I. Introduction
The heroic exploits of Beowulf are retold in the 2005 film Beowulf & Grendel. A joint effort between Eurasia Motion Pictures (Canada), Spice Factory (UK), and Bjolfskvida (Iceland) resulted in this great masterpiece. We once more witness, in a new light, how Beowulf had defended the Danes from the wrath of the troll Grendel.
The only surviving epic in English history has been rehashed with new surprising twists. New characters and scenes are introduced specifically for this movie. We learn the back story behind Grendel’s murderous campaign. We get to know about new characters, which have crucial roles on the beast’s downfall.
II. Director
Born in Iceland in 1951 and raised in Vancouver from the age of seven, Sturla Gunnarsson is one of the best-known and award-winning filmmakers from Canada, directing feature films, documentaries and television dramas. His films have been recognized with a multitude of awards, including Emmy, Genie and Gemini Awards, a Prix Italia and an Oscar nomination.
In July 2004, Gunnarsson started directing one of the most difficult projects he ever had. The shooting of Beowulf and Grendel did not come easy, as the entire cast and crew experienced numerous problems. The film went over-budget and they had a hard time surviving the harsh Icelandic winter. As Gunnarsson faced these gigantic obstacles, he seemed to take on the appearance of a “troll”. Eventually, they were able to overcome them all. Their struggles are described in the 2005 documentary Wrath of Gods.
III. Story
A. Characters
• Beowulf (portrayed by Gerard Butler) – He is the hero, from the land of the Geats, who came to the aid of the Danes to fight Grendel.
• Grendel (portrayed by Ingvar Sigurðsson) – He is the antagonist, a troll who sought revenge against the Danes for killing his father. The Danes feared him.
• Hrothgar (portrayed by Stellan Skarsgård) – He is the king of the Danes, who built Herot to celebrate his many victories. He believed that he had not done his job since he could not prevent the bloodshed caused by Grendel’s attacks.
• Selma (portrayed by Sarah Polley) – She was a Dane who was banished by her own people, and claimed that she was a seer, someone who was capable to see the future.
B. Setting
The land of the Danes is portrayed as a land full of stunning landscapes. We see breath-taking and panoramic views of green hills, black-sand beaches and blue seas. The environment looked pristine on the days when the world was young.
The story takes place during the 6th century A.D. The life style of the Danes observed in the movie depicted that era. They survived mainly by fishing or by farming. They followed pagan traditions, although they displayed traces of Christianity, such as baptism. They had a government which was led by a king. They settled disputes through violence.
C. Plot
The film starts with a large burly troll and his juvenile but bearded son, Grendel, being pursued by warriors led by Hrothgar. The chase had ended at a cliff, and in order to protect Grendel, his father ordered him to climb down and hide. They shot arrows at Grendel’s father, killing and plunging him to the shore below. Hrothgar then had found Grendel, but he chose to spare him, being overcome by pity. After the Danes had left, Grendel approached his father. He tried to carry his large corpse, but to no avail. He cut his head off and took it home.
Years had passed, and we see the severed head as well as Grendel, who had grown to be as brawny as his father. He hit himself with rocks, expressing his fury and setting off his campaign to annihilate the Danes. After a party, twenty men sleeping in Herot were assaulted and twenty warriors were killed by Grendel. This causes fear among the Danes, who had converted to Christianity at the urging of an Irish priest.
News of Grendel’s assaults soon reached Geatland. Beowulf then requested his king, Hygelac, to allow him and his men to sail and vanquish the troll terrorizing the Danes. The king granted their appeal and wished them success. Upon arrival at the land of the Danes, Beowulf’s party was received by Hrothgar. The warriors decided to sleep at Herot, anticipating the monster’s attack. Grendel had moved towards the hall but when the Geats were preparing for battle, the troll suddenly ran away. Beowulf had learned from Selma that Grendel wouldn’t find the Geats because they had not done any wrong against him.
A newly baptised man had pointed the location of Grendel’s cave to the Geats, but without a rope, they were afraid to die going down to the cave, and turned back. After seeing that villager dead the next day, Beowulf and his group entered the cave, but the beast was not there. One of his men cursed and destroyed the head of Grendel’s father. Grendel was outraged when he went home to see his sanctuary defiled and his father desecrated.
Selma narrated how Grendel had awkwardly raped her one stormy night, and he had protected her ever since, worrying Beowulf even more. Hrothgar also admits his mistake of killing Grendel’s father just for stealing a fish.
That night, Grendel finally attacked the Geats. He killed the man who had destroyed his father’s shrine. Feeling satisfied, Grendel was going to escape when his right arm was caught by a rope. Instead of facing death at the hands of Beowulf, the fiend cut his arm off and limped to his doom, falling at the same shore where his father had been. His carcass was taken from the sea by a mysterious hand.
Festivities were held in Herot once more, and Grendel’s detached arm was displayed as a trophy for their success. However, Grendel’s mother had attacked Herot and seized his son’s arm. Beowulf followed suit and killed her at a tavern where Grendel’s body had laid. Out of the shadows, a red-haired boy, who Beowulf presumed to be Grendel’s son had appeared and was ready to fight. However, Beowulf no longer wanted to combat and left.
Beowulf built a memorial for Grendel. Before going back to Geatland, the protagonist warns Selma to hide her child so the Danes would not discover and slaughter him.
D. Theme
Like the epic, bravery is the main theme in the movie. We see how Beowulf faced the tough villains and overcame all of them. He fulfilled his sworn task of protecting the Danes and to bring success to his tribe before returning to Geatland.
However, other themes are explored in this movie. Beowulf continued to question the need to destroy Grendel. While the Danes and his warriors continued to assert that Grendel was evil, Beowulf believed that the troll had a reason for committing the attacks. This was proven when Hrothgar admitted killing Grendel’s father. Grendel also appeared to act by a strange ethic code, wherein he kills the Danes for revenge but does not kill the king who spared his life. Beowulf preferred to leave Grendel alone, but he accepted the fact that he needed to vanquish him.
Religion also plays a key role in the film. When the Danes were terrorized by Grendel, they turned away from their pagan beliefs, who they believed did not help them. Instead, they believed in Jesus, who was forgiving and expected nothing in return.
IV. Moral/Theme
“Revenge is never an option.” We see how Grendel avenged his father’s death. He seemed to justify his actions of taking innocent lives because of the wrongs done against him. However, by committing these acts, he ultimately sealed his fate. It was because of this that he had died. We cannot obtain justice if we commit wrongs to people who have also offended us.
NOTE: If you're a Twi-hard fan like my cousin and sister (Ay mali, Harry Potter fan nga pala siya.), and you hate people bashing this movie, then please stop reading at this point. Otherwise, feel free to continue.
