Over the last eight years, writer and director David Lowery has established himself as one of the best, deep-thinker filmmakers working today; starting with his crime drama AIN’T THEM BODIES SAINTS (2013), his supernatural mind-bender A GHOST STORY (2017), and his introspective heist film, THE OLD MAN AND THE GUN (2018). Here in 2021, Lowery takes on the 14th-century poem Sir Gawain and the Green Knight in his epic medieval fantasy, THE GREEN KNIGHT.
It is Christmas in King Arthur’s court when the mysterious Green Knight appears, and lays down a challenge; any knight who lands a blow on him will be allowed to keep his mighty axe, but in one year’s time, the Green Knight will return the same stroke. Eager to impress the court, young squire Gawain (Dev Patel), beheads the creature, only to watch in amazement as he picks up his head and rides off…
THE GREEN KNIGHT is simple; find the Green Chapel where the knight resides, and allow him to return the chop across the neck. It’s a bare-bones story that David Lowery presents in an episodic manner, with Gawain encountering dangers and friends along the way. These include armed bandits, stone giants, seductive ladies, beheaded ghosts, and a talking fox…among others. Each encounter seems to reflect a part of Gawain, and his simple quest to complete his word and retain honor is entangled with his learning of what it really means to be a knight.
Lowery, as he’s done in his past works, uses the medieval genre as a backdrop and uses his characters as a study of deeper issues. Gawain’s ideas of honor are challenged and explored, and as a bit of a bewildered fool…he is as clueless as the audience in the many strange happenings. THE GREEN KNIGHT has a dreamlike, ethereal feel to it…often crossing the lines between fantasy and reality.
The film unfolds slowly with an incredible build of atmosphere. Simple tasks such as a boat crossing and a lightning storm are harrowing without beating us over the head. Lowery’s camera is always meticulously framed; every shot is a painting and there are several unbroken, long tracking shots which have to be seen to be believed. One highlight of the film comes late, when Gawain has a long glimpse of what his future holds if he fails in his task; a glimpse that comes about in a 15-minute sequence with no dialogue. Daniel Hart’s score is astounding.
Dev Patel puts in his career-best performance; ranging from emotional to physical. The strong cast supports him well. Alicia Vikander has two roles; one of Gawain’s brothel-friend and the other a mysterious lady. Joel Edgerton pops in and makes an impression. King Arthur is played by Sean Harris and is excellent.
There is a lot in THE GREEN KNIGHT that might not make sense on a first viewing, but allowing it to sit, and repeat viewings will reveal more each time. David Lowery has crafted a masterpiece here; one that provokes thought while stunning the senses.
BOTTOM LINE: See it
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