This one has a ton of themes and clues..! The Boys S3 & Fargo Season 3 on the patreon! Click here for early access: www.patreon.com/jamesvscinema Have a great day everyone!
Each event on the journey was a test of a knight. Generosity when he met the battlefield boy. Chivalry when he met the headless girl. Honour when he stayed with the family, and bravery when he faced the Green Knight.
@@DerMoerpler The Axe was not a gift of success. He failed, when he asked "what will you do for me if i do this". Think about the family he stayed with, he failed there when he spilled his seed, but she still gave him the green sash that he lost. His items were just being returned to him, they were not indicators of success. The goal was for him to reach the Knight with all his possessions, and discard them HIMSELF.
The first line, or one of the first lines, he says is 'I'm not ready'....and in the end he says something like 'I'm ready now. Now I'm ready.' I love how that bookends his arc.
The Green Knight's game is actually pretty ingenious. Someone simply using knighthood as a front in order to be perceived as tough would strike a killing blow expecting to have "won" the game as their opponent would be rendered unable to return it, since they were dead. The Green Knight, though, being undead is of course able to get up and return it anyway, punishing their brashness. However, a truly chivalrous knight given the same opportunity would have nothing to prove and simply tap their opponent lightly, drawing no blood and allow them to return the "blow" with impunity, thus avoiding conflict entirely: a mark of true valiance. That's my interpretation of the game at least and I think it's really quite the clever test
Yeah the green knight was playing with him. Considering that a simple tap on the green knights shoulder would've suffice, considering an knight wouldn't have taken it seriously and slashing at his head along side the green knight was literally taunting him openly by pushing his head down and allowing him to slice at his neck. Considering a knight wouldn't have attack another knight that's unarmed. So yeah he kinda fail the tests of virtues of what makes a knight.
This is one of those films that leaves you thinking about it for a while after you watch it. Whether it's the the trippy way it was shot or the themes. Dev Patel killed it in this role too!
Another wild point that I haven't seen in the comments yet is that his mother set everything in motion. She saw the way his life was going and did it to change that course. Don't think it's in the original poem but something Lowery worked in.
In the poem the Green Knight does tell Gawain he was sent forth by Morgan and notes on the text explain how she used the Green Chapel to test Arthur's knights.
You don’t know how fast I clicked on this. The green knight was my second favorite from 2021 behind dune. My parents aren’t usually into the weird stuff but I took them to see this and they were captivated the whole time. This movie is criminally underrated among the general audience. Give dev patel more standout roles!
A film I couldn't stop thinking about - I ended up watching it twice in the space of a week. It's like a journey into the imagination of a long-gone culture. And Dev Patel is magnetic. I heard a critic describe his performance as a fascinating mixture of weakness and strength.
I'm not a film maker or student of film, so I don't understand the nuances of film making, but I know I couldn't take my eyes off of this one. It was beautifully shot. I think the story is about him trying to be brave and be a man by accepting the challenge, but on his journey he lost sight of what it means to be a man and stepped on people for his own needs because he was focused on his own goal. At the end he saw his life if he didn't go through with it and saw that he would get everything in life that he wanted, but would always be half a man because he knew he had cheated and backed out of his sworn oath. And finally I think he realizes what he had done to get there and understood that his word is his bond and you can't just use people for your own ends, then he could accept his fate
This director is amazing. Everytime I see one of his films, I'm overwhelmed by the beauty of what he's made, and my brain is spinning like a top trying to decipher what's gone on. This is such a beautiful film. If A Ghost Story ever wins the poll, strap in. I started it confused and I left the theater in tears and blown away.
I normally don't enjoy films like A Ghost Story that wholly lean on pulling the emotional heartstrings of the viewer before anything else, but that film left me fucking floored.
@@mysticsaxophone4181 I swear to god, first twenty minutes I was annoyed about the concept and what was going on, but as it gradually unfolded its meaning, I was so completely shaken by the end. I had not emotionally prepared at all, but I don't think I ever could have. (It also crossed my mind that maybe I should have gotten stoned before, but stoned or sober it still would have been almost unbearably overwhelming. Lowery is an incredible filmmaker.)
Hey James! Great reaction! This is based on an Arthurian story, and adapting Arthurian stories to the screen is always challenging. This approach of taking a high brow, art-house direction worked really well in my opinion. The ending is a brilliant deconstruction of Gawain as a character. That he showed growth and ultimately accepted his fate made the ending powerful. This is a beautiful film to look at, and the cinematography, sound design, and brilliant use of matte paintings and other old-school techniques was really exciting for me to see. Watch it again, for sure, there's a ton of stuff to analyze here, you'll catch more the 2nd time.
I know there's more nuances to it but for me the story was about a guy who wanted to be honourable and was given the opportunity to prove his honour by taking part in the game. And because he chose to behead the tree man he was expected to honour his promise to let the favour be returned. But when he realizes the cost of being honourable, and keeping his word, he doesn't want to do it. And when the tree man gives him a chance to prepare for death he sees the cost to breaking his promise and losing his honour by not honoring his word to allow the tree man his return 'blow.' He sees how losing his sense of honour would corrupt him and turn him into a terrible king, so he decides to die an honourable and good man instead of a great man who doesn't honour his promises. There's more obviously but I'm not smart enough to know all the other themes haha.
I feel like this film is the embodiment of a fable - in story and form. It's the kind of movie that asks to not be taken literally but allegorically, and I feel it was successfully made to allow the viewer to experience the story's themes not just be told them the way most movies do. For me, the Green Knight represents hubris. Everything Gawain experiences begins with his own invocation (for example his decision to behead the Green Knight), inspired by his personal, existential investment in the meta narrative of heroism via knighthood. The journey is the deconstruction of that ideology.
