Movie Review: The Green Knight Is A Very Distinct Legend
It should be noted that A) I love to read, especially myths from around the world and across time B) I always admire cinematic risks, especially if they are trying to make a unique story. Okay, I know it sounds like I am about to give The Green Knight a bad review, but I AM NOT!!!!!! Written and directed by David Lowery, this is a film to observe and absorb not, necessarily, to toss in your week for “funsies.”
Firstly, A24 is becoming to movies what Miramax was to the 90s…. minus all that Weinstein horror. They know how to find and bank films that, whether you love or hate them, you remember them, and The Green Knight is so visually masterful, certain scenes will replay in your head like a dream. Honestly, I relished in how the film moved like I was actually reading a Medieval tale. It was as if I had cracked open a book, put on my little lamplight, and felt determined to see what happened to Gawain (Dev Patel).
Dev Patel is one of my FAVORITE actors, and does not get enough credit for how beautifully he turns every character of his into moving acts of resilience. He deserves awards for his performance as Gawain, whom is not can be a very flawed guy. He is a kid desperate to make his life legendary and iconically memorable. If he lived in 2021, he’s probably stuggling TikToker; posting everyday and pondering the statistical discrepancies between his videos. (Why did his video of a puppet riding a horse get more likes than the one with his girlfriend?) Yet, that youthful desire to be iconic and live beyond a lifetime, he has barely begun, makes this story morally tragic and attractive.
At times, we can be hyper-focused on living an honorable life that everyone knows about. Yet, it is the things we know, like the sweet kisses of a partner (Alicia Vikander as Essel), the safety of a doting mom (Sarita Choudhury as Mother) , and the respect of an uncle (Sean Harris as The King) that makes us remember our own life. When we meet Gawain, he is happy but has convinced himself he is empty because he is surrounded by men with great stories. Unfortunately, he feels he does not have one to tell. As we watch him journey across great lands to confront “The Green Knight,” with each harsh, potentially fatal path, we end up like him: wondering what the hell was he thinking to start this journey, at all. He wanted a dignified life, but even dignified men are not, necessarily, loved or leaping through fields in bliss. Yet, when you are young and hearing stories about great knights, you never ask whether they were “good” or “felt great.” In that, The Green Knight becomes a distinct, virtuous warning, in a world of wannabe influencers to not kill yourself to become a story others’ tell because they already have many to talk about. In essence, becoming an icon to the world, does not mean you end up happy with yourself or respecting your own story.
So here is why I thought of my days watching films at Co-Op City in the BX. In my heart, I know if I told my friends, “Yo, let’s go see The Green Knight,” and we did….they’d never let me pick another movie again. Of course, it is debatable how well they passed English Literature. Moreover, this is a very quiet film. It revels in playing with silence and deep-thinking pauses, which, again, is what makes it play as if it was a visual book. I felt more like I had read the film than seen it, if that makes any sense. Thus, as an English/ History buff, I loved it, but if I was coming off a rough work week and just wanted to be entertained… I can’t say it would be my top choice. (Although, Dev Patel is always a fun watch!) Check out The Green Knight, in theaters, on July 30.
