The Green Knight - Movie Review

What do you get when you take a portion of Arthurian legend, add a dash of hallucinogenics, and some of the best production design ever featured on a silver screen? I don’t know if I have an answer, but it’s an A24 film, so it gets a minimum 4 stars.

Let’s discuss.

The Green Knight is a metaphor inside of a parable, but let’s just call it a fantasy walking simulator brought to us by the guy who edited Upstream Color. If you’ve seen that film, you know what being confused and uncomfortable is all about. Anyway, writer/director David Lowery masterfully adapts the story of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight which comes from the ancient alliterative poem from the mysterious Pearl Poet. It is one of the rarest manuscripts and one of the most hotly debated in literary circles. J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis both were fixated by the character and in turn had their own versions of him appear in their respective writings. In my life, the story of Sir Gawain was always my favorite of the legends. As a child, I didn’t understand the meaning behind it. Thus, much like Dev Patel in the film, as a man, I realize my failings.

The film follows spoiled rich kid and knight in training Gawain. He wastes his nights in brothels and bars awaiting the morning when he will be king. His uncle, the king (played by the always incredible Sean Harris), is nearing his end. With no heir to take the throne, Gawain and his mother expect they will ascend to the throne. That is until a coven of witches summon a challenger on Christmas morning. The Green Knight demands a game and Gawain, as foolhardy, accepts the challenge. Yet, when he stands victorious over the decapitated combatant, he feels nothing but shame. The Green Knight rises and takes his head, reminding Gawain that in one year’s time—it will be his head that will roll. What follows is a journey through a fantastic land of monsters and myths. Wonders and horror await Gawain at every turn. Will he find the courage to face the Green Knight’s final gambit, or will he turn his back on becoming the man he’s destined to be?

So, this is an A24 film. There isn’t a film company of which I have more fondness. When you sit down to view an A24 production, you don’t know what to expect. You sit in abject terror wondering what will happen. There are no rules. The Witch, The Lighthouse, Midsommar, Saint Maud, and Hereditary are just a few of the amazing experiences this production has given me. If any film company could product an adaptation to my book Eden, I would want it to be A24. That is if they could find a transgender actress to play Eve.

But I digress.

I gush over A24 because one: I can, it’s my website, and I’m pretty much the only reader, and two: I need you to know where I stand. I am bias towards this company’s productions. However, I run into issues with this film in particular.

Let’s dive deeper.

I’d warn you about spoilers, but there’s absolutely no way I can spoil the film. Watch it, you’ll understand.

This film is beautifully shot which isn’t surprising since they used the services of DOP / Cinematographer extraordinaire Andrew Droz Palermo. You may recognize the name from awesome films like You’re Next and A Ghost Story. They shot the film in remote parts of Ireland and the extra money spent on true location shooting pays the film back by the truckload. The scenery in this film is the true star. That’s no disrespect to Dev, but there were multiple moments when I turned to my film watching compatriots and ooed and awed at a shot.

In a similar vein, the practical effects and costuming were breathtaking. Everything looks damp, dirty, and completely accurate to the historical setting. The clothing the characters where looks like it was hand woven on set. Everything is hand stitched, everything looks organically dyed. The attention to detail is impressive.

However—I wish more attention had gone to the entertainment factor. You see, I loved this film. I can’t explain it. For me, seeing one of my favorite childhood stories adapted into a big budget production moved me. The fact that the filmmakers truly understood the message of the poem (in my opinion) struck me. It left me with a weight in my heart as I contemplated all the mistakes I’ve made and all the people I’ve hurt in my struggle to become a good man. It stirred the demons in the bottle of my heart.

But I’m a romantic weirdo—obviously.

For the average viewer who would pay for a viewing of the film it would be a different story. Looking at the film objectively, it’s an art film. The plot is the barest thread, hanging loose in the wind. There isn’t a whole lot to grab onto. In its base form, the story concerns a spoiled rich kid who beats up serfs at the bar, because he knows they won’t hit him back due to his higher standing in society. He romances a sex worker at a brothel on alternative nights. He makes her think they’re in love, just so he can indulge his kink. He’s sent on a quest of self discovery due to his brash arrogance and we tag along with only scant lines of dialogue and a surprisingly graphic handjob.

No, I’m not going into more detail on that last part.

It’s not an engaging story for most of us. I’ve been slightly below blue collar most of my life. I was the poor kid with a scholarship to a rich school. I lived in my car many nights when I couldn’t find a friend’s house to crash at. I had friend’s rich parents tell me that my mother was going to hell for divorcing my emotionally abusive father. Needless to say, I have a hard time rooting for the wealthy in most circumstances.

There’s also the fact that nothing happens for a good chunk of the film. The advertising for the movie made it look like this was an adventure film. I went back and watched a couple of trailers and found that they both contained jump cut edits of the same handful of scenes from a single sequence of the film to make it look like there were battle scenes.

Spoiler—there aren’t.

You get to watch Dev Patel walk around amazing vistas, vomit in caves, and scream at titans. All of this is done in silence and soundtrack. The music is beautiful, the images are glorious, but beyond that it’s just a long walk.

Did I love the movie?

YES.

Can I recommend it to the average viewer?

nope.

I can’t recommend someone spend money on this film. I would recommend waiting for it’s inevitable arrival on Amazon Prime for free. The major thought that nagged me throughout the film was that this reminds me of another film, Valhalla Rising. But Valhalla Rising has so much more to it than this. Where Valhalla Rising gives you silence, therein lies a mystery. With The Green Knight, it plays at being a narrative, but lacks a conflict to keep the audience entertained.

Watch this movie if you’re an A24 junky and you need to fill out your punchcard for the decoder ring.

Otherwise, look at the screen caps and enjoy those instead.