The Green Knight - Movie Review (9/10)

Lowery’s 2021 fantasy epic, “The Green Knight”, adapted from the original poem, “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight”, is a masterclass in restrained story telling and ponders wonderfully at what it means to be a knight in a messed up high fantasy coming of age flick.

Story wise, its quite bare bones. On one Christmas, a monstrous green knight, given a unique and booming identity by Ralph Ineson, challenges Sir Arthur’s (Sean Harris) knights of the round table to a game – strike him once, and in one year’s time, he shall return the blow in the same manner. Arthur’s nephew, Gawain (Dev Patel), accepts and chops off the knight’s head in a single mighty blow. The knight, not dying, picks up his head, reminds Gawain to meet him at the Green Chapel in one year, and rides out laughing. The rest of the film now follows this journey, where he shall meet all manner of trouble including bandits, spirits, and other supernatural phenomena as he seeks to complete his promise.

First thing I must compliment is though I called the story bare bones, just as Lowery’s first outing, the experience he builds upon it is quite astonishing and leaves little wanting. His approach is slow and deliberate – we see almost every step of his journey, each fantastical creature he encounters, and how his resolve slowly wains as he learns of the horrors committed by others “honorable” knights. One of my favourite shots comes when right when he is taken into the castle and he finds comfortable rest for the first time in days. The camera sees his from the sky, laying calm in a bed, as the drapes block us in, as if the allure of comfort is trapping him, locking him inside and stopping him from his arduous quest. The cinematography is strong throughout the runtime, feeling expanse and beautiful when needed and small and nimble at others.

The performances are also great, with Dev Patel doing a spectacular job as Gawain. His portrayal of the tortured knight really sold me on his inner conflict between life and bravery. Ralph Ineson’s voice just fits the larger-than-life green knight and gives him a commanding presence fitting his power. There are other great performances, but we don’t spend much time with them as we do these two but lay assured you won’t find any lacking.

This section will be a bit spoiler-y as I discuss Gawain’s character so read with caution or skip to the end. I find Gawain to be a fascinating character. He is the youngest of Sir Arthur’s knights, and as pointed in a conversation at the beginning, one lacking a true tale of his own. And so, when the Green Knight shows up with a challenge, it presents an opportunity he cannot ignore. But this one decision, this showcase of strength, sends him down a path he will never overcome. As the film progresses, we come across many strangers, but the one that linger beyond are the Sir and the Lady of the castle. Here, the woman offers Gawain a sash that will save him from any physical harm. He, worn out by his journey and fearing his seemingly inevitable death, takes it, and the woman, disappointed, says he “is no knight”. This small bit of dialogue strikes him at his core, as he runs out of the caste to face his destiny and meet the knight. By as the knight is about to swing his axe, Gawain reflects on what the future will hold for him. He sees that even if he survives, he will never be able to take the sash off, as it represents his act of cowardice. He may become a great king, but he will never become a great knight. Even if his neck is safe, his ego will forever be cut. And finally, facing down the axe and hit with this realization, he removes the sash, making himself vulnerable once more, and asks the knight to do what he must, to which the Green Knight smiles. Though the movie cuts away before we find out what happens next, it doesn’t even really matter. This whole journey was about Gawain needing to decide what sort of man he wanted to become, and now that he has chosen to face death, to hold up his vow, he has made that decision and anything beyond is simply irrelevant. This beautiful yet compelling journey makes him one my favorite protagonists put to film in recent memory.

Overall, I found the Green Knight to be epic fantasy done right. Its no Game of Thrones or Lord of the Rings, but a quiet mediation on a character who must choose between the life fitting of the brave knights he has grown with or something more comfortable, even if it costs him his pride. If you find character driven drama and cinematic imagery to be your thing, this is a must watch that will have you pondering long after the credits roll. I give the Green Knight a 9/10.