A Knight's Honor
SCORE: 97/100
****BEWARE POTENTIAL SPOILERS AHEAD****
REVIEW:
Stunning, simply stunning. David Lowery has crafted the finest fantasy film since The Lord of the Rings, and proves that Arthurian legends deserve their retellings throughout history. This review is shorter than usual, because I just want all of you to go out and experience this achievement for yourself.
This film has a look that says artistic realism. The outfits, weapons, locations, and world feel incredibly well-realized and unique, which helps the film stand out amongst its contemporaries. In particular, the design of the titular Green Knight is instantly recognizable, and has incredible sound design. The cinematography is incredible, offering as much unease and tension as the music and actors, and is definitely deserving of the Oscar (as is pretty much everything in this movie).
As for acting, The Green Knight is firing on all cylinders. Dev Patel is incredible here, offering depth to the character in ways I didn't think he would. He's a troubled, flawed young man, and is quite different from versions of him from the original story (as far as I can tell there are various interpretations). He is deserving of an Oscar nod here, and makes me excited to follow the rest of his career. Alicia Vikander also brings her A-game to two roles, and her talent makes the two stand apart from each other, even if they're supposed to look the same. Joel Edgerton brings an unease and a tension that cuts through the atmosphere. Sean Harris and Kate Dickie bring a level of royalty and stature fitting of King Arthur and Queen Guinevere respectively. Finally, Ralph Ineson kills it as the Green Knight, literally. His voice is so well suited to be a evil-ish knight that it makes me jealous, I want this man's voice.
The story is based off of the original legend of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight by anonymous. It's a modern, darker retelling of that legend that succeeds based on its open-endedness. The opening here will no doubt enrage some, as it is left to interpretation, but it's fitting given the type of story Lowery is trying to tell. While the original legend shows Gawain as a hero, the film does not, opting to show us the importance of honor and chivalry through Gawain's failures, not his successes. I do not want to spoil any elements of the story here however, as I really do want to leave the film open to interpretation and I really want more people to check it out.
The film loses a few points here because I wanted to see a bit more. As much as I love the open ended nature of the film's story, I wanted to see more of its world and characters, and was left a little wanting. However, it would've pushed the film to be too long, where it feels perfectly fine as is. It's a small complaint, but one I feel is worth mentioning.
I know this review is short, but I really don't want to spoil anything. This masterwork is best experienced with no expectation or knowledge of what's happening. It's that good, just remember to turn on your brain and leave the kids at home. This will definitely be purchased on 4K once it's released.
Conclusion: This must-see retelling of the classic legend is incredible, bringing a deeper and more meaningful story that only gets better the more you reflect on it.
Score: 97/100
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