Impeccably written and directed by David Lowery, this movie offers up a lush retelling of the 14-century poem, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. Gawain (played by Dev Patel, who is quickly turning into Britain's go-to actor to embody their literary heroes) is King Arthur's nephew and at the beginning of the film, he's a bit of a wastrel. He is boozing and wenching, and hasn't really done anything with his life. All of this changes when he attends a feast at the Round Table on Christmas Day and has an encounter with the Green Knight. The encounter is brief, but the consequences are long, because a year later he will have to find the Green Knight again. What follows is a story of that quest, where he encounters all manner of people and creatures to eventually become a hero who is worthy of a knighthood.
This is not a swashbuckling tale of swordfights and derring-do. Gawain has no idea what he's doing and he is wrong-footed in nearly every encounter over the course of this film. But this is a story of perseverance and forging ahead when everything in your path seems to be telling you that you are bound for failure. It's the ultimate existentialist tale, a Myth of Sisyphus with Gawain at one point proclaiming "is this all there is?" And the answer, it turns out, is yes and no. Our hero's fate seems pre-ordained but his journey towards that fate is what matters most.
Don't go into this film if you're expecting stunt choreography and thrills. But go into it if you want to bathe in the sumptuous cinematography by Andrew Droz Palermo and Jade Healy's incredible production design. There were moments when I felt like I was strolling through the Medieval galleries at the Met, staring at gorgeous paintings of saints, and knights, and mystical landscapes. At one point I realized that Gawain's costume reflected all the colors of the land he was travelling through, with the pop of his yellow cloak echoed by the flowers on the hills, and it all looked so breathtaking on the big screen that I didn't want to blink and miss a single frame.
This is a movie that is not afraid to take its time. You will have to sit and watch things unfold for long stretches without any dialogue and simply let this world soak into your pores. But to be clear, the lack of dialogue doesn't mean this is a quiet movie. The score by Daniel Hart had better be in the running for an Oscar next year, because it is one of the most essential features of the film. Towards the end of the movie, there was a moment where we just watched Gawain sit down in quiet contemplation, in a supremely idyllic location as the sun sets and rises again, and I teared up because of the sheer joy this movie had elicited in me. It somehow evokes this catharsis that you had no idea you were seeking when you stepped into the theater. It's magical.
The final act of The Green Knight is a work of genius. I won't say anything more, but it was the perfect way to end this film that is all about humans and our choices and how they affect our lives. This is a movie about what it means to be chivalrous, the struggle to find your purpose, and the terrifying beauty of the natural world. But most importantly, this is a movie that showcases just how great movies can be. Lowery took this medieval poem and gave it his own spin, and in doing so, has given us a universal and evocative story that assaults the senses and transcends the screen. I don't know if I will ever recapture how I felt when I watched this film, but I am so glad I got to feel whatever I was feeling for those two hours.
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