Close Menu
NERDBOT
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram YouTube
    Subscribe
    NERDBOT
    • News
      • Reviews
    • Movies & TV
    • Comics
    • Gaming
    • Collectibles
    • Science & Tech
    • Culture
    • Nerd Voices
    • About Us
      • Join the Team at Nerdbot
    NERDBOT
    Home»News»Review»“The Green Knight” is a Meditation on Arthurian Legend [Review]
    Review

    “The Green Knight” is a Meditation on Arthurian Legend [Review]

    Bill WattersBy Bill WattersJuly 28, 20214 Mins Read
    Share
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest Reddit WhatsApp Email

    A24’s “The Green Knight” is unlike anything an audience is expecting when they settle into their seats in the theater, but that’s what makes it so special. It’s not a wall-to-wall action film. If you are only looking for sword fights and jousts, perhaps revisiting “A Knight’s Tale” is a better idea. But if you are willing to go down the rabbit hole of Medieval French-inspired chivalric tales, this is probably among the best of its kind.

    The film feels at times like something out of a dream, always certain that there are layers of meaning that will enhance the experience for those familiar with “Sir Gawain and The Green Knight” literary traditions. But even for those who are not, it still is entirely straightforward enough to follow. For example, the story’s King and Queen are never named, which is fine, and not needed for the point of the film. However, if you know that the Gawain’s uncle is in fact King Arthur, then the story becomes all the richer. It is not a young Arthur, but one late in his reign, in the waining days of Camelot, and that choice can also speak to the story itself.

    Since it doesn’t bother to feed in the backstories, it can remain focused on its own path rather than being bogged down with extemporization. There are moments and segments which appear as if out of a rolling fog, and disappear just as quickly. But that’s how epic poems were crafted and intended – one moment there is a quest, another there’s bandits to be overcome, then there’s some Christian imagery, and the next will be magic.

    The story opens on Christmas, with the King (played by “The Borgias’” Sean Harris) and Queen (“The Witch’s” Kate Dickie) holding court, when the mysterious figure of The Green Knight comes riding into their midst holding a holly bough. He challenges anyone present to a game. Anyone may choose to fight him, and if they give him any form of wound, then he will give them his massive axe, but in one year’s time, they must travel to the Green Abbey where the Knight must be allowed to repay the injury. Gawain (“The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel’s” Dev Patel) takes up the challenge, and the result and his seeking out the Abbey the following Christmas forms the core of his quest.

    There are nuances that can be dived into- such as the dual roles played by Alicia Vikander– or you can just go with it and enjoy it as an eccentric tale of a person’s quest for honor and why it drives them, and when it carries them off their path.

    While the arc doesn’t follow all of The Green Knight’s literary cycle, the amount to which it holds true to it is nothing short of amazing, and the production design will absolutely be on most of the nomination lists when award season comes around. Most characters and moments would not feel that out of place as a panel on the Bayeux Tapestry (okay, yes, to you who will point out that the Tapestry predates The Green Knight’s tale by several centuries, I’m just commenting that this is a great relief relative to the abomination of historical costuming that has been happening all too often in recent years in film).

    Adapted for the screen and also directed by David Lowery, who previously similarly showed a proficient hand at exploring a character’s journey in 2017’s “A Ghost Story,” has managed to create something that will be at the least a classic for its key audience.

    “The Green Knight” opens in theaters everywhere on July 30th and is rated R.

    Rating: 9 stars out of 10

    Do You Want to Know More?

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit Email
    Previous ArticleRated 10% or Less: Bruce Willis Stars in “Cosmic Sin”
    Next Article Best Whirlpool Refrigerators For Small Families In India
    Bill Watters
    • Facebook
    • X (Twitter)

    Bill Watters is a child of the late 70s- he walked into a theater to watch Star Wars, and emerged to become a lifelong fan of cinema and television. Spending nearly a decade as a projectionist, he fell into the Silicon Valley dot-com boom and became a codemonkey for a range of game companies. These days he's a frequent speaker, moderator, and panelist at pop-culture events and conventions, as well as a prolific film and television critic and genre news writer. He is also a member critic of both the San Francisco Film Critics Circle and the Broadcast Film Critics Association. In addition to his writing, he is also a photojournalist and can be found on Getty Images.

    Related Posts

    The Daily Jaws Announces 50th Anniversary Interview Series

    June 20, 2025

    Telegram Founder Pavel Durov Leaving Estate to His 100+ Kids

    June 20, 2025

    High-Tech Diagnostic Imaging Solutions at Adventist Health

    June 18, 2025

    10 Tips for Choosing a Personal Injury Attorney

    June 18, 2025

    How Do I Know If I Have a Pilonidal Cyst or Something Else?

    June 18, 2025

    What Is The Mortality Rate For Pilonidal Cysts?

    June 18, 2025
    • Latest
    • News
    • Movies
    • TV
    • Reviews

    Russell Crowe to Co-Star With Henry Cavill “Highlander”

    June 20, 2025

    The Daily Jaws Announces 50th Anniversary Interview Series

    June 20, 2025

    Mattel SDCC Exclusives: Monster High Elvira, Mario Kart Pauline

    June 20, 2025

    Telegram Founder Pavel Durov Leaving Estate to His 100+ Kids

    June 20, 2025

    The Daily Jaws Announces 50th Anniversary Interview Series

    June 20, 2025

    Telegram Founder Pavel Durov Leaving Estate to His 100+ Kids

    June 20, 2025

    High-Tech Diagnostic Imaging Solutions at Adventist Health

    June 18, 2025

    10 Tips for Choosing a Personal Injury Attorney

    June 18, 2025

    Russell Crowe to Co-Star With Henry Cavill “Highlander”

    June 20, 2025
    Billy the puppet "Saw"

    Blumhouse Nabs “Saw” Franchise Rights

    June 18, 2025
    "The Texas Chain Saw Massacre," 1974

    “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” Returns to Theaters for One Night Only

    June 18, 2025

    “Death Stranding” is ALSO Getting an Animated Film?!

    June 18, 2025

    Netflix, Legendary Want to Remake “Land of the Lost”

    June 17, 2025

    “King of the Hill” Revival Gets Father’s Day Clip

    June 15, 2025

    What is BFDI (Battle for Dream Island)? An Interview With My Kid

    June 15, 2025

    Temuera Morrison Wants to Play Live-Action Captain Rex

    June 14, 2025

    Official My Little Pony Coffee UNICORN POWERS Will Have You Feeling Magical!

    June 16, 2025

    Halfway Through 2025: These Are The Best Films (So Far)

    June 15, 2025

    Car Branding Solutions: Do’s & Don’ts to Promote Business

    June 13, 2025

    APPLEJACK’S Caramel Apple by JOYGROUND COFFEE is a Sweet Treat All Year-Round

    June 12, 2025
    Check Out Our Latest
      • Product Reviews
      • Reviews
      • SDCC 2021
      • SDCC 2022
    Related Posts
    • Screening for Meaning: We Need More Films Like "Pig," "The Green Knight"
    • "The Green Knight" Will Be Available to Stream for 1 Night Only
    • Watch: "The Green Knight" Meets King Arthur in new Clip
    NERDBOT
    Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram YouTube
    Nerdbot is owned and operated by Nerds! If you have an idea for a story or a cool project send us a holler on [email protected]

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.