After a year long delay, I was finally able to watch David Lowery's The Green Knight and it was one of the best films of the year.
The Green Knight follows Gawain, King Arthur's nephew, who goes on a journey to the Green Chapel to find the Green Knight.
David Lowery is a director that understands the importance of visual storytelling as shown by his previous film, A Ghost Story. I had my issues with A Ghost Story but I was able to appreciate it more as time went by. The Green Knight, however, is probably his best film yet. Knowing David Lowery and A24 were behind this project, I expected this film to be more of a slow character study and that's exactly what The Green Knight was. Lowery's recreation of the medieval era is absolutely fantastic. From the production design to the costumes, they all contribute to making this world feel real. There are some absolutely stunning shots that capture the vast landscape of the world making it feel like a cinematic experience. Lowery also uses colour in an interesting way. Not only are they appealing to the eye but they clearly serve a purpose towards the film's story and protagonist, Gawain. I especially loved the use of green during the scenes involving the Green Knight. The actual look of the Green Knight is marvellous and Ralph Ineson's powerful voice makes this character have so much more of a brooding presence. The score by Daniel Hart is one of the film's biggest strengths. It adds an eerie and weird atmosphere alongside the grand visuals which I thought fit the tone perfectly and helped enhance the overall experience. My only issue would have to be some of the visual effects. There's a fox in the film and the visual effects for it didn't look that good in some of the close-up shots.
Aside from the breathtaking visuals, what also encapsulated me was the way Lowery told this story. Like A Ghost Story, The Green Knight doesn't explicitly say what it's all about. A particular sequence towards the end is told entirely through its visuals without any dialogue and is a core element to the entire purpose of the film. Lowery evidently wants the audience to pick up on certain clues he's hidden and interpret based on what they find which is what I like to do with a film. I see Gawain's journey as a test of honour and chivalry which are elements that make up a good knight. There are many details hidden throughout where people can take away multiple interpretations and that's what makes David Lowery such a brilliant visionary.
Lowery has built up a strong cast of talented actors, all of which deliver stellar performances. Dev Patel gives one of his best as Gawain. I didn't expect to see him do a role like this but he managed to make it work. Alicia Vikander is also terrific as the two characters she plays. Sean Harris, Kate Dickie and Barry Keoghan aren't in the film much but they all do a commendable job. Joel Edgerton also puts forth a strong performance and Ralph Ineson captures the mighty aura of the Green Knight very well.
David Lowery has managed to impress me again with his version of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Along with the mesmerising visuals, Lowery's method of visual storytelling kept me engaged and wanting to analyse it on a deeper level. This film isn't for everyone but if you would like a thought-provoking experience, I would highly recommend The Green Knight.
The Green Knight follows Gawain, King Arthur's nephew, who goes on a journey to the Green Chapel to find the Green Knight.
David Lowery is a director that understands the importance of visual storytelling as shown by his previous film, A Ghost Story. I had my issues with A Ghost Story but I was able to appreciate it more as time went by. The Green Knight, however, is probably his best film yet. Knowing David Lowery and A24 were behind this project, I expected this film to be more of a slow character study and that's exactly what The Green Knight was. Lowery's recreation of the medieval era is absolutely fantastic. From the production design to the costumes, they all contribute to making this world feel real. There are some absolutely stunning shots that capture the vast landscape of the world making it feel like a cinematic experience. Lowery also uses colour in an interesting way. Not only are they appealing to the eye but they clearly serve a purpose towards the film's story and protagonist, Gawain. I especially loved the use of green during the scenes involving the Green Knight. The actual look of the Green Knight is marvellous and Ralph Ineson's powerful voice makes this character have so much more of a brooding presence. The score by Daniel Hart is one of the film's biggest strengths. It adds an eerie and weird atmosphere alongside the grand visuals which I thought fit the tone perfectly and helped enhance the overall experience. My only issue would have to be some of the visual effects. There's a fox in the film and the visual effects for it didn't look that good in some of the close-up shots.
Aside from the breathtaking visuals, what also encapsulated me was the way Lowery told this story. Like A Ghost Story, The Green Knight doesn't explicitly say what it's all about. A particular sequence towards the end is told entirely through its visuals without any dialogue and is a core element to the entire purpose of the film. Lowery evidently wants the audience to pick up on certain clues he's hidden and interpret based on what they find which is what I like to do with a film. I see Gawain's journey as a test of honour and chivalry which are elements that make up a good knight. There are many details hidden throughout where people can take away multiple interpretations and that's what makes David Lowery such a brilliant visionary.
Lowery has built up a strong cast of talented actors, all of which deliver stellar performances. Dev Patel gives one of his best as Gawain. I didn't expect to see him do a role like this but he managed to make it work. Alicia Vikander is also terrific as the two characters she plays. Sean Harris, Kate Dickie and Barry Keoghan aren't in the film much but they all do a commendable job. Joel Edgerton also puts forth a strong performance and Ralph Ineson captures the mighty aura of the Green Knight very well.
David Lowery has managed to impress me again with his version of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Along with the mesmerising visuals, Lowery's method of visual storytelling kept me engaged and wanting to analyse it on a deeper level. This film isn't for everyone but if you would like a thought-provoking experience, I would highly recommend The Green Knight.