Many people feel confused by the Green Knight's final words...but here's MY interpretation. The events we saw before the end COULD be seen as a sort of premonition, a vision of what might happen if Gawain chose to flee rather than accept his possible fate. As a result, he realized his mistakes in keeping the Green Sash a secret from the Knight; thereby leading to him removing it and accepting whatever fate awaited him. Pleased with this show of honor, the Green Knight commends Gawain for his action and simply gives him but a light slash across his throat; which would probably only give a small nick but nothing serious. The Knight's final words of "off with your head," to me are his way of saying "now...go off with your head"
My favorite part of the last scene that I don't see mentioned often is that when Gawain flashes back to reality after seeing the vision of Camelot's fall under his reign, the yellow color grading from before is completely gone as Gawain has found the resolve to face death. Red and green are colors said to represent passion/destruction and life/decay respectively in the film but yellow represents Gawain's fear, signified by the color of his cloak and the coat of the Fox that tempts him from finishing the journey
I showed this to my friend who doesn’t watch these types of films under the guise of it being a Christmas movie (it was Christmas Eve). We haven’t watched another film together since lol. Dumb story aside, I absolutely adore this film.
The St Winifred part is taken from an old legend from the dark ages. There is a place called Holywell, due to the spring it is named after. Legend goes there was a holy woman who resisted the advances of a violent warrior, so he chopped her head off. She then picked up the head and placed it back on her neck, through divine intervention. I think water came out the ground where her blood hit the ground, although it may be where her head hit the ground (I can't remember exactly), but another UK commenter may know. The spring is the well, in the town name, and is still there, and was thought to have healing properties. Holywell is near the Welsh border with England near the north coast. I love that they included the themes in the film, and is my favourite scene. Love the atmosphere and eerie vibe.
This one stuck with me; from the way the story is told to the absolutely stunning cinematography. Certain scenes still confuse me quite a bit and I think the pacing could've been a little bit better, but overall it was a beautiful experience imo and it's definitely one of my top 10 movies of the last 5 years. Really looking forward to your reaction. Also, Ralph Ineson has the craziest fucking voice man.
While based on the 14th century Arthurian poem, Director Lowery has said in interviews that Gawain is meant semi-biographically to be a “Medieval Millennial” stuck in arrested development being forced to grow by his mother. Not only are Gawain’s flaws made much greater (he is quite “green” as a knight), but the whole chivalry of the Round Table is questioned: Arthur praise his old gang of knights for “bringing peace”, but the scene of Gawain encountering a post-battlefield shows that this is questionable, if not all false. I have two interpretations of the Vision in the end: One almost Buddhist-Nihilistic (Why continue the suffering of both you and your society, for power and glory that will be lost sooner or later? Why not end the suffering now?) and one Stoic-Chivalrous (If you are not true to your word, it will stain you for the rest of your life, so better a "noble death" than a life in guilt). I while I enjoyed the systematic criticisms made in the movie, I was a bit sad that the movie lacked the Humanist aspect/the Christian Mercy found in the poem: The flaws of Gawain, Camelot and Civilization itself even, are as mentioned, made so much bigger in the movie that that it is in my view not way Gawain will be given mercy by the Green Knight, as in the poem. Lowery has also said that Dev Patel was chosen to upset the rather unlikable character of Gawain, as he is so likable both on and off screen! He mentions Andrei Tarkovsky’s “Andrei Rublev” as inspiration as well as Kenneth Branagh’s “Henry V”, the Hammer Horror movies and 80s fantasy movies, such as “Willow” and “Ladyhawke”. Personally, as for the Vision scene, I kept thinking about the similar scene in “The Last Temptation of Christ” by Martin Scorsese, and I also felt some ties to "The Seventh Seal" by Ingmar Bergman: The “Momento Mori” of the Dance Macabre and the Green Knight playing a similar role to “Death” in that movie. And the Witches, the Lady and Queen Guinevere influencing the men as a parallel matriarchy reminded me of the “Witches” of Dune, the Bene Gesserit. Also: The Green Knight was all makeup, no CGI!
The Green Knight is produced by A24. The studio that also produced Hereditary, Midsommar, Ex Machina, The Lighthouse, Everything everywhere all at once and many more. It’s one of the best studios out there right now.
I had this movie on my list and seeing you posted your reaction finally pushed me to go watch it, and boy what an amazing experience it was. I loved both the visuals and audio. I knew this was based on Arthurian legend and as such that this is not a depiction of reality with some magic thrown in. It is why the axe appears when it does. It is not because that thief for some reason brought it back but because the protagonist deserved it after being chivalrous towards the dead lady (even though for a moment he made the mistake of asking for something in return). The story is pretty much about him learning to be true to his commitment and what it means to be a knight, and he fails a lot at it along the way. I love how the myth was not only told by the actions the main character takes, which would be normal, but also by employing pure film making techniques like pnly using a condensed dialogue to show the character still doesn't get it or like the digital set extension in the opening scene where a rooftop starts to burn telling us all is not right here (there might be more meaning to it that I am not aware of) or the snappy ending. It made the movie feel both old and modern at the same time.
I love movies like this and 'The Northman'. The scenes usually have a much deeper meaning to figure out and the storytelling is beautiful in its cinematography and creativity. Really wish more movies like this would come out. It's like reading a fable or something from Homer like the Iliad
the story is purposefully confusing but it's super simple. Green Knight even said it himself :D “Is this really all there is?" - "What else ought there be?" Just a game between two "people" and honor as a theme.
