Time, memory, and the desire to be remembered are key preoccupations of David Lowery’s The Green Knight (2021). However, if you’re concerned that these central themes feel more suited to an academic thesis rather than an entertaining experience, have no fear. The Green Knight walks a perfect tightrope between embracing surrealism and emotional investment.
This surrealism should come as no surprise to those familiar with the 14th century English poem which acts as the source material (and for many undergraduate English students, I’m sure it will be). For those who are not, the plot outline remains broadly similar to the original text. After the arrival of the titular character at King Arthur’s court, the otherworldly knight makes an offer to the roundtable: strike a blow on his person, and the Green Knight gets to repeat the exact same strike on the one who dealt it a year from now. Taking the chance to please Uncle Arthur, young Gawain accepts the challenge, cleverly lopping the Green Knight’s head off. Except, not so clever. The Knight proceeds to pick up his disembodied head, departing with the menacing promise of ‘one year hence’. A year from now, Gawain must face the chopping block.
This initial set-up constantly leaves the viewer on the back foot, as it’s clear that The Green Knight does not operate in the realm of reality from the get-go. This feeling of anxiety the audience feels after this opening sequence further deepens throughout Gawain’s journey. Lowery’s script revels in his travels across mediaeval England, remaining faithful to certain sequences yet also diverging from the original text. Despite these creative liberties, Lowery ties them precisely to the themes established in the opening confrontation. A run-in with a robber effectively expands upon the theme of giving and receiving, whilst Gawain’s interactions with Saint Winifred (Erin Kellyman) reveal telling details about the knight’s own sense of righteousness. The eeriness of the characters Gawain meets also translates to the aesthetics. From the glowing red haze illuminating Gawain’s dive into a lake, or a time jump revealed in a single, unbroken panning shot, Andrew Droz Palermo’s hallucinatory cinematography emphasises the strangeness of Gawain’s journey. This is mediaeval England, but not as the viewer knows it.
Yet one of the most compelling qualities of the film is that all this surrealism never devolves into an exercise in self-indulgence. Pivotal sequences of characterisation keep Gawain’s journey accessible, and, most importantly, entertaining. A scene of sparse dialogue hinting at a tender affection between Gawain and prostitute Esel establishes the relationships at stake. Gawain’s exchanges with those he encounters consistently challenges his own motives for proving himself against The Green Knight. An eerie moral ambiguity lingers in the air after each interaction, leaving the audience constantly questioning the decisions of the protagonist, yet also fearful of the fate that lies before him. It’s a testament to Lowery’s script, and the towering performance of Dev Patel as Gawain, that the film remains emotionally affecting because, rather than in spite of, its strangeness.
Patel maintains a firm grip on the challenges of the central role. Gawain is not the virtuous, disciplined mediaeval knight of other Arthurian film adaptations; his self-interest drives him. He’s a man obsessed with being remembered yet ignorant of the consequences of his actions. It’s a deeply flawed figure that Lowery’s script examines, and Patel does not shy away from embracing his uglier side. Venting his frustration in the search for glory to a fox and showing temptation towards a married woman, Patel revels in revealing the characters’ motives. Equally, the physical and emotional vulnerability he displays does great work to keep the audience deeply invested in his character’s journey.
Whilst Patel remains the standout, he is bolstered by a superb supporting cast that fully understands the assignment. Barry Keoghan pops up as a wandering thief who combines childlike trickery with underlying menace, whilst Alicia Vikander’s turn as The Lady that tempts Gawain combines sensuality, pathos and authority in a scene-stealing monologue. Whilst the meaning of the conversations remains deliberately ambiguous, the performances evoke visceral reactions from the audience. The people Gawain meets are as memorable as the protagonist.
This combination of weirdness and emotional engagement builds to a heady climax will polarise viewers. Regardless of your reaction to Gawain’s confrontation with the knight, the film undoubtedly doubles down on the theme that plagues the protagonist throughout: time. The desire for one’s life to be remembered, alternative outcomes of moral choices and time’s power over humans are interrogated in a climactic sequence both final and uncertain. Much like the overall film, it’s a conclusion that lingers with the viewer long after they have absorbed it. Adapting an inaccessible medieval text into a concise, poignant morality tale which remains truthful to the source material is no mean feat. In The Green Knight, Lowery and his team deliver, with flying colours.
Score: 5/5
(The Green Knight is available to stream for free on Amazon Prime Video in the UK)
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