The Green Knight is certainly a visual treat for those who consider themselves cinephiles. It’s beautifully crafted and carries itself like it weights the world on its shoulders. If anything, the movie holds a mirror up to the audience and asks them to reflect on their own journey in life. Though there seem to have been many failed iterations of Camelot tales, David Lowery’s The Green Knight takes the crown for possibly being the most ambitious take on Camelot lore yet. There is something quite fantastical with how the movie draws us in on the big screen. Be it the usage of wide lens’ capturing the vastness of an open-world infused with color palettes, which paint the journey that lies ahead. Or the musical composition that reflects the good, the bad, and the ugly of the landscape and the characters, but most importantly the themes presented throughout. Whatever it may be, there is a good reason A24 pushed the film back. To not see it on the big screen would be doing the filmmakers’ and the piece itself a disservice.
Gawain, who is not yet known as Sir Gawain, is set to go on his own quest to prove himself worthy of Knighthood to his uncle, King Arthur, and his fellow Knights of the Round Table. The quest is no easy task though, as a mysterious figure known as “The Green Knight” (for reasons that are pretty obvious from his name), walks into the castle unannounced. He presents the Knights a game of which The Green Knight will allow any strike unto him if, and only if, he gets to return the favor in one year exactly. Gawain sees this as an opportunity and strikes with a fatal blow. The Green Knight, unaffected by the blow, reminds Gawain of the rules and rides away laughing. When Gawain decides to take off for his adventure nearly a year later, he is presented with a variety of challenges that will make him question everything he thought he knew. Thus, beginning the story of Gawain’s journey into Knighthood.
What David Lowery and company capture on this epic journey of Gawain is nothing short of spectacular. All the encounters Gawain comes across reveals flaws within his character. And the way the camera captures these flaws emphasize so much more than just making a shot look pretty. Every sequence adds something to the story and theme of the film; not a single shot, cause of action, or line of dialogue goes wasted. By the end, everything comes full circle and forces the viewers to reflect on what they just witnessed and to take a look into themselves. Gawain may not be the greatest influence to try and take lessons from but the journey itself is certainly something the audience will be able to relate to the most; although not in a literal sense.
That’s not the only thing the film focuses on. There is quite a beautiful monologue given by Alicia Vikander’s character about life and death interplaying with nature itself, and I hope others are just as enamored by the scene in question as I was. The nature of The Green Knight is not only about the struggles of a soon-to-be hero but about how we have a direct effect on our surroundings. Many things may present themselves as good and bad, and we may think we can cheat by being one step ahead of the game, but the ugly truth of it all is we only lie to ourselves when we attempt to outsmart the ways life tries to keep balance. When there is death, there is room for rebirth, and from rebirth there is growth. Not only is this present throughout Gawain’s journey, but Lowery was able to capture those themes by pitting Gaiwin against the forces of Nature itself.
The Green Knight is a sight to behold and will be revisited frequently around Christmas time. Although it may come across as more style over substance (it feels like an art-house medieval fantasy film), the substance is right in front of us from the get-go. There’s a good possibility this might deter those who like to casually watch films, but I hope they stay open to the possibility of enjoying the movie from start to finish. It has layers waiting to be peeled back to be examined. I wasn’t expecting to go on this kind of journey when I sat down for my viewing. The marketing made it seem like a fun experiment in the fantasy genre. Though it is just that, it is much more. I hope others watch this if they are given the chance. It’s been on my mind since I walked out of the theater.