Haven't seen a movie this century that left me with so many questions yet at the time these questions were blinded by the beauty of the movie and anticipation of what comes next. Not many of this style of movie out there but this was done masterfully.
the green knight is one of the most beautiful movies i've seen in a long time; from the costumes to the sets to the sound design, everything about it is sooooo gorgeous!
It's a movie that is clearly not for everybody. There are so many things in it: the themes (chivalric), the context (14th century), the lore (Arthurian myths), the aesthetic, the music, etc...
in my mind, gawain due to growing up around the round table is obsessed w this idea of knights becoming legends and he wants that for himself this greatness without necessarily wanting to do what it takes to be a knight he lacks kindness, chivalry, honesty and courage and that's why he fails all the challenges and the sequence at the end shows that had he returned a coward he would have been a worthless king and the scene where he takes off the sash shows it was the only thing holding his head together as he had already been beheaded!! i love this movie was really anticipated its release and it hits all the boxes for me despite not being necessarily faithful to the original text the aesthetic of arthurianna is beautifully done by lowery and the entire team involved
This was such an audiovisual treat. Loved it. Have you seen "A Ghost Story" directed by the same man? It is very remarkable and has a very odd rhythm and sense of time and place about it. Pretty low budget but very interesting.
I love all the visual and sound elements in this movie. But the thing I love best is the feeling that it is the kind of story that people would tell around the fire on a winter evening long before tv or radio, when the entertainment had to come from people's imagination. A story that people would discuss after it was told.
A tale as twisted as the Celtic roots from which it grew, with Anglo-Saxon branches grafted on bearing strange fruits. Listen to Celtic music and you find emphasis and tempos are similar, colored richly with the non linear.
6:23 Because he wants to be a Knight..he’s trying to prove himself in front of the King. Also, this is based off King Arthur and that sword he carried was the Excalibur, but i’m sure someone already said that in the comments.
Fantastic film. I love how they deconstructed the original Chivalric Romance story while adapting it. I didn’t watch it for quite a long time due to people lambasting it. Now I realise if someone truly didn’t understand the themes or what was happening, they’re probably the type that needs things directly spelled out to them. It’s more visual poem than A-Z plotting. Anyways, If you enjoyed this, please consider watching Excalibur.
wow James. Another unexpected pick. The original source material of the story of the Green Knight is indeed odd, thus, and odd film. Me, I love this flick. It doesn't shy away from the oddity. Mildly reminds me of a Gilliam film. Love the look, and thus, mood.
I remember my english teacher from high school being so in love with the symbolism of the color green in the original poem and i never quite got the nature of it until watching this movie when it came out. The visuals and overall feeling of this movie hits different. Glad you're checking this one out for sure
I loved this film, its absolutely beautiful and has so much depth to it- Im a sucker for anything with these mythical allusions. In 2021 I went back and forth on this and Power of the Dog for my favourite film of the year- neither are going to please the general cinema going public but for film nerds they are outstanding. Also I live near to the place where the Saint Winifred legend came from- which is a nice personal touch for me.
I loved this film. It honestly reminded me of Conan the Barbarian but with less action. The dialogue was sparse, but the acting was good. It let the viewer see and figure out the film for themselves, music good, direction good. I loved it.
Great reaction bro! Don't know if you watched til the end of the credits, but there's a little hint as to what happened to Gawain. This film really explores the traits of a knight: honesty, courage, kindness, etc. Don't know if you caught the round table and King Arthur's Knights. Also, I'm seeing that A24 films have similar production values.
For those who felt confused by certain things, permit me to share MY take on some of the movie's most...out there moments. 1. Overall; the Green Knight's test was that of either honesty/truth, courage or some combination of the two. Sure, Gawain LOOKED brave by being the only one of the Round Table knights to strike the Green Knight down. But when it came to actually receiving the SAME blow in return, he could not bring that same courage back. As shown in Gawain's "dream sequence" that showed him returning home, getting a knighthood and receiving the king's crown; karma always has a way to punish you for your bad choices. He was disrespected by the townsfolk, despite being a knight. He betrayed the love of Essel for his own gain and as King, he made many bad choices that brought the land to ruin. It was only when he surrendered the green sash and submitted himself before the Green Knight that Gawain finally showed courage and true honesty. 2. When Winfred told Gawain that "the knight is someone you know," she was referring to the Lord he later meets during his quest. In the original poem, the Green Knight is actually a warrior named Bertilak; who was put under an enchantment by Morgan Le Fey (Arthur's half-sister and, for the sake of this adaptation, Gawain's mother.) Ironically enough, the actor playing the Lord in this movie (who is unnamed in the cast) is the same actor who plays the Green Knight. 3. In terms of the ending; when the Green Knight slits his finger across Gawain's neck and tells him "off with your head," he's subtly telling him to GO off for home with his head
Like the poem. The film is a mild critique of what are considered “knightly values” and how at the end of the day we’re just human and can’t conform 100% to those values. What I love about this movie is the main character is basically a loser who we’re all rooting for and ultimately ends up overcoming his humanity (inherent in all of us) at least for a moment
The movie I think you should check out is King Arthur (2004) with Clive Owen, Kiera Knightley, Mads Mikkelsen. A grittier more realistic take on the legend
I highly support this idea. Antoine Fuqua's King Arthur is one of my favourite Arthurian movies, because it's set in the actual timeframe (assuming he existed), and the acting and film-making are so well done. My other favourites are Excalibur and, of course, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, each for different moods.
