The Green Old Deal

      Old English poetry and Hollywood do not obvious bedfellows make. The last time they teamed up in a big way, the result was a motion-capture version of Beowulf that underperformed at the box office despite featuring a naked Angelina Jolie dipped in gold.

 

And sporting a tail, because why not.

    
      Nevertheless! We now have a new cinematic version of another Medieval Literature 101 staple, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. It's an allegorical tale of chivalry, honor, and the power of nature in the time of King Arthur. 

      The Round Table is gathered together at court on New Years Eve when a mysterious emerald stranger arrives and proposes a game. He says: Any one of you is welcome to strike me one blow with my mighty axe -- IF you promise to let me return the favor one year from now, at the faraway Green Chapel. Sir Gawain steps forward and beheads the Green Knight. Ta-da! But lo, the visitor picks up his head, reminds Gawain of their date 365 days hence, and rides away. Gulp! 

    The new film derived from the poem is called simply The Green Knight and focuses almost entirely on Gawain's tribulations as he ventures north to meet his fate (or not?) at the Green Chapel. And its Gawain, played by a marvelous Dev Patel, is not a knight but a sort of underachieving failson. As heir to the throne he's been too busy carousing to perform noble deeds. Can he manage one now? 

 

     

      This movie is gorgeous. full of rich color, perfectly composed shots of nature at its most evocative, blurring any border between magic and reality with hallucinogenic imagery. You may not know exactly what's happening at all times but you won't be able to stop watching it.

    The Green Knight's release was delayed more than a year by COVID, and even now one might consider visiting the cinema an unacceptable risk. Luckily it will be available to stream early at home -- for one night only -- on August 18. (Yes, it's a one-knight stand.)  

    And if of course you'd rather read the source material, there have been many fine translations over the years, by such noted writers as J.R.R. Tolkien (of course) and Simon Artimage. You probably want to skip the Old English original, since it's literally full of thorns.