THE GREEN KNIGHT (2021)
While a lot of fantasy films have tried to be the next Lord of the Rings, few have gone in another direction entirely. In this case there is a quest and there are various sinister portents. But the result isn't any kind of grandiose spectacle or crowd pleasing action. In fact there's a certain amount of hero deconstruction at work in David Lowery's eerie Arthurian tale. What makes a man a hero, or a myth? His true actions or the fiction left behind in his wake? What exactly is a knight? On top of this the story often falls into the horror trappings of a ghost story, or a movie about witchcraft. It's a nebulous adventure to say the least. But it's certainly worth examination.
There are many influences at work here, and despite the lack of rousing set pieces it certainly contains several nods to J.R.R. Tolkien. At times it also feels like a mixture of Robert Eggers and Guillermo del Toro. It's even a Christmas movie that blends its anonymous source material with folk horror and Yuletide traditions. The result is a sinister but striking piece of work full of texture and intrigue. There are scenes set at Camelot but there are also moments that contain spirits and giants. Some elements are stark and gritty, feeling like a cold and modern take on ancient mythology. Other inclusions are strange and implausible, adding a heavy dose of supernatural and ethereal imagery to the proceedings. But as a whole it builds towards a singular vision.
And what images these are, in a movie that starts with burning crowns and swiftly moves towards headless horsemen and blind witches. It might be a sickening and disease ridden story at times, but it's also beautiful. The opening sequences and the concluding montage in particular are incredibly dreamlike, offering a plethora of sumptuous compositions. It always depicts a filth covered medieval world but once that is rarely repetitive, with all kinds of locations and costumes bringing it to life. Some might say the desaturated look of an A24 production makes everything feel too familiar. But for fans of stylish and unsettling design choices there's nothing quite like it. Especially when all of this is used to build such an engrossing world.
On Christmas morning Gawain (Dev Patel) finds himself being pushed by mysterious forces towards his uncle King Arthur (Sean Harris). There are cuts to a sinister tower in which Gawain's mother Morgan le Fey (Sarita Choudhury) summons the eponymous Green Knight, (Ralph Ineson) who interrupts their Round Table gathering. Eager to prove his worth Gawain takes up the Knight's challenge; to land a strike combat. But there is one caveat; a strike of equal power will be given back on the anniversary of this game. The Knight cannot be harmed but Gawain clearly delivers a killing blow, leaving him with a difficult choice. Will he travel to the Green Chapel in one year and honour this deal?
There are a lot of immediate themes at work here. Perhaps this is all a festive game. Perhaps this is a plan by Gawain's mother. Perhaps Gawain is simply a sickly wretch without an ounce of true bravery. Did all Arthur's followers prove themselves this way, or are they also frauds? The myth-making surrounding these events begins even before Gawain leaves the city. Soon reality is out of his control. The established figures in the King's court are never expanded, and in fact the side characters are never given any real screen time. The Green Knight is certainly real enough, and therefore so are the powers of Morgan le Fay. But there are clearly many grey areas between fact and fiction, which only grow as things progress.
Only the peasant Essel (Alicia Vikander) is given a personality for reasons that later become clear. She wants her lover simply to be a good man, not a hero. But is he really virtuous at all? He seems more like a pathetic brawler, someone who goes too far after hearing gossip about his mother. He certainly isn't cut out for arduous quests in the wilderness. This central duo are the standout performances, although Ralph Ineson is also noteworthy for his voice alone. Gawain's journey to meet the Knight's challenge introduces a series of other strange figures, including a strangely intelligent fox, the wronged Saint Winifred (Erin Kellyman) and a mysterious castle Lord (Joel Edgerton.)
All these stops along the way are certainly worth mulling over, but it does eventually lead to a pacing problem. The opening sequences (and the final ones) are incredible. But the middle of the story is too baggy. In fact it starts to feel about as sluggish as the moss covered Knight himself at times. In some instances this adds to the creepy atmosphere, particularly when a certain pond and a certain portrait are involved. But there's a kind of episodic feel to these scenes are less like a journey and more like a series of mishaps. There's a certain Candide style flavour to the tale, which is often enjoyable if sometimes frustrating. It's a minor issue but one thing leading to another is always preferable to the 'and then this happened' mode of storytelling.
Overall I think it's something horror fans will find fascinating, and a film that anyone looking for rich design work and grimy visuals will enjoy. The music is also a great part of the experience. Daniel Hart's use of twisted voices and flutes, alongside a lot of cracking, ticking percussion, is very nice. In an upsetting, tension building way of that is. It's weird but often authentic feeling, mirroring the visual blend of medieval realism and pagan nightmare fuel. The wintery touches are also enriched by the score. I wouldn't recommend sitting down with the family to this after a Christmas meal, but I can imagine this becoming a cult favourite in the future. For those that are into this sort of thing, it will definitely stick with them for some time.
4/5
BONUS REVIEW
JUNGLE CRUISE (2021)
For a change of pace let's look at an entirely different sort of journey. One that certainly has a lot of visual effects, if perhaps not any style. In fact the influences here seem to be Raiders of the Lost Ark and the 1999 iteration of The Mummy. Plus a whole lot of Pirates of the Caribbean. Is it as good as any of these? Not by a long shot. Is it fun in a throwaway fashion? Kind of. It is of course another attempt to bring a Disney theme park ride to life. So there's a lot of hokey nonsense, a lot of slapstick humour, and a whole lot of CGI. But the results here are a forgettable adventure that doesn't really attempt unique at all. It's just all... fine? Not exactly hard to pay attention too, but never too insipid or insulting. Well not often anyway.
The problem is how much of this is just a series of stock clichés. The movies being borrowed from above are certainly not an exhaustive list. The year is 1916 and Lily Houghton (Emily Blunt) is a female doctor of botany on a quest for a mythical jungle flower. Not taken seriously by her male contemporaries (boo, hiss etc.) she finds herself at the mercy of boating con-man Frank (Dwayne Johnson.) On the run from a submarine sailing German prince (Jesse Plemons) they must settle their differences to navigate the Amazon. There are a lot of cornball performances and a lot of silly jokes, which is to be expected. Moustaches are twirled and dangers are narrowly escaped. And there are cursed undead Conquistadors, because of course there are.
Blunt and Plemons have proven their acting mettle in some great projects, but I feel like Dwayne Johnson hasn't ever landed an iconic gig. This unfortunately isn't that role, even if he's as affable as ever. Which is a shame as usual. The film is often just hit and miss, with some lines working and others landing with a thud. The ever-present effects are of a similar quality, with the finale in particular looking incredibly fake. Which is the strangest part of all this. For all the advances in technology it still just feels like a theme park ride. It's got a certain amount of chemistry, and a certain amount of charm. But it never coalesces into anything memorable. It's just a series of flashy things that happen; a bunch of fluff. Sometimes that's perfectly okay, but it isn't worth revisiting.
3/5