I highly, highly recommend reading the tale. Seeing the differences between that and the film is a huge lesson in adaptation. As someone who learned the tale in British Lit first, I initially left the film on the fence. The more I watch it the more I love the film. The biggest difference between the two is the ending, the second is the character of Sir Gawain, who in most of the legends from the English perspective, (as opposed to the French,) is the total opposite to the character portrayed here-Or at least, on the face of it, because Gawain is typically seen as the most upstanding, boy scout-esque of the knights. So obviously some elements of the narrative have to change because the WWSGD of it all also changes. The cinematography, the score, & much of the acting, it’s all fantastic. Anyway, have you seen The Last Temptation of Christ by Martin Scorsese and starring Willem DeFoe? I cannot recommend that enough.
I legit just watched this movie for the first time 5 days a go, it is gorgeous to look at, very trippy. I think I liked it? hard to tell but definitely happy I watched it
This is without exception a top 5 A24 film for me. The lighting, cinematography, score, acting, the epic scale of it, the eeriness and unsettling tone throughout, it’s just such a gorgeous film that manages to capture so much tension without necessarily showing anything that could be considered tense on paper. This film for me raised the bar for fantasy films to a ridiculous degree
Late the party, great reaction as always. I’ve always interpreted the ending as the Green Knight saying almost with pride “off with your head” to Gawain, cause he knows he could have run, but chose to stay. Maybe the knight was a symbol of an honorable death?
Perhaps, tho Gawain could've easily tapped the knights shoulder with the flat end of his blade. A knight in the code of honor and chivalry wouldn't have killed the green knight due to the fact he's unarmed and also kneeling
OH YES, I saw this movie in theater and LOVED it. It's such an amazing mood and visual spectacle. Cinematography is impeccable! Music is so atmospheric! The last 15min of zero dialogue is just stunning!!!!
If you haven't, I hope you will give "A Ghost Story" a chance. I love "The Green Knight" but I like "A Ghost Story" better. Both films are directed by David Lowrey. He definitely has an extraordinary sensibility. Thank you for such a great reaction!
Ichabod Crane and the Headless Horseman, buddy! The classic Disney cartoon is the best, but the Johnny Depp and Christina Ricci joint was pretty good as well, but you just can't beat the original. I need to check, but if you haven't officially done Sleepy Hollow, you should. The way it was shot and filtered was one of the best films that I've ever seen aesthetically.
This was my fav film of 2021. Theater was empty but me, made me kinda sad. Made me wanna go back and read the once and future king and the sir gawain and the green knight poem.
there's a huge camp of people that don't like this movie i think people expected something a little more traditional, i felt this was more of an inversion and a rejection of heroes journey tropes
NGL I found this film really hard going, whilst I can appreciate that it's beautifully shot and has fantastic production values, it ended up feeling like a really frustrating experience that I don't have much desire to rewatch. Personally, the best adaptation of the Arthurian mythos (which the Green Knight is adjacent to) has to be Excalibur (1981), although that's not necessarily difficult as most of the other Arthurian films are hot garbage.
I loved this movie on first watch even though I didn't get a lot of it. I've since watched it several times and have understood more every time. This is a really good official video explaining the history of the story, which will help on second watch: ruclips.net/video/yI189R6JyYI/видео.html
Back in 2004 or so, I read The Once and Future King, La Morte deArthur and.....The Green Knight. La Morte is the full story of King Arthur. Once and Future King is an abridged version. And Green Knight is kind of a side quest. So I was super excited when this movie was announced. Beautiful movie. Not very accurate to the book, at all. But still, beautiful.
I didn’t get it either, other than the very broad strokes thematically, when I watched it but damn was it a pretty fever dream to be lost in for a while. The more you think on it the more sense it makes. But also it’s always a visual feast. Just 👩🏽🍳🤌🏼
This one has a ton of themes and clues..!
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Each event on the journey was a test of a knight. Generosity when he met the battlefield boy. Chivalry when he met the headless girl. Honour when he stayed with the family, and bravery when he faced the Green Knight.
interesting how he failed each test EXCEPT the last one!
100%
And don’t forget “Friendship” with the fox. This one, and the four you mentioned, are the FIVE virtues of knighthood
@@misti-step He didn't fail St. Winifred, which is why he got the axe back.
@@DerMoerpler The Axe was not a gift of success. He failed, when he asked "what will you do for me if i do this". Think about the family he stayed with, he failed there when he spilled his seed, but she still gave him the green sash that he lost.
His items were just being returned to him, they were not indicators of success. The goal was for him to reach the Knight with all his possessions, and discard them HIMSELF.
The first line, or one of the first lines, he says is 'I'm not ready'....and in the end he says something like 'I'm ready now. Now I'm ready.' I love how that bookends his arc.
The Green Knight's game is actually pretty ingenious. Someone simply using knighthood as a front in order to be perceived as tough would strike a killing blow expecting to have "won" the game as their opponent would be rendered unable to return it, since they were dead. The Green Knight, though, being undead is of course able to get up and return it anyway, punishing their brashness. However, a truly chivalrous knight given the same opportunity would have nothing to prove and simply tap their opponent lightly, drawing no blood and allow them to return the "blow" with impunity, thus avoiding conflict entirely: a mark of true valiance. That's my interpretation of the game at least and I think it's really quite the clever test
Yeah the green knight was playing with him.
Considering that a simple tap on the green knights shoulder would've suffice, considering an knight wouldn't have taken it seriously and slashing at his head along side the green knight was literally taunting him openly by pushing his head down and allowing him to slice at his neck. Considering a knight wouldn't have attack another knight that's unarmed.
So yeah he kinda fail the tests of virtues of what makes a knight.
This is one of those films that leaves you thinking about it for a while after you watch it. Whether it's the the trippy way it was shot or the themes. Dev Patel killed it in this role too!
Another wild point that I haven't seen in the comments yet is that his mother set everything in motion. She saw the way his life was going and did it to change that course. Don't think it's in the original poem but something Lowery worked in.
