Dog’s Movie House: “The Green Knight” A Trippy Experience That’s Not For Everyone!”

In “The Green Knight” Patel plays Gawain, a noble who is not yet a knight, yet aspires to be one despite his penchant for carousing at the local brothel and engaging in vigorous bouts of social drinking. He just happens to be the nephew of King Arthur (Sean Harris) who at this point is frail and aging but still commands the respect of his Knights. During the Christmas celebration, they are interrupted by the arrival of the fearsome Green Knight (Ralph Ineson) who lays down a challenge to any knight to accept. The challenge is thus: land a blow on the Green Knight and promise to seek said Knight out a year later at the Green Chapel to allow the Green Knight to return the favor. Gawain takes the challenge and cuts off the Knight’s head. Imagine everyone’s surprise when the Green Knight gets up, grabs his head and leaves, laughing all the way. Now Gawain has to seek out the Green Knight in a year’s time to honor his obligation which means potentially losing his head. Thus begins a strange and frightening journey that will test Gawain’s character as both a potential Knight and a human being.

To tell you anymore would be to deprive of the experience of watching “The Green Knight” with an open mind. Needless to say Gawain encounters giants, talking animals, a ghost or two and some very real bandits, among other things. Each experience is meant to teach Gawain more about his worth as a man and the values he needs to be a true Knight. However the style in which Lowry films “The Green Knight” makes one think, from time to time, that this whole journey might be taking place inside his head. The film has that surreal quality that reminds me of classic horror films like “The Shining.” For the most part it’s a good thing and a bold filmmaking choice, but those who want something a little more like “Excalibur” are going to find themselves frustrated. This is not your usual sword-and-sorcery pic, folks.

Patel is wonderful as Gawain, giving a multilayered performance that show’s Gawain’s flaws as well as his considerable virtues. This is Gawain as he potentially really was as a human being, but Patel’s performance makes him no less noble. Harris, best known as a villain in the Missiom Impossible series, carries the gravitas and dignity of an aging Arthur who wants to see the greatness in his nephew. He also wants to make up for lost time as he has spent little time with Gawain up until this point. Ineson is terrifying under all that makeup as The Green Knight, but he manages to imbue a great deal of humanity in the character, especially during the film’s finale. Other fine performances come from the likes of Joel Edgerton, Alicia Vikander, and Erin Kellyman, all of whose characters are surreal in nature to the point of being almost spectral.

To repeat: “The Green Knight” is not an action film: it’s a surreal piece of beautiful filmmaking that works best as a fantasy-drama. The visuals and performances are outstanding and if the storytelling itself is a little vague at times, I find it actually works for the film if you’re vibing with it like I was. It’s definitely a bold and invigorating experience for the adult fan of fantasy films. 4 Out Of 5 On Kendog’s Barkometer! So Sayeth The Kendog!

Pages: 1 2