The Green Knight Review: A Masterpiece!

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight has always been my favorite epic poem, written in the fourteenth century by an anonymous author. When a foreign traveler crashes King Arthur’s round table meeting, he asks to play a game in which one man will be allowed to strike the Green Knight’s head with his axe if one year later the Green Knight can do the same to the chosen man.

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Our hero, Sir Gawain, volunteers and strikes the Green Knight’s head off, which The Green Knight then picks up off the ground. As a result, Gawain must stay true to his word and visit the Green Chapel one year later to await his fate. The film stays true to this general concept. Thus begins the film, in which Gawain (Dev Patel) starts his journey, while Lowery shows how he can transform a classic story into a divine spectacle.

The Green Knight takes its time and paces its story out in an authentic manner that mirrors the feel of an epic poem. It is lyrical, elegant, and beautifully crafted. Every shot is like a painting that one can’t help but admire and take in while grappling with what it might mean.

The conventions of a literary hero’s journey certainly inspired A24’s retelling of the tale but the film feels less of a means to an end in how the hero will eventually complete all of the required “steps” but instead a true tale of how honor and loyalty are not always shown by completing a monumental task.

Greatness versus goodness is at the forefront of the film, in an era when men were expected to achieve “greatness” by leading a nation, defeating enemies in battle, or raising strong heirs. However, what The Green Knight highlights is the difference between achieving the honor in the eyes of society versus achieving it through acts of kindness, compassion, and courage.

Sir Gawain’s journey is one that stays true to the knight’s “code of honor” even when our “knight” is a young man with the same fears as any human, and no knight at all. The film feels like a parable not just in its creative story elements but in its atmosphere and imagery intended to expand the world of the story.

The Green Knight is a masterpiece that, although strays from its source material for large parts of the film, stays true to the spirit of the epic poem. This is a film that has enough to unpack for those who wish to analyze it but also so much to appreciate and enjoy for its cinematic experience alone.

‘The Green Knight’ Rating – 4.5/5

Review by Stephanie Young
Follow Steph on Instagram – @cinemasteph_7