Genius!
In the poem the Green Knight does tell Gawain he was sent forth by Morgan and notes on the text explain how she used the Green Chapel to test Arthur's knights.
You don’t know how fast I clicked on this. The green knight was my second favorite from 2021 behind dune. My parents aren’t usually into the weird stuff but I took them to see this and they were captivated the whole time. This movie is criminally underrated among the general audience. Give dev patel more standout roles!
LOVED seeing this movie in theaters. Great sound editing and so immersive on the big screen.
Went 3 times to see it in theatre such a good experience
A film I couldn't stop thinking about - I ended up watching it twice in the space of a week. It's like a journey into the imagination of a long-gone culture. And Dev Patel is magnetic. I heard a critic describe his performance as a fascinating mixture of weakness and strength.
The only other film i've seen recently that affected me as strongly is (the very different) Local Hero (1983). Check it out if you get the chance.
The ending is surprisingly wholesome. At least to me. Loved your reaction.
This movie was dope in theaters. The sound design was incredible, especially for the scenes with the Knight
The sound design was wicked!
I'm not a film maker or student of film, so I don't understand the nuances of film making, but I know I couldn't take my eyes off of this one. It was beautifully shot. I think the story is about him trying to be brave and be a man by accepting the challenge, but on his journey he lost sight of what it means to be a man and stepped on people for his own needs because he was focused on his own goal. At the end he saw his life if he didn't go through with it and saw that he would get everything in life that he wanted, but would always be half a man because he knew he had cheated and backed out of his sworn oath. And finally I think he realizes what he had done to get there and understood that his word is his bond and you can't just use people for your own ends, then he could accept his fate
This director is amazing. Everytime I see one of his films, I'm overwhelmed by the beauty of what he's made, and my brain is spinning like a top trying to decipher what's gone on. This is such a beautiful film. If A Ghost Story ever wins the poll, strap in. I started it confused and I left the theater in tears and blown away.
I normally don't enjoy films like A Ghost Story that wholly lean on pulling the emotional heartstrings of the viewer before anything else, but that film left me fucking floored.
@@mysticsaxophone4181 I swear to god, first twenty minutes I was annoyed about the concept and what was going on, but as it gradually unfolded its meaning, I was so completely shaken by the end. I had not emotionally prepared at all, but I don't think I ever could have. (It also crossed my mind that maybe I should have gotten stoned before, but stoned or sober it still would have been almost unbearably overwhelming. Lowery is an incredible filmmaker.)
Hey James! Great reaction! This is based on an Arthurian story, and adapting Arthurian stories to the screen is always challenging. This approach of taking a high brow, art-house direction worked really well in my opinion. The ending is a brilliant deconstruction of Gawain as a character. That he showed growth and ultimately accepted his fate made the ending powerful. This is a beautiful film to look at, and the cinematography, sound design, and brilliant use of matte paintings and other old-school techniques was really exciting for me to see. Watch it again, for sure, there's a ton of stuff to analyze here, you'll catch more the 2nd time.
I know there's more nuances to it but for me the story was about a guy who wanted to be honourable and was given the opportunity to prove his honour by taking part in the game.
And because he chose to behead the tree man he was expected to honour his promise to let the favour be returned.
But when he realizes the cost of being honourable, and keeping his word, he doesn't want to do it.
And when the tree man gives him a chance to prepare for death he sees the cost to breaking his promise and losing his honour by not honoring his word to allow the tree man his return 'blow.'
He sees how losing his sense of honour would corrupt him and turn him into a terrible king, so he decides to die an honourable and good man instead of a great man who doesn't honour his promises.
There's more obviously but I'm not smart enough to know all the other themes haha.
I feel like this film is the embodiment of a fable - in story and form. It's the kind of movie that asks to not be taken literally but allegorically, and I feel it was successfully made to allow the viewer to experience the story's themes not just be told them the way most movies do. For me, the Green Knight represents hubris. Everything Gawain experiences begins with his own invocation (for example his decision to behead the Green Knight), inspired by his personal, existential investment in the meta narrative of heroism via knighthood. The journey is the deconstruction of that ideology.
Cinematography is off the rails. Truly deserved an Oscar, but you know how indie films fare in that realm.
Many people feel confused by the Green Knight's final words...but here's MY interpretation.
The events we saw before the end COULD be seen as a sort of premonition, a vision of what might happen if Gawain chose to flee rather than accept his possible fate. As a result, he realized his mistakes in keeping the Green Sash a secret from the Knight; thereby leading to him removing it and accepting whatever fate awaited him.
Pleased with this show of honor, the Green Knight commends Gawain for his action and simply gives him but a light slash across his throat; which would probably only give a small nick but nothing serious. The Knight's final words of "off with your head," to me are his way of saying "now...go off with your head"
Dev Patel finally getting the amazing roles that he deserves!
My favorite part of the last scene that I don't see mentioned often is that when Gawain flashes back to reality after seeing the vision of Camelot's fall under his reign, the yellow color grading from before is completely gone as Gawain has found the resolve to face death. Red and green are colors said to represent passion/destruction and life/decay respectively in the film but yellow represents Gawain's fear, signified by the color of his cloak and the coat of the Fox that tempts him from finishing the journey
I showed this to my friend who doesn’t watch these types of films under the guise of it being a Christmas movie (it was Christmas Eve). We haven’t watched another film together since lol.
Dumb story aside, I absolutely adore this film.
that’s nothing. I made my mom watch The Lighthouse completely blind one time for the lolz
@@TheLevitatingFleem gonna have to do that one next lol
@@TheLevitatingFleem I showed my whole family midsommar blind, I had no idea what the movie was about but I saw and loved hereditary lmfao.
