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Post by GRWelsh on Apr 29, 2022 11:06:11 GMT -5
It's that time of the year again... time to read "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight"! It's the medieval poem I reread every Spring. Since I am down two players (one babysitting, one with Covid), I think I'm going to turn this week's Game Night into Movie Night. My suggestion is to watch THE GREEN KNIGHT (2021) tomorrow. I have not seen it yet, but it is by A24 that also produced THE VVITCH (2015) and THE LIGHTHOUSE (2019) so I am expecting an arthouse psychedelic fantasy which if done right could be very appropriate for this source material. Has anyone else seen it yet?
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Post by GRWelsh on May 2, 2022 7:01:00 GMT -5
This was what I expected: a psychedelic (even including mushrooms) and artsy take on the story. I really liked it, but it is the opposite of straight-forward action adventure since it is dreamlike and full of symbolism and meaning below the surface, so isn't for everybody. In that way, it reminds me of MOTHER! (2017) or THE LIGHTHOUSE (2019) in how it doesn't spell everything out and challenges the viewer to think. This version of the Green Knight story sent me down the rabbit hole over the weekend of reviewing other adaptations.
I'm going to have to watch this again but with subtitles. I want to compare the language used to what was in the poem. I did notice some changes from the original, but I was okay with them. For example, I think the woman intended to be Morgan Le Fay was his mother rather than his aunt in this version, and the Green Knight was more like Green Man than what was described in the book. The acting was good and visually it was a work of art. The soundtrack was impressive as well.
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Post by geneweigel on May 2, 2022 22:51:04 GMT -5
It was on pay per view but now its gone for some reason.
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Post by geneweigel on May 1, 2024 13:12:56 GMT -5
Prompted by the other thread. I forgot that I watched all the "Gawain" movies.
GAWAIN AND THE GREEN KNIGHT 1973, SWORD OF THE VALIANT 1984 and THE GREEN KNIGHT 2021.
In reverse order is my preference with the 1973 (By the same director, Stephen Weeks, as well as the same actor playing the evil son, Ronald Lacey, in the 1984 version).
The recent film falls victim of politically correct instant fantasy bubble bursting with the easy attractiveness of the first two films replaced with heavily ethnic-looking cast sort of like the recent D&D outing's failure to attract.
The 1973 film clearly inspired MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL (1975) and EXCALIBUR (1981) but it also was tributed to in RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK (1981) when the actor playing the evil son, Ronald Lacey, sort of repeats his performance with a scene almost exactly but overall Lucas and Spielberg got inspiration from the 1973 outing.
I loved the actor who played Hercules in JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS (1963) as the Green Knight but the Sean Connery take in 1984 "SWORD OF THE VALIANT" is great here.
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Post by GRWelsh on May 1, 2024 14:48:22 GMT -5
I liked the 1973 movie and it holds up well. You can watch it for free on YouTube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=34j5b-2YblAI remember the version with Sean Connery titled SWORD OF THE VALIANT (1984) not being that good, but I should give it another chance since it's been so long. It does not appear to be viewable for free online -- at least not on YouTube. There is another version which might be the closest to the source material broadcast on BBC TV (1991) which can be seen here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBEv8xjBJf8There was an animated version (2002) which is short but good: www.youtube.com/watch?v=E63eDj8DMK0Also on BBC there was an excellent documentary (2010) featuring Simon Armitage, which went to, or speculated upon, the locations in the poem: www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nAd6fffVvs&t=909s
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Post by GRWelsh on May 2, 2024 15:32:59 GMT -5
After watching the cartoon version (2002) I have to say it's the best adaptation of them all. They got the pentangle right and everything.
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