>>REVIEW
BEOWULF AND GRENDEL
STARRING Gerard Butler, Ingvar Eggert Sigurdsson and Sarah Polley
DIRECTED BY Sturla Gunnarsson
Opens Friday, March 10
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Medieval dramas can be amazing portrayals of the past or dull, droning wastes of time. Thankfully, Beowulf and Grendel is the former.
This interpretation of the hero and the troll set in 500 AD, is both entertaining and thought provoking. Director Sturla Gunnarson has created a movie that shows the folly of ignorance and wisdom of responsibility.
The themes running through this movie are as huge as the sprawling coastlines of Iceland where it was filmed. Christianity takes a good-natured beating in the form of a rabid priest who becomes so enraptured by his beliefs that he quite literally swoons and passes out.
This interpretation of the epic poem with Danish king Hrothgar, haunted and taunted by a vengeful troll with a decapitating fetish, is riddled with truths that defy time. There is an immediate, distinct and welcome sense of humanity in this movie.
The film follows Grendel (Ingvar Eggert Sigurdsson), the troll, who goes on a revenge killing rampage throughout King Hrothgar’s kingdom. The King summons Beowulf (Gerald Butler) to defeat Grendel,, and what starts off as your basic good versus evil tale, takes on an unexpected complexity as our hero discovers that the King may be as evil as the person he was sent out to defeat. Beowulf is a man caught between loyalty and morality.
Watching Grendel hack off his own arm to escape Beowulf is wincingly heart-wrenching. It’s also a pivotal moment for the often-praised hero, as he sees his opponent’s frailty for the first time. Grendel, the villain, becomes more human than Beowulf.
There are moments that could be interpreted as digs to the current state of world affairs. As the people’s fear of the troll increases, they begin turning to the jabbering priest for protection. The scenes of baptism are both comedic and disturbing and show the willingness to embrace religion in times of uncertainty.
The scenes with swordplay and gritty hand-to-hand combat are infused with enough humour to keep them from becoming gratuitous. For the king, owning up to his own greed and offhanded slaying of Grendel’s father seems to give him some relief. He gradually accepts his responsibility and appears to find peace. Sarah Polley is riveting and enrapturing as the witch Selma who beguiles Beowulf and befriends Grendel.
There’s no doubt that this film will create some controversy with its cheeky take on the oldest of Anglo-Saxon literature, but that’s a good thing. Every part of this movie is entertaining and enlightening. The acting is effortless, the scenery is stunning and the message is universal. |
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