The St Winifred part is taken from an old legend from the dark ages. There is a place called Holywell, due to the spring it is named after. Legend goes there was a holy woman who resisted the advances of a violent warrior, so he chopped her head off. She then picked up the head and placed it back on her neck, through divine intervention. I think water came out the ground where her blood hit the ground, although it may be where her head hit the ground (I can't remember exactly), but another UK commenter may know. The spring is the well, in the town name, and is still there, and was thought to have healing properties. Holywell is near the Welsh border with England near the north coast. I love that they included the themes in the film, and is my favourite scene. Love the atmosphere and eerie vibe.
This one stuck with me; from the way the story is told to the absolutely stunning cinematography. Certain scenes still confuse me quite a bit and I think the pacing could've been a little bit better, but overall it was a beautiful experience imo and it's definitely one of my top 10 movies of the last 5 years. Really looking forward to your reaction.
Also, Ralph Ineson has the craziest fucking voice man.
While based on the 14th century Arthurian poem, Director Lowery has said in interviews that Gawain is meant semi-biographically to be a “Medieval Millennial” stuck in arrested development being forced to grow by his mother. Not only are Gawain’s flaws made much greater (he is quite “green” as a knight), but the whole chivalry of the Round Table is questioned: Arthur praise his old gang of knights for “bringing peace”, but the scene of Gawain encountering a post-battlefield shows that this is questionable, if not all false.
I have two interpretations of the Vision in the end: One almost Buddhist-Nihilistic (Why continue the suffering of both you and your society, for power and glory that will be lost sooner or later? Why not end the suffering now?) and one Stoic-Chivalrous (If you are not true to your word, it will stain you for the rest of your life, so better a "noble death" than a life in guilt). I while I enjoyed the systematic criticisms made in the movie, I was a bit sad that the movie lacked the Humanist aspect/the Christian Mercy found in the poem: The flaws of Gawain, Camelot and Civilization itself even, are as mentioned, made so much bigger in the movie that that it is in my view not way Gawain will be given mercy by the Green Knight, as in the poem.
Lowery has also said that Dev Patel was chosen to upset the rather unlikable character of Gawain, as he is so likable both on and off screen! He mentions Andrei Tarkovsky’s “Andrei Rublev” as inspiration as well as Kenneth Branagh’s “Henry V”, the Hammer Horror movies and 80s fantasy movies, such as “Willow” and “Ladyhawke”.
Personally, as for the Vision scene, I kept thinking about the similar scene in “The Last Temptation of Christ” by Martin Scorsese, and I also felt some ties to "The Seventh Seal" by Ingmar Bergman: The “Momento Mori” of the Dance Macabre and the Green Knight playing a similar role to “Death” in that movie. And the Witches, the Lady and Queen Guinevere influencing the men as a parallel matriarchy reminded me of the “Witches” of Dune, the Bene Gesserit.
Also: The Green Knight was all makeup, no CGI!
There's so much to this movie. I figured you'd dig it since you enjoy really looking deeply into films. Reminds me a lot of a crazy fever dream.
The Green Knight is produced by A24. The studio that also produced Hereditary, Midsommar, Ex Machina, The Lighthouse, Everything everywhere all at once and many more. It’s one of the best studios out there right now.
No goddamn way this is one of my fav movies of all time, I know its divisive but its very personal for me
I had this movie on my list and seeing you posted your reaction finally pushed me to go watch it, and boy what an amazing experience it was. I loved both the visuals and audio.
I knew this was based on Arthurian legend and as such that this is not a depiction of reality with some magic thrown in. It is why the axe appears when it does. It is not because that thief for some reason brought it back but because the protagonist deserved it after being chivalrous towards the dead lady (even though for a moment he made the mistake of asking for something in return). The story is pretty much about him learning to be true to his commitment and what it means to be a knight, and he fails a lot at it along the way.
I love how the myth was not only told by the actions the main character takes, which would be normal, but also by employing pure film making techniques like pnly using a condensed dialogue to show the character still doesn't get it or like the digital set extension in the opening scene where a rooftop starts to burn telling us all is not right here (there might be more meaning to it that I am not aware of) or the snappy ending. It made the movie feel both old and modern at the same time.
I love movies like this and 'The Northman'. The scenes usually have a much deeper meaning to figure out and the storytelling is beautiful in its cinematography and creativity. Really wish more movies like this would come out. It's like reading a fable or something from Homer like the Iliad
the story is purposefully confusing but it's super simple. Green Knight even said it himself :D
“Is this really all there is?"
- "What else ought there be?"
Just a game between two "people" and honor as a theme.
Ohhh James gon love these visuals
Haven't seen a movie this century that left me with so many questions yet at the time these questions were blinded by the beauty of the movie and anticipation of what comes next. Not many of this style of movie out there but this was done masterfully.
It's because it uses a lot of the imagery and events of the original poem, that's so old the meaning is actually lost.
the green knight is one of the most beautiful movies i've seen in a long time; from the costumes to the sets to the sound design, everything about it is sooooo gorgeous!
It's a movie that is clearly not for everybody.
There are so many things in it: the themes (chivalric), the context (14th century), the lore (Arthurian myths), the aesthetic, the music, etc...
in my mind, gawain due to growing up around the round table is obsessed w this idea of knights becoming legends and he wants that for himself this greatness without necessarily wanting to do what it takes to be a knight he lacks kindness, chivalry, honesty and courage and that's why he fails all the challenges and the sequence at the end shows that had he returned a coward he would have been a worthless king and the scene where he takes off the sash shows it was the only thing holding his head together as he had already been beheaded!! i love this movie was really anticipated its release and it hits all the boxes for me despite not being necessarily faithful to the original text the aesthetic of arthurianna is beautifully done by lowery and the entire team involved
I love these reactions, they make the movies better.
