(no subject)
*Beowulf kind of Spoiler Alert*
I am excited to see the new Beowulf adaptation. My only hesitation is that Angelina Jolie, who I can only assume plays grendel's mommy (which imdb.com backs up), is going to appear as a beautiful woman. This is a direct shift of emphasis.
Here's the sparknotes synopsis:
Grendel’s mother - An unnamed swamp-hag, Grendel’s mother seems to possess fewer human qualities than Grendel, although her terrorization of Heorot is explained by her desire for vengeance-a human motivation.
(Note: This is a very generalized interpretation, but it works.)
As you can see, part of the mother's role is that she appears to be an even further degeneration of humanity. She possesses vengeance, which is a human trait, but one that goes against the proper order of civilization.
What ultimately drives her son is that the trappings of the civilized world (primarily the great hall) enrage him. He seeks to destroy it. While he is alive, Grendel's havoc leaves the mead hall empty, and the society around it crumbles. After he is slain, society thrives. This sets up the contrast that the author is working to present.
That being said, I think Angelina Jolie's role is going to alter the plot. She is beautiful, and in the trailers she seems to tempt Beowulf. This temptation is not present within the epic poem. In fact, the role of the female in Beowulf is very different. Woman are seen as a commodity, or, in Beowulf's mother's case, evil. This sets up a very masculine world. One in which Jolie's character doesn't fit.
On the other hand, the world in which Beowulf takes place does not lend itself to a film in 2007. The work, as a direct adaptation of events, would consist of a lot of ornamented language and a lot of boasting. Instead, I believe the film adaptation is going to replace many of the man-to-man conversations between battles by increasing their length, and with Beowulf's seductions. I'm fairly sure the macho attitude with transfer onto the screen, but what I'm not certain about is how the plot will change.
My best guess is that Beowulf will eventually deny Grendel's mother to the point where she sheds her sexy big-lipped form for a more battle-ready visage. I can't imagine Beowulf's battle with Grendel's mother to be fought against a nude Angelina. It wouldn't come across very well, and the battle would just seem strange. In fact, this kind of seduction by a monster isn't uncommon of epics. If you remember, The Odyssey featured a similar story. Although Odysseus did not have to fight a wretched hag, he felt the wrath of rejecting seduction.
If my assumptions are true, I do not think the story would suffer too much. Sure, literary critics will more than likely snub their noses at the flick, but ultimately an entertaining film with dragons and monsters is worth watