The Green Knight (2021)

I recently said to a friend that a lot of my favorite films are some kind of variation of a fever dream. Not all the pieces fit necessarily in terms of a story you can follow but instead we give in to a series of images unfolding like a forgotten memory suddenly coming to light. Obviously a director like Terrance Malick excels in this style to where you basically have to just let it wash over you rather than have it cohesively fit in a way that resembles a conventional narrative. For The Green Knight, director David Lowery almost takes that approach and applies it to a poem, making it surreal in a way that wouldn’t be out of place in a Dali painting. It's a feast for thine eyes. Reminded me of some strange Oz Perkins-like mushroom trip that I found thoroughly satisfying in the end even if I didn't understand what was happening and why at times. I do need to see it again with subtitles but visuals alone sometimes go a long way when they’re this breathtaking. I’ve been on board with this director’s approach since being transfixed by A Ghost Story which is another tale about the inevitability of death and processing the grief that comes with immense loss. Here, it’s applicable to a King Arthurian tale but with humor, longing and even a cute CGI furry animal companion that may or may not be reliable.

Based on an anonymously written tale devoted to Sir Gawain (Dev Patel), King Arthur's nephew embarks on a quest. Introduced as a less-heralded member of the court, Gawain is surprised when Arthur (Sean Harris) asks that he join him at dinner, and further taken aback when the King requests a tale that will help to know him better. Gawain has nothing to say in terms of heroism. But soon an offer is presented that he cannot refuse. After a visit in the middle of dinner, a sort-of game is presented from the Green Knight, a gigantic emerald-skinned stranger who is more tree than man. He says that whoever strikes a blow to him will in turn be asked to receive the same in a year’s time. Gawain has the opportunity to decapitate said creature but must be willing to accept the same fate in return in one year’s time. The film eventually becomes all about confronting the eventual end. Gawain embarks on a daring quest to confront the Green Knight. Over the course of the two-hour film, Gawain contends with ghosts, giants, thieves, and marauders while on a journey that turns quickly from hesitancy to an internal quest all its own. With no specific identity outside wanting to be a knight, Gawain is asked to define his character and prove his worth in the eyes of his family, kingdom, and the entities (dead and alive) that he meets along the way. The ultimate test of faith and courage occurs in the film’s final act when he confronts the Green Knight in his chapel. The silence that follows for a good stretch later on is absolutely one of the more powerful montages in quite some time.

This is one of those "immerse yourself and don't think too much about it" films that many will find frustrating because it doesn’t always provide thrilling action set pieces. It’s more internal than that which makes this a compelling character study with striking existential prowess as well. There’s a sense of emotional displacement for Gawain that is projected onto the audience. We experience a sense of anticipation for what’s to come, while also dreading it. Possibly because we all know what’s coming for us as well. Ultimately, this becomes more of a mood piece rather than a tale of good and evil with Helm’s Deep-like battle cries. There are certainly confrontations and side characters but we mainly focus on the struggle that Gawain wrestles with the whole way through. The great David Lowery is idiosyncratic in a way that is enveloping even when there's a bit of a disconnect on a story level. There’s a similar feeling in A Ghost Story where lost time feels oppressive and romantic love isn’t necessarily fulfilling. The journey towards the end even if it means self-sacrifice is again, inevitable. There's no denying though the subtle power of its Last Temptation of Christ-like final act that despite knowing the outcome, I was still awe-struck by the wordless storytelling on display. (With some echoes of Upstream Color, which Lowery edited). Try to see this on as big of a screen as possible - sink into the pace and just let it wash over you even if you feel lost. This is the director's best work to date and one of the year’s very best films. I cannot wait to see it again and uncover its many wonderful layers.