Beowulf and Grendel: It's about time!

http://www.beowulf-movie.com/
It's about time is all I can say. The Beowulf legend has been practically begging to be made into a movie for years. Lets just hope they that are faithful to the original myth, the setting and the style of the Beowulf poem. Not like what happened to King Arthur in that atrocity of cinema, 'First Knight'.

Originally Posted by Eric

http://www.beowulf-movie.com/
It's about time is all I can say. The Beowulf legend has been practically begging to be made into a movie for years. Lets just hope they that are faithful to the original myth, the setting and the style of the Beowulf poem. Not like what happened to King Arthur in that atrocity of cinema, 'First Knight'.

Its been in the cinemas for atleast 2 or 3 months...
This movie is for those who are familiar with the Eddas and appreciate that style of poetry, only. the majority of strangers to the eddas most likely wont like it...
Personally i liked it very much, they did a very good job of visual telling of the poem.

In illegal cinemas Mr. Flint? Which country is this?

Oh Beowulf, brings back memories. No, I won't go and see the film, I will only be under the impression that they butchered the tale, no matter how good it really is.

This is one of those i want to see but i dont want to in case the ruin it... if that makes sense

edit oh p.s. Never Ever Ever mention "first knight".... oh god i mentioned it now!

Originally Posted by Octavian

In illegal cinemas Mr. Flint? Which country is this?

Oh Beowulf, brings back memories. No, I won't go and see the film, I will only be under the impression that they butchered the tale, no matter how good it really is.

Huh? no, in legal ones...
its been on since March 10, http://www.playbackmag.com/articles/...3/beowulf.html


and they didnt butcher the tale that much, yes its been shortened to fit in the time frame, it focuses only on the Grendel part, but its still does a good job of visual translating of the tale.

Originally Posted by Gwendylyn

Judging by the synopsis? Completely and utterly butchered the myth.

On that note, the original doesn't really translate well into film if you try to be faithful to the text, because most of the poem is description. Not a lot actually happens to be able to fill two hours, especially if you chop off the second half of the Beowulf-poem that has nothing to do with Grendel.

I remain healthily optimistic about the movie being entertaining, butI won't spend money to see it.

the bolded part:
Thats why this movie can be recommended to only to those who are familliar with the tale and the eddas...

Originally Posted by Mr.Flint

the bolded part:
Thats why this movie can be recommended to only to those who are familliar with the tale and the eddas...

From what I've seen of the trailer, it looks like a decent film for those unfamiliar with the tale, and the synopsis off of IMBD shows that a lot of plot lines have been added, which is why I said it butchered the myth.

Is the movie extremely poetic and steeped in description/imagery that it would turn off those not familiar with the tale?

EDIT: You've mentioned the eddas before. Does the movie actually bring other Norse myths into it? Or are you just referencing the type of story that Beowulf follows?

Originally Posted by Gwendylyn

From what I've seen of the trailer, it looks like a decent film for those unfamiliar with the tale, and the synopsis off of IMBD shows that a lot of plot lines have been added, which is why I said it butchered the myth.

Is the movie extremely poetic and steeped in description/imagery that it would turn off those not familiar with the tale?

EDIT: You've mentioned the eddas before. Does the movie actually bring other Norse myths into it? Or are you just referencing the type of story that Beowulf follows?

Well, my brother, who is not familiar with the tale, and with eddas, plainly hated it.
While me and my father (we both familiar with the background) loved it.
thats why i came to the conclusion that its not a movie for those who are unfamiliar with the tale.

Rather than follow the classic anglosaxon version of the tale, the creators opted to go to the norse roots of it, (hence my references to the eddas)
by employing the classic, short, ruthless, with cruel humour, style of poetry that is typical to the eddas, theyve given it quite a remarkable realism.
(The movie is under heavy influence of Icelandic viking cinematography)

I wrote a Beowulf play when I was like 8 years old...it involved Jabba the Sea Slug, who lived under the lake and helped our hero to find Grendel...so they can't do a better job of butchering the tale than I did! :laughing:

Originally Posted by Mr.Flint

Well, my brother, who is not familiar with the tale, and with eddas, plainly hated it.
While me and my father (we both familiar with the background) loved it.
thats why i came to the conclusion that its not a movie for those who are unfamiliar with the tale.

Rather than follow the classic anglosaxon version of the tale, the creators opted to go to the norse roots of it, (hence my references to the eddas)
by employing the classic, short, ruthless, with cruel humour, style of poetry that is typical to the eddas, theyve given it quite a remarkable realism.
(The movie is under heavy influence of Icelandic viking cinematography)

Ok, thanks. I'm extremely familiar with the tale (wrote my thesis last term on Beowulf), but not at all familiar with eddas. I was going to avoid the movie in the theatres because, like anyone who knows the original too well, an adaptation is likely to disappoint me until I can watch it in good humor. However, if the film is really an excellent film by itself, I might revise that opinion if it ends up playing in theatres over here. First, though, I'm going to have to go find out the difference in poetic styles of the Norse and the Anglo-Saxons to see what kind of influence eddas had on it.

Judging by the synopsis? Completely and utterly butchered the myth.

On that note, the original doesn't really translate well into film if you try to be faithful to the text, because most of the poem is description. Not a lot actually happens to be able to fill two hours, especially if you chop off the second half of the Beowulf-poem that has nothing to do with Grendel.

I remain healthily optimistic about the movie being entertaining, butI won't spend money to see it.

Damm you Mr. Flint, it's only the 9th of March here in Saskatchewan. You stinker!

Originally Posted by Eric

Damm you Mr. Flint, it's only the 9th of March here in Saskatchewan. You stinker!

You meant May right?

Ah great books. Wasn't 13th Warrior based off Beowulf?

Originally Posted by Hub'ite

Ah great books. Wasn't 13th Warrior based off Beowulf?

No, that was based off of the Crichton book Eater's of the Dead, which is based off of an Arab manuscript from 900 AD about some Muslim's voyage into the Germanic tribe territories.

Originally Posted by Gwendylyn

No, that was based off of the Crichton book Eater's of the Dead, which is based off of an Arab manuscript from 900 AD about some Muslim's voyage into the Germanic tribe territories.

Ok then my 12th grade english teacher lied to me. It had some similiarites that I saw though.

Originally Posted by Hub'ite

Ok then my 12th grade english teacher lied to me. It had some similiarites that I saw though.

It should have some similarities in the sense that 13th Warrior was about an Arab traveling to 900AD northern Europe, and Beowulf was written not much earlier than that, set in the same geographic area. But that's where the similarities probably end.

Originally Posted by Gwendylyn

It should have some similarities in the sense that 13th Warrior was about an Arab traveling to 900AD northern Europe, and Beowulf was written not much earlier than that, set in the same geographic area. But that's where the similarities probably end.

What about Beowulf and his 13 warriors that go hunting for Grendel? If I remember correctly wasn't Antonio Banderas and 13 warriors hunting for some type of monster?

Ok here we go.

The novel upon which the movie is based is loosely inspired by Richard Frye's translation of Ibn Fadlan's non-fictional account of his travels up the river Volga in the tenth-century. The plot however, is largely a modernized retelling of the Anglo-Saxon epic Beowulf, with elements added from The Book of One Thousand and One Nights. The movie goes to some pains to achieve a historical atmosphere, including use of Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Greek, and Latin dialogue. The Swedish actor Sven Wollter plays the old Viking chief.

A word of warning, for those who would go to this movie thinking its like "13 warrior", dont go, you wont like it definately.