Beowulf Movies

The famous Old English heroic poem, Beowulf, has been made into countless films. However, Beowulf (1999), Beowulf & Grendel (2005), and Beowulf (2007) are some of the more recent and acclaimed of the Beowulf films.

Beowulf (1999), directed by Graham Baker, has a science-fiction twist: the story is set in a post-apocalyptic future. While the movie stays mostly true to the original, strange plot twists abound throughout. For example, Hrothgar has an affair with Grendel’s mother there child is Grendel. The movie comes from the same producer as Mortal Kombat (a 1995 film and series of video games) and as a result has a lot of strange features that seem better fit for the Mortal Kombat movie or game. Techno music is used throughout to the disadvantage of the believability of the movie. Although the movie is set in the future the men still dress in armor and the environment still looks medieval; watching epic battles take place to techno music just throws the whole vibe off. The movie was poorly received, and critics like Danél Griffin have commented saying, “There are moments that, even in its liberties, it reveals a deep appreciation for the poem, and a profound understanding of its ideas. There are other moments, however, that seem so absurd and outlandish that we wonder if the writers, Mark Leahy and David Chappe, have even read the poem." If you want to see an example of the badness for yourself try (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fqzdVSqQ3A) for Hrothgar's realization that Grendel is his child.

Beowulf & Grendel (2005), directed by Sturla Gunnarsson, is a beautiful movie, but a little too modern and off the beaten trail for many. The movie is shot on location in Iceland, and as a result provides breath-taking panoramic views and a perfect landscape for the tough environment of the epic. Beowulf is played by Gerard Butler, a British actor, who seems to have a knack for barbaric-manly roles likes the ones he played in the Attila miniseries, 300, and Gamer. The movie does deviate from the original poem as well, introducing three new characters : Grendel’s father, Grendel’s son, and the witch Selma. Another interesting part of the movie is the direct reference to Christianity’s superiority to pagan religions. As Grendel’s reign of terror continues, the people of the village turn away from their Norse gods, which seem to offer no help, to the Christian Jesus, who they are told forgives all and expects nothing. The movie has received mixed reviews, with Chuck Wilson of the L.A. Weekly stating: “[You can] feel the filmmakers yearning to have Beowulf and Grendel go all Rambo on each other. Instead, they keep pulling back for more Old English angst, as if they’re torn between commerce and winning the approval of their high school English teacher.” The cinematography and action scenes are often praised, while the dialogue and acting are criticized.

The 2007 version of Beowulf, directed by Robert Zemeckis, is the most recent and the most acclaimed of the group of three. Although this version looks like three-dimensional animation, it is actually a motion capture movie. In this type of movie, human movement (and sometimes things as subtle as facial expressions) is recorded and then translated to animate digital character models. These stunning visual effects, and the growing popularity (at the time) of watching movies in 3D led the remake to be highly praised for it’s graphical advances. The film also touted big-name actors like Angelina Jolie (as Grendel’s mother), Anthony Hopkins (as Hrothgar, and John Malkovich (as Unferth). The screenwriters, Neil Gaiman and Roger Avary, felt that Beowulf at points in the poem is an unreliable narrator, and that because of this felt they should offer their own interpretation in some parts of the movie. This stylistic choice has been both condemned and celebrated, but overall the movie has been a huge commercial success (grossing $196,149,662 worldwide) and an above average critical success (receiving a 60 out of 100 rating on Metacritic). (663)