Beowulf (2007) November 14, 2007
Posted by gproject in : Cinema, Recently Viewed , trackbackA quick note about the below: The preview screening I attended was in IMAX 3D – my first feature film in this particular format and one which changes, if not distracts slightly from the actual movie. The majority of this review relates to the film itself, as shown in any format.
Directed by: Robert Zemeckis
In what would appear to be a perfectly timed release with the current popularity of ’swords and sandals’ movies like 300, and alongside the gone-but-not-forgotten presence of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Beowulf roars into cinemas this week – quite literally given the volume of most of the dialogue. Plus, with Robert Zemeckis at the helm, the film continues a long line of advancing the special effects boundaries to seemingly unreachable levels of detail. Taking a step up from his last feature, The Polar Express, this movie goes nationwide in regular 35mm, digital Real-D and IMAX 3D formats – but underneath all the showy technology lays the bigger question: does it really make the film better?
There’s a typical fantasy set-up: A king’s land is plagued by a monstrous troll named Grendel, who terrorises the drinking hall whenever a celebration is held. With nobody able to defeat the creature, a legendary warrior named Beowulf appears from across the sea, bringing his own army and promising that he will rid the land of its creature. Unfortunately for Beowulf, Grendel is not his only problem - hidden in the hills is a more devious source of evil: Grendel’s mother. Beowulf soon learns that all is not as it seems and that, like the king before him, he may be fallible to the temptations of men and as much of a plague to the land as the monsters he fights.
From a technical standpoint, this film is a resounding success. The digital rendering is superb and although you can tell it apart from reality, the detail that has been captured is astonishing: every hair on Ray Winstone’s beard, the wrinkles under the eyes of Anthony Hopkins, the crinkled folds of leather, and the patches of ice formed on a stone turret. As someone who has seen these details on an eight-storey screen, I can tell you that they are some of the most authentic looking computer generated images ever put to film. But as with all of these leaps in technical advancement, and as discussed during A Scanner Darkly [review], style should match content if everything is really going to gel. Luckily, the fantasy genre is perfect for utilisation of this particular style, since exact realism is never going to be called for in a world that is filled with such clearly imaginary creatures.
The list of actors whose performances were transferred to their digital counterparts is an impressive one. Ray Winstone gets a significant body toning as the title character, who is also able to age 40 years across the course of the film. His voice is strong, as it needs to be, although he can’t save the character from its inevitable flaws. Anthony Hopkins and John Malkovich also take roles that they can adequately flesh out while Robin Wright Penn portrays a love interest and Crispin Glover shows up as Grendel, the giant and menacing troll. Taking much of the attention is Angelina Jolie, whose role is actually quite small but no less significant, playing the wicked temptress with enough sneer and cunning to be truly believable as the film’s source of evil.
Director Robert Zemeckis makes use of his digital environment, producing some great tracking shots which glide down from the sky, through tiny cracks, across rooms and right into full-frame close-ups of a character’s face without ever breaking momentum. Cinematography in the computer generated world is a wholly different ball game, but the filmmakers haven’t shied away from attempting a diverse range of shots and movements that can be a little jarring, but remain impressive. Meanwhile, the screenplay by comic book and Stardust author Neil Gaiman, along with Roger Avary, is adapted from an epic poem of the same name and contains more than its share of shouting and commotion. The dialogue is fairly limited but regrettably doesn’t always capture the true intent of the characters, while their take on the story also doesn’t do the movie any favours.
Which leads to this film’s biggest problem: its characterisation. Namely, Beowulf, who is a boasting, boorish brute, and not nearly heroic enough to live up to his role as title character. Being neither a figure for good, nor an anti-hero wrestling with his own self-worth, his rise and fall is charted with little emotional reaction and his final redemptive act is not played for anywhere near enough significance – what could be a potential dilemma turns into just another ‘slaying of the beast’ moment for the egotistical warrior. It’s a horrible thing for a heroic tale to be filled with such reprehensible characters; only Brendan Gleeson’s character, Wiglaf, neither takes an emotional beating (as many of the female characters do), nor compromises his own honour.
On release of the ‘restricted’ trailer in the US, there was discussion over whether Beowulf was going to be a more adult-oriented action adventure. Of course, it ended up getting a teen-friendly certificate and hits cinemas in the UK as a well-judged 12A. The violent content is on-par with other fantasy films of this ilk (I’m thinking Lord of the Rings territory) although there are numerous references to sexual conduct in the film that are bawdy and mostly unnecessary. What’s disappointing is the way the movie still tries to play above the audience that is going to lap this kind of thing up, and attempts to be an entirely more noteworthy and philosophical affair than it really is. An open ending may be the more mature way to conclude this tale of warrior’s temptations, but for younger viewers, the need for a clear moral distinction is sorely needed especially given the film’s lack of any other ethical value.
So, in the end, this film is a technological wonder with a story that does little but provide a platform with which to show off. But it does show off well, and if you can let all the inherent character problems slide, then there are plenty of action sequences throughout, as well as a lengthy dragon showdown at the end to keep you entertained. I’m under no doubt that kids will love its out-and-out brutality mixed in with a fantasy legend, but be warned that for younger children, the regular 35mm projection may be better suited than the immensely overwhelming IMAX 3D experience. And ‘experience’ is the right word. To answer the question posed earlier, it’s not a case of technology making the film better – this is near-impossible feat – but with these new exhibition methods, giving people a chance to experience film in a different way. And all hats off to Zemeckis for embracing it: for he is the closet to a true hero in this story.
Comments»
no comments yet - be the first?