The Green Knight

The Green Knight
Starring Dev Patel, Alicia Vikander, Joel Edgerton, Sarita Choudhury
Directed by David Lowery

The English poet James Shirley once wrote: "The glories of our blood and state are shadows, not substantial things. There is no armor against fate. Death lays his icy hand on kings. Scepter and crown must tumble down, and, in the dust, be equal made with the poor crooked scythe and spade." The concept of fate and accepting it weighs heavy in David Lowery's masterwork "The Green Knight," a slow burn film about a hero's journey, a man who is virtuous but also deceptive, someone who is fearful yet also fearless. A man who must accept his own fate but also wants to change it, but slowly understands that it might not be possible. It's a fantastical, ethereal, and downright soul-impacting film that's filled to the brim with some of the most lavish visuals and unnerving music set to screen in recent memory, a film that - like the poem it's based - will be everlasting.

Gawain (Dev Patel) is the nephew to the great King Arthur (Sean Harris), and whose Mother (Sarita Choudhury) is a feared witch. During a Christmastime dinner at Arthur's round table, he invites Gawain to sit with him and Queen Guinevere (Kate Dickie) and Arthur asks him to tell him a tale. Before Gawain can oblige, the doors open and the Green Knight (Ralph Ineson) - a half-man half-tree - enters the room on a horse and carrying a big axe. He wants to play a Christmas game - have one of Arthur's knights strike him one blow, and if he manages to do this he will receive the Green Knight's axe, but if he does accomplish this, he must go to the Green Knight's castle one year later to receive the same blow back. Gawain volunteers, and cuts off the head of the Green Knight, but he doesn't die. Instead his body picks up his head and warns Gawain that he has one year before riding off.

Gawain spends the next year with his girlfriend Essel (Alicia Vikander) and living a famed yet feared life as the next Christmas looms near. Finally he embarks on his journey begrudgingly to see the Green Knight after receiving an enchanted green girdle made by his mother that will keep him from all harm. Along the way he runs into an eccentric Scavenger (Barry Keoghan), a mysterious woman who asks a unique request (Erin Kellyman), a powerful Lord (Joel Edgerton) who welcomes Gawain with open arms, along with a traveling fox and traveling giants, all of whom affect Gawain as he nears his fate - the possible final meeting with the Green Knight.

I remember reading about King Arthur and his Round Table in high school and college, but going into the film I didn't remember a lot about Gawain or his story. I found that going into the film with less knowledge is better, because it adds to the continual sense of dread and mystery that David Lowery expertly sprinkles throughout his adventure. The film itself is based on an anonymous work titled "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight" from the 14th Century, but of course Lowery takes several liberties with the work to make it something uniquely his own.

Dev Patel plays Gawain, and it's easily his best work to date, and will be difficult to top in the future. Not only does he give some riveting speeches, but how his body and face reacts to situations speaks volumes without uttering a word. You witness this once dastardly man struggling with his better angels as he is almost pulled by another entity to a fate that he doesn't want to accept, and it's utterly, simply, beautifully fantastic to behold. His journey is that like a dream, or more comparatively a tale that Arthur wanted to hear at the beginning of the film play out on the screen for our viewing pleasure. His journey parallels that of the fabled tale, as each section appears like its own chapter, a journey where Gawain learns and adapts as he transforms into someone completely different - a man more willing to face his fate, but still tries to pull back from it as well.

His journey is met with several unique characters played by actors who provide their A-game and so much more. Alicia Vikander shines as Gawain's girlfriend Essel but moreso later on, providing an unblinking speech that is soul-crushing and also exactly what the film entails: the Green Knight isn't human, but is the essence of the earth itself: green, alive, and something eternal. Joel Edgerton plays the Lord with a charm that's also a bit unnerving, as you seem to know that he's wanting something more than what he's giving. Sean Harris and Kate Dickie play an older Arthur and Guinevere whose fighting days have long past, and are now more seasoned and humbled. Ralph Ineson plays the titular Green Knight with an immortal presence, a foreboding force of nature that is unstoppable yet also sympathetic. Barry Keoghan shines as an eccentric Scavenger who obviously has ulterior motives, while "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier" standout Erin Kellyman's mysterious woman is equal parts elegant and terrifying. Not one performance is phoned in, and not one second of dialogue (or screen presence) is wasted.

"The Green Knight" is a slow burn to be sure, a film that doesn't boast a lot of epic medieval action that you've come to expect from an Arthurian film, so if you're going into it thinking it's going to be a nonstop action epic you will be disappointed. But if you go into the film thinking you'll witness something visually unique (thanks to the commanding cinematography by Andrew Droz Palermo) and something whose music (thanks to the magisterial work of Daniel Hart) will stir in your soul days, weeks, months, and probably years later, then you'll witness a thing of terrifyingly unique beauty. "The Green Knight" is a thoughtful film that will be open for debate at the end, and it's one that you'll want to talk about over and over again.

Focusing on the theme of fate and the cycle of life, "The Green Knight" balances its centuries-old inspiration with modern visual storytelling that weaves its own dream-like spell on the viewer, impacting your soul and leaving you spellbound long after the credits end.

The Score: A+