The Green Knight

A compilation of pagan music videos and illustrative animations in strategy video games for which I'm very glad they filmed it and managed to keep the scenic look without helping themselves to the usual downplaying. The collective experience in the cinema was first-rate, as the annoyed snorting of the cellphone-wielding dudes who went to see something like The Witcher took on the intensity of an asthma attack towards the end. It's got its problems – Dev Patel doesn't have the requisite charisma, the digital vixens' speeches shouldn't exceed the length of the phrase "Chaos reigns", and unfortunately for the film, we also have to work with the fact that it was made in the same world as Kurzel's Macbeth. Still, it would be a shame to nitpick and patronize it unnecessarily, if only because this type of experience is truly rare in contemporary cinema. And 15 freaking mega?! Believe me, it looks like it cost five times that. (17/09/2021)

Watching The Green Knight, my mind often wandered to Robert Eggers's The Witch, which also tried to spice up typical genre expectations and was atmospherically close to David Lowery's film. The Green Knight is an artistic affair with all the pros and cons that come with it. It is an audiovisually captivating film, full of metaphors and symbolism, but one that is very challenging to watch, both in terms of narrative devices and the gradual build-up of the plot. Anyone who has ever read a heroic epic will recognise that Lowery's film is similarly constructed: a young (almost) knight embarks on a heroic quest to win honour (and, at the cost of his own life, even immortality), meeting various characters who, in a fashion, shape and test him along the way. I'm on the fence about rating between three and four stars. The film was very nice to watch, but it was also a challenge. Well, better three stars! (18/09/2021)

A visual feast for the eyes with an inspiring message, which is worth waiting for. In his retelling of the poem about Sir Gawain, Lowery doesn’t hurry anywhere and lets the beauty of nature shine on through. He frequently baffles the viewers and throws them into confusing situations which may or may not be hallucinations, magic or a figment of the hero’s imagination. Dev Patel acts extremely well, both in the position of the cowardly show-off and the pensive hero looking for his place in the world. Alicia Vikander is fascinating in her role of an alluring hostess and temptress, Edgerton is unexpectedly enigmatic, amused almost. Diversions from the original material are a breath of fresh air and allowing them to address a wide variety of topics. Not everybody will like it. There are no action scenes, and some storylines are minor without huge impact on the story, but they inspire thought. A resonating movie. Remember, it is only a game. (29/08/2021)

A person is a social creature and as such is forced to play social roles practically throughout their entire life. Denying them brings misunderstanding, isolation, and contempt from others. We are simply much less free than we think in our pride. The protagonist of the film, Gawain, is not an exemplary knight - in fact, he doesn't even aspire to that position and knightly virtues are somewhat meaningless to him. However, when confronted with the royal court and the wishes of the royal majesty himself, he commits an act out of zeal that signifies the end of his previous life. David Lowery dismisses fans of commercial fantasy fairy tales and maliciously strips his film of all the usual genre elements that audiences enjoy in such productions. Instead, he serves a slow, visually embellished journey of his hero in pursuit of fulfilling his destiny. It's a journey where Lowery systematically tears down Gawain and deprives him of any nobility and heroism. In return, he makes him deeply human and, as shown in the final confrontation with the Green Knight, willing to accept his fate. I saw the film as part of the Karlovy Vary Film Festival late in the evening, which didn't do me any favors, as I struggled to stay awake. Due to the intimate nature of the work, I couldn't avoid a few micro-naps, which cost it a star. An afternoon screening might have propelled The Green Knight to the highest rating, as the director made a positive impression on me. I would reward it with 80% and recommend seeing the film, ideally on the big screen where its visuals shine. (23/11/2021)

Such a powerful experience that it was perhaps an outright blast. The Green Knight is a gorgeous looking and smart film chock full of ideas, hints, symbols and whatnot that I definitely didn't catch or understand the first time around, but that makes me want to watch it again all the more. Excalibur? What Excalibur? And the music! (26/03/2023)