rather grand in its vision and execution, and while it may not be brimming with battles, it is packed wall-to-wall with ideas about self-worth, family expectations, the color green, and ultimately how one chooses to live their life.
"Green is what is left when ardor dies," Alicia Vikander.
To pin-point what exactly makes The Green Knight so special is no easy task. It's not any one thing: From Patel's performance, to the performances of those around him, namely Alicia Vikander, Joel Edgerton, and Sean Harris, to the exceptional score, to the beautiful editing (which David Lowery did himself throughout quarantine), to the gut-wrenching and thought-provoking ending, all of it blends seamlessly together.
The legend of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight may be melancholic, but it is also boldly life-affirming. David Lowery planted the seeds of excellence in every facet of The Green Knight. Now, he can follow in the footsteps of the poem's protagonist, and reap what is sowed: Greatness.
Shout the praises of The Green Knight from the mountaintops.
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