Hope you are well. Thanks for sharing your time, thoughts and company, as always, stay awesome, stay genuine... much love
This was such an audiovisual treat. Loved it.
Have you seen "A Ghost Story" directed by the same man? It is very remarkable and has a very odd rhythm and sense of time and place about it. Pretty low budget but very interesting.
I love all the visual and sound elements in this movie. But the thing I love best is the feeling that it is the kind of story that people would tell around the fire on a winter evening long before tv or radio, when the entertainment had to come from people's imagination. A story that people would discuss after it was told.
A tale as twisted as the Celtic roots from which it grew, with Anglo-Saxon branches grafted on bearing strange fruits.
Listen to Celtic music and you find emphasis and tempos are similar, colored richly with the non linear.
6:23 Because he wants to be a Knight..he’s trying to prove himself in front of the King.
Also, this is based off King Arthur and that sword he carried was the Excalibur, but i’m sure someone already said that in the comments.
There is another version of this story made in the 1970’s called Sword of the Valiant. Sean Connery plays the Green Knight.
One of my favourite films of recent times. Such a breathe of fresh air in the fantasy genre. Pure piece of Cinematic Art and a masterpiece
Happy to hear you’re inspired by it!!
One of the few films that I listen to the full soundtrack. Knocked it out of the park
Been a while since I've been on the channel. Decided to dip back into RUclips-land and here you are.... watching one of my favs 😀. Nice.
One of my favorite films of '21
It's such a great slow burn that takes its time, and the visuals are amazing 🔥
I enjoyed that about it!
Fantastic film. I love how they deconstructed the original Chivalric Romance story while adapting it.
I didn’t watch it for quite a long time due to people lambasting it. Now I realise if someone truly didn’t understand the themes or what was happening, they’re probably the type that needs things directly spelled out to them. It’s more visual poem than A-Z plotting.
Anyways, If you enjoyed this, please consider watching Excalibur.
wow James. Another unexpected pick. The original source material of the story of the Green Knight is indeed odd, thus, and odd film. Me, I love this flick. It doesn't shy away from the oddity. Mildly reminds me of a Gilliam film. Love the look, and thus, mood.
i love this movie. a bunch of the old people that went to see it in the theater i was at walked out once they realized its not an action movie.
watched this in theaters!! it was beautiful and puzzling 😅
I remember my english teacher from high school being so in love with the symbolism of the color green in the original poem and i never quite got the nature of it until watching this movie when it came out. The visuals and overall feeling of this movie hits different. Glad you're checking this one out for sure
I loved this film, its absolutely beautiful and has so much depth to it- Im a sucker for anything with these mythical allusions. In 2021 I went back and forth on this and Power of the Dog for my favourite film of the year- neither are going to please the general cinema going public but for film nerds they are outstanding.
Also I live near to the place where the Saint Winifred legend came from- which is a nice personal touch for me.
Same!
so happy you recognized the boi Barry Keoghan
APersonal Favorite of mine. Cinematography is nuts! The soundtrack is perfection!
Love this movie, crazy it didn’t get an Oscar noms
This is made by the same guy that did A Ghost Story, which I feel is a film you would enjoy and appreciate.
This movie is an adaptation and retelling of the Arthurian legends of Gawain and the Green Knight.
I watched this on a flight home for the holidays. It was a trip.
Thomas Flight has an amazing view to understand this film in his channel.
This is a nice surprise. My favorite movie of 2021.
I remember watching it in theaters and hearing sounds like a tree in a thunderstorm when the Green Knight first appeared.
Same director as A Ghost Story. He don't make many films but each one is a banger.
I loved this film. It honestly reminded me of Conan the Barbarian but with less action. The dialogue was sparse, but the acting was good. It let the viewer see and figure out the film for themselves, music good, direction good. I loved it.
Great reaction bro! Don't know if you watched til the end of the credits, but there's a little hint as to what happened to Gawain. This film really explores the traits of a knight: honesty, courage, kindness, etc. Don't know if you caught the round table and King Arthur's Knights. Also, I'm seeing that A24 films have similar production values.
For those who felt confused by certain things, permit me to share MY take on some of the movie's most...out there moments.
1. Overall; the Green Knight's test was that of either honesty/truth, courage or some combination of the two. Sure, Gawain LOOKED brave by being the only one of the Round Table knights to strike the Green Knight down. But when it came to actually receiving the SAME blow in return, he could not bring that same courage back.
As shown in Gawain's "dream sequence" that showed him returning home, getting a knighthood and receiving the king's crown; karma always has a way to punish you for your bad choices. He was disrespected by the townsfolk, despite being a knight. He betrayed the love of Essel for his own gain and as King, he made many bad choices that brought the land to ruin.
It was only when he surrendered the green sash and submitted himself before the Green Knight that Gawain finally showed courage and true honesty.
2. When Winfred told Gawain that "the knight is someone you know," she was referring to the Lord he later meets during his quest. In the original poem, the Green Knight is actually a warrior named Bertilak; who was put under an enchantment by Morgan Le Fey (Arthur's half-sister and, for the sake of this adaptation, Gawain's mother.) Ironically enough, the actor playing the Lord in this movie (who is unnamed in the cast) is the same actor who plays the Green Knight.
3. In terms of the ending; when the Green Knight slits his finger across Gawain's neck and tells him "off with your head," he's subtly telling him to GO off for home with his head
Yup, you nailed it. The Green Knight wasn’t saying “off with your head” I took it as him saying “off, with your head”
THANK YOU for #3 - I never picked up on that part! Makes SO much sense!
