Medieval History
I was going to post a sort of review of the movie (yes, I saw it opening night, though that wasn't my idea) but kind of like Dr. Virago, I really just don't want to -- though not for her reasons. I actually kind of liked the movie. It had this weird relationship to the text, in which it was oddly faithful and oddly divergent. That's of course fine for a movie-ization, I think. My opinion is that it's kind of ridiculous to go in there looking for something that (more-or-less) literally translates something onto the screen. It just can't happen. Take it for what it is. And now, off my tiny little soapbox.
So, some random-ish thoughts:
UPDATE: Dr. Virago now has a full review up. I don't agree with everything she says but she's definitely right about the role of women in the poem (see also my much briefer thoughts above).
UPDATE 2: Dr. Nokes now has his (very-detailed) review up.
- Getting Medieval, Deep In The Heart Of Texas
Battle of Hattin, from MS of Matthew Paris, 13th c. The Texas State Board of Education today passed a resolution 7-6 warning textbook makers that they would, in the future, "look to reject future prejudicial social studies submissions" that show a "pro-Islamic/anti-Christian...
- Monsters Without Monsters Within
A little strange to start with this image of the Arnolfini (convex!) mirror from my posh hotel room in Florida, but the undefinable, unbounded, and uncertain space of a convex mirror is precisely where I need to be to talk about where it is that we work...
- Nostalgia For Aliens
We are safely ensconced in a posh hotel room in downtown Nashville, TN, awaiting the Parthenon (!!!) and my dearest Donna tomorrow. God but I love a road trip - we left in the mid-afternoon and headed straight south. I don't know this landscape...
- House Of Sick
Iris and Eleanor and Mac first succumbed about two weeks ago, and now finally, Oliver and I have been felled. I think we have a stronger, crazier bug: much more fever, hot eyeballs, aching all over. Debilitating. Reading today was reduced...
- New Beowulf Book
Beowulf An Illustrated Edition Translated by Seamus Heaney Illustrations edited by John D. Niles ?This illustrated edition is the next best thing to being in the mead hall at Heorot, watching the action, with Heaney chanting it beside you.? ¾Neil...
Medieval History
Pseudo-Review of Beowulf
I was going to post a sort of review of the movie (yes, I saw it opening night, though that wasn't my idea) but kind of like Dr. Virago, I really just don't want to -- though not for her reasons. I actually kind of liked the movie. It had this weird relationship to the text, in which it was oddly faithful and oddly divergent. That's of course fine for a movie-ization, I think. My opinion is that it's kind of ridiculous to go in there looking for something that (more-or-less) literally translates something onto the screen. It just can't happen. Take it for what it is. And now, off my tiny little soapbox.
So, some random-ish thoughts:
- Generally, the CGI was amazing, although most of the movie I thought I was watching a video game come to life. Seriously, I felt like I should have a controller in my hands. But, at points, they were able to convincingly recreate men on screen. I mean, it was literally jarring for me to see what absolutely looked like a real actor up there.
- The movie's portrayal of Grendel has a lot to do with John Gardner's novel, Grendel, methinks, as the monster comes across quite sympathetic. I also liked how they played up the filial relationship between Grendel and his mother. I also kind of liked the weird Olde Englishe/ modern English that Grendel and his mom spoke. It worked well to differentiate them from the men, as older, more ancient, products of another age in some way.
- It was also just funny at parts. There's a scene in Heorot that reminded me of a scene at the end of the first Austin Powers movie.
- The insertion of Christianity was a bit odd and heavy-handed though, especially the burning crosses that come crashing down (repeatedly).
- The most interesting thing for me though, and this goes back to my "watching a video game" comment, was how much I felt afterwards that I had stumbled into some guy's adolescent fantasy -- a real cross between a graphic novel and a video game, which is exactly what this movie is. But I don't mean that condescendingly at all. The sex and the violence. The strong men doing brave things with swords and brawn (certainly there in the poem), slaying monsters, jumping off of things and on to things, and being "conflicted" by what they're doing. The kind of "pithy" philosophy undergirding it all. The handsome men lusting after, even being seduced by, beautiful women. And those men's inability to resist. (Seriously, Wiglaf, even after everything that's happened?)
UPDATE: Dr. Virago now has a full review up. I don't agree with everything she says but she's definitely right about the role of women in the poem (see also my much briefer thoughts above).
UPDATE 2: Dr. Nokes now has his (very-detailed) review up.
- Getting Medieval, Deep In The Heart Of Texas
Battle of Hattin, from MS of Matthew Paris, 13th c. The Texas State Board of Education today passed a resolution 7-6 warning textbook makers that they would, in the future, "look to reject future prejudicial social studies submissions" that show a "pro-Islamic/anti-Christian...
- Monsters Without Monsters Within
A little strange to start with this image of the Arnolfini (convex!) mirror from my posh hotel room in Florida, but the undefinable, unbounded, and uncertain space of a convex mirror is precisely where I need to be to talk about where it is that we work...
- Nostalgia For Aliens
We are safely ensconced in a posh hotel room in downtown Nashville, TN, awaiting the Parthenon (!!!) and my dearest Donna tomorrow. God but I love a road trip - we left in the mid-afternoon and headed straight south. I don't know this landscape...
- House Of Sick
Iris and Eleanor and Mac first succumbed about two weeks ago, and now finally, Oliver and I have been felled. I think we have a stronger, crazier bug: much more fever, hot eyeballs, aching all over. Debilitating. Reading today was reduced...
- New Beowulf Book
Beowulf An Illustrated Edition Translated by Seamus Heaney Illustrations edited by John D. Niles ?This illustrated edition is the next best thing to being in the mead hall at Heorot, watching the action, with Heaney chanting it beside you.? ¾Neil...