The Green Knight Review

The Green Knight

Director: David Lowery
Cast Headliners: Dev Patel, Alicia Vikander, Sean Harris, Ralph Ineson, misc others
Original Release Date : July 30th, 2021 (Theatrical Only) 

Does destiny exist? Can we change who we're meant to be and can we ever escape our fates whether victory or doom?  For being thousands of years old Arthurian legend has some surprisingly important lessons for any era. Maybe it's because of these timeless lessons that the tiles of them are still fresh, timeless, and enjoyable in the modern day. The Green Knight is A24 / director David Lowery's attempt of turning the original art into something old yet new and it works for the most part astoundingly. 

No exact era is given other than some time in (a very fantastical-touched) Medieval England where we find our main plot for Sir Gawain (Dev Patel ) living in a castle. Here he serves the legendary King Arthur (Sean Harris) as well as his mysterious Mother (Sarita Choudhury who doesn't say much at all ). That's when he's not seeing a prostitute / lover Essel (Alicia Vikander).  It's a literally drab cycle of debauchery and secularism  until the fearsome, grassy titular demon Green Knight (a fearsome brogued Ralph Ineson) arrives on one Christmas day that begins a metaphysical and gorgeous journey. 

This opening sequence, not too far into the film, is an absolute standout. Flames and air flicker ominously and the audio is impeccable. The movie perhaps slows down or becomes confusing at times so brief moments of action or tension are welcome. It's more of a battle of the soul than of the flesh but there's some light unnerving blood that begins the journey.

What an incredible journey it is. Words cannot easily describe the surreal aesthetic and ambiance of the film. While it often is just mundane forests / mountains / castles everything is shot with such beatiful direction and cinematography from Lowery.  Each shot hums with quality whether near or far or real vs dreaming. It feels like a journey into a page of an illustrated bible or its own dark fever state. The sparseness of encounters with the supernatural (like the Green Knight) make their impact that much more impressive. Stellar music, whether period or modern-esque, by composer Daniel Hart adds to the proceedings as well. 

The acting is stellar for the most part. Patel's Gawain struggles with bravery and adequacy. It's a tenacity not seen since Leonardo DiCaprio in the Revenant as he is in transit to his goals. Emotional feels, some jokes, romance, planning...a solid turn. His scenes with Vikander's Essell are some good romantic moments. Meanwhile Harris' King brings (sometimes too) soft-spoken words of encouragement and wisdom.     More bit parts by Barry Keoghan, Erin Kellyman, and Joel Edgerton are good as well aside the unnamed or less-involved.  The dialogues give things a Greek myth-like quality that varies from humor to spooky. 

While it's achievements in acting and audio-visuals of course should be praised what makes this film so excellent is it's morality and sense of time. So many things have hidden meanings or foreshadowing...this is pure art with many ways to interepret. Cool logo and chapter effects on text offer more literal art as well and hints to what it all means. Time must be seen firsthand but results in one of the most amazing sequences in films in recent memory.  

That's what this film is overall: a lot. It can be an overwhelming avalanche of brain-thinking and metaphor amidst slower periods so don't come in expecting a swashbuckling blockbuster that's easy to understand. However for those willing to ponder deep themes and have their mind / soul filled with wonder it's a great achievement bringing that A24 film one knows and loves . 9 out of 10