Yes, and remember his mother promised that he would come back alive and she's the one who set the whole thing up.
One of my films of the year for me last year
Sir Gawain being King Arthur's nephew.
Like the poem. The film is a mild critique of what are considered “knightly values” and how at the end of the day we’re just human and can’t conform 100% to those values. What I love about this movie is the main character is basically a loser who we’re all rooting for and ultimately ends up overcoming his humanity (inherent in all of us) at least for a moment
One of my favorites
The movie I think you should check out is King Arthur (2004) with Clive Owen, Kiera Knightley, Mads Mikkelsen. A grittier more realistic take on the legend
I highly support this idea. Antoine Fuqua's King Arthur is one of my favourite Arthurian movies, because it's set in the actual timeframe (assuming he existed), and the acting and film-making are so well done. My other favourites are Excalibur and, of course, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, each for different moods.
I think it's a underrated movie that does not get enough attention.
I highly, highly recommend reading the tale. Seeing the differences between that and the film is a huge lesson in adaptation.
As someone who learned the tale in British Lit first, I initially left the film on the fence. The more I watch it the more I love the film.
The biggest difference between the two is the ending, the second is the character of Sir Gawain, who in most of the legends from the English perspective, (as opposed to the French,) is the total opposite to the character portrayed here-Or at least, on the face of it, because Gawain is typically seen as the most upstanding, boy scout-esque of the knights. So obviously some elements of the narrative have to change because the WWSGD of it all also changes.
The cinematography, the score, & much of the acting, it’s all fantastic.
Anyway, have you seen The Last Temptation of Christ by Martin Scorsese and starring Willem DeFoe? I cannot recommend that enough.
Production on this film is top notch godamn
I legit just watched this movie for the first time 5 days a go, it is gorgeous to look at, very trippy. I think I liked it? hard to tell but definitely happy I watched it
This is without exception a top 5 A24 film for me. The lighting, cinematography, score, acting, the epic scale of it, the eeriness and unsettling tone throughout, it’s just such a gorgeous film that manages to capture so much tension without necessarily showing anything that could be considered tense on paper. This film for me raised the bar for fantasy films to a ridiculous degree
This channel has great variety in stuff to react to, not always the 'safe' choices. So i hope 1 day you do Videodrome!
Headless horseman is from Christopher Walken and Johnny Depp in Sleepy Hollow.
Great analysis - have you seen 'Northman'? Best film of 2022 for my money.
Late the party, great reaction as always. I’ve always interpreted the ending as the Green Knight saying almost with pride “off with your head” to Gawain, cause he knows he could have run, but chose to stay. Maybe the knight was a symbol of an honorable death?
Perhaps, tho Gawain could've easily tapped the knights shoulder with the flat end of his blade.
A knight in the code of honor and chivalry wouldn't have killed the green knight due to the fact he's unarmed and also kneeling
This film and The Northman would be a fantastic double feature!
Great film. I was also confused to the point of not making it all the way through.
One of the best films I've seen in awhile. Simple brilliant
Happy you had a damn great time with this!
OH YES, I saw this movie in theater and LOVED it. It's such an amazing mood and visual spectacle. Cinematography is impeccable! Music is so atmospheric! The last 15min of zero dialogue is just stunning!!!!
Damn I'm behind like a mf, but yes sir! The visuals in this movie are incredible and inspiring.
If you haven't, I hope you will give "A Ghost Story" a chance. I love "The Green Knight" but I like "A Ghost Story" better. Both films are directed by David Lowrey. He definitely has an extraordinary sensibility. Thank you for such a great reaction!
This film is a masterpiece
Visuals were insane!
Ichabod Crane and the Headless Horseman, buddy! The classic Disney cartoon is the best, but the Johnny Depp and Christina Ricci joint was pretty good as well, but you just can't beat the original. I need to check, but if you haven't officially done Sleepy Hollow, you should. The way it was shot and filtered was one of the best films that I've ever seen aesthetically.
Hey man i love the videos! This movie is a banger! You should react to Me and Earl and the Dying Girl.
So very mythic. So very awesome.
This was my fav film of 2021. Theater was empty but me, made me kinda sad. Made me wanna go back and read the once and future king and the sir gawain and the green knight poem.
there's a huge camp of people that don't like this movie
i think people expected something a little more traditional, i felt this was more of an inversion and a rejection of heroes journey tropes
Loved this film
Love that you’re an anime guy.
NGL I found this film really hard going, whilst I can appreciate that it's beautifully shot and has fantastic production values, it ended up feeling like a really frustrating experience that I don't have much desire to rewatch.
Personally, the best adaptation of the Arthurian mythos (which the Green Knight is adjacent to) has to be Excalibur (1981), although that's not necessarily difficult as most of the other Arthurian films are hot garbage.
Paris, Texas!!!
I loved this movie on first watch even though I didn't get a lot of it. I've since watched it several times and have understood more every time. This is a really good official video explaining the history of the story, which will help on second watch: ruclips.net/video/yI189R6JyYI/видео.html
Back in 2004 or so, I read The Once and Future King, La Morte deArthur and.....The Green Knight. La Morte is the full story of King Arthur. Once and Future King is an abridged version. And Green Knight is kind of a side quest. So I was super excited when this movie was announced. Beautiful movie. Not very accurate to the book, at all. But still, beautiful.
Sword is Excalibur 😎
I didn’t get it either, other than the very broad strokes thematically, when I watched it but damn was it a pretty fever dream to be lost in for a while.
The more you think on it the more sense it makes. But also it’s always a visual feast. Just 👩🏽🍳🤌🏼
I came here so you could tell me what was going on in that scene.
I love this film so much
There’s a lot to love here too!