Beowulf
is the oldest known legend in the English language,
adapted from a series of what we can only presume was the
Norse mythology of the hero that inspired such figures as
King Arthur. The original poem is somewhat tedious and
disjointed, and this recent film is only partially like it,
filling in the story and making some major changes in order
to promote it toward modern audiences.
The
kingdom belonging to King Hrothgar (Anthony Hopkins) is
being terrorized by a violent half-demon by the name of
Grendel (Crispin Glover), whose sensitivity to noise makes
him particularly wrathful against the shouting and carrying
on that transpires in the local mead house. Leaving
devastation and rampant bodies in his wake, he threatens the
lives and livelihoods of all, and Hrothgar desires to find a
man capable of defeating him. His hero comes in the form of
Beowulf (Ray Winstone), known for his acts of astounding
courage and the defeat of numerous sea monsters and other
devils of the northern world. Respected by his men and
feared by his enemies, it does not take him long to cast his
eye on Hrothgar's beautiful but emotionally distant wife,
Wealthow (Robin Wright Penn).
In
a climactic battle that leaves carnage rampant in its wake,
Beowulf wounds Grendel enough that he is forced to crawl
back into his cave and perish in the arms of his mother, a
water demon (Angelina Jolie). Her rage is absolute and only
hours after Beowulf has been claimed as a hero, honored by
the people and given the gift of a magnificent golden horn,
she returns to extract vengeance for her son's murder,
leaving him no choice but to hunt her down and defeat her as
well. But once in her cave of wonders, Beowulf comes to
discover that the lure of absolute can be stronger than
anything he has before encountered.
When
I first saw images from the film, I wondered if my eyes were
playing tricks on me, because it was not immediately
apparent that this was a live-action animated feature. This
may be a trend that takes off in future years, since
computer technology has come so far that they are now
capable of making realistic human images, and in that sense Beowulf
is an absolute masterpiece. There are moments when the
computer animation is not fully rendered (the horses look
the most fake, but all of the humans, dragons, and other CGI
creatures are absolutely astounding) but most of it left me
with my mouth open, because visually it is magnificent.
Sometimes the characters look almost human, their facial
expressions are so real. Other reviewers have remarked that
it's impossible for a cold 3D image to convey true emotion,
and to a degree, this is true, but Beowulf is not
meant to invoke any magnificent response in its audience
other than excitement, so it's ultimately forgivable.
The
film I rented was the director's cut, which I have since
learned does not differ much from the theatrical release
other than in terms of blood spatter. And there is a lot of
it, particularly in early scenes when Grendel literally
tears villagers and knights in half, blood gushing out of
their wounds. He impales them on spikes. He decapitates them
and swallows their heads. He kicks, wrenches, and batters
them. Blood spatters the length of the hall, enough that if
it were realistic rather than animated, it would have gotten
an R-rating. His arm is brutally severed and carried around
as a testament to Beowulf's courage. Beowulf wakes up one
morning to find everyone from his personal guard hanging
from the rafters. He recounts a battle at sea in which he
hacks, slashes, and mutilates his way through three sea
monsters. In terms of violence, it was pretty grotesque in
order to appeal to an easily titillated teenage male
audience, but I found that more palatable than the nudity,
which was gratuitous without merit. Beowulf decides to
battle Grendel naked, so there are many shots of him from
the side and behind as he chases down the creature and kills
it. Careful foreground objects and shadows cover his crotch
throughout, but still, did we really need to see that? For
that matter, did we need to see the king's backside when he
loses his robe in a drunken speech, either?
Then
there is the female water demon, who first appears as a
topless mermaid (shadows obscure most of it) and then
reveals herself completely to Beowulf in a desirable female
form. If you have seen the X-Men film series, you can
understand what she looks like by comparing her to Mystique,
only without the scales. Basically, she's naked and dripping
in shimmering golden paint, but without any obvious intimate
details. There is no graphic sexual content, but there are
several glances down various women's shirts, a few sexual
innuendos, and the implication that something kinky is going
on behind a table. Beowulf later has a mistress in addition
to his wife. I'm sorry they chose to go the cheap route of
CGI nudity (apparently, it shocked even the actress to the
point of forbidding her children to see it) because the film
is absolutely fabulous. It was fun -- and it looks
incredible on a flat screen.
BEOWULF
In
a climactic battle that leaves carnage rampant in its wake,
Beowulf wounds Grendel enough that he is forced to crawl
back into his cave and perish in the arms of his mother, a
water demon (Angelina Jolie). Her rage is absolute and only
hours after Beowulf has been claimed as a hero, honored by
the people and given the gift of a magnificent golden horn,
she returns to extract vengeance for her son's murder,
leaving him no choice but to hunt her down and defeat her as
well. But once in her cave of wonders, Beowulf comes to
discover that the lure of absolute can be stronger than
anything he has before encountered.
The
film I rented was the director's cut, which I have since
learned does not differ much from the theatrical release
other than in terms of blood spatter. And there is a lot of
it, particularly in early scenes when Grendel literally
tears villagers and knights in half, blood gushing out of
their wounds. He impales them on spikes. He decapitates them
and swallows their heads. He kicks, wrenches, and batters
them. Blood spatters the length of the hall, enough that if
it were realistic rather than animated, it would have gotten
an R-rating. His arm is brutally severed and carried around
as a testament to Beowulf's courage. Beowulf wakes up one
morning to find everyone from his personal guard hanging
from the rafters. He recounts a battle at sea in which he
hacks, slashes, and mutilates his way through three sea
monsters. In terms of violence, it was pretty grotesque in
order to appeal to an easily titillated teenage male
audience, but I found that more palatable than the nudity,
which was gratuitous without merit. Beowulf decides to
battle Grendel naked, so there are many shots of him from
the side and behind as he chases down the creature and kills
it. Careful foreground objects and shadows cover his crotch
throughout, but still, did we really need to see that? For
that matter, did we need to see the king's backside when he
loses his robe in a drunken speech, either?