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CS
Weekly Archive > DVD
of the Day > 10/06/06
An Even-Handed Epic
by jason davis
Beowulf & Grendel
Andrew Rai Berzins
Based on the poem "Beowulf"
 
 
Andrew Rai Berzins' adaptation of the Old English epic poem "Beowulf" states its intent with the first line of dialogue, "Hwæt!" the exclamation that opens the original text. From there, Berzins renders the story of the Beowulf the Geat (Gerard Butler) who travels to Denmark to slay the beast Grendel (Ingvar Eggert Sigurðsson), who has slaughtered his kinsman Hrothgar's (Stellan Skarsgård) people. Despite calculated liberties, such as an origin for Grendel's hatred of the Danes, as well as the witch Selma (Sarah Polley)—a Danish outcast who serves as Beowulf's love interest and provides a link in the film's unorthodox denouement, the film presents a fairly accurate dramatization of the poem. As the title suggests, the film, for the most part, balances its story between protagonist and antagonist, providing a more even-handed take on the tale than its one-sided source material. A commentary and several featurettes illuminate the harsh Icelandic conditions under which the film was made while pointing out the writer's embellishments and the dramatic reasons behind them.
Beowulf & Grendel
Anchor Bay Home Entertainment
Rated R; 103 min.
$29.98
Buy it now
Jason Davis is the DVD Manager for CS Weekly, a contributing editor for Creative Screenwriting Magazine, and has written for Cinescape.com, MSN.com, and created the TV series Studio 13, which ran on Lorne Michaels' Burly TV network. He lives in the small space left over by his ever-expanding library of books, movies, and music.
Beowulf & Grendel courtesy Anchor Bay Home Entertainment
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