Review: The Green Knight (2021)
What is the measure of a man? The Green Knight offers an answer in a way, or at least shows one man’s search for an answer, in a style that is both raw and dreamy. The earnest protagonist inhabits a world filled not with characters, but with the embodiments of expectations and temptations. The movie pulls you along with Gawain’s quest as he is torn between what he feels he wants and what he thinks he wants. Dev Patel, as Gawain, very much carries the film, as the out-of-his-depth boy desperately trying to look like he belongs in this mystical (grown-up?) world. I might be projecting here, but it’s been a while since a movie managed to vibrate my strings like that. Of course, it might not pull you along at all. Your mileage may definitely vary, depending on your willingness to go along with what is, in essence, a fairy tale. Explanations are irrelevant; it is what it is, so you better learn to deal with it.
Why does it have to be greatness? Why can’t goodness be enough?
I have a bachelor’s degree in English literature, which means that if somebody would mention Gawain and the Green Knight to me, I’d look very thoughtful and try to remember anything other than the title. Nobody ever does, luckily, so it’s not much of an issue. And even here, in what feels like a straight up adaptation (even though it isn’t), I was never bothered by my ignorance of the source material. Instead, The Green Knight (the movie) knows how to be economical with its setup, creating its world with broad strokes, a few key details and the occasional well-placed trope. (Will I ever get tired of a table full of people standing up and drawing their swords simultaneously? No, I don’t think I will.) By the time Gawain’s quest begins in earnest, the weight of what is expected of him, including by himself, creates a dread tension that barely lifts again for the duration of the movie.
Visually the movie is amazing, with exquisite shot after exquisite shot. But it is the soundscape that connects the experience, marrying in-shot sounds with medieval tones and melodies to take the viewer along for Gawain’s quest. Dev Patel, as said, is nothing short of amazing. Through no fault of their own the rest of the cast, while great, are all pretty much playing second, uhm, lute here. Yes, even Alicia Vikander.
So, yeah, go watch The Green Knight, and watch it in theaters if you can. It’s well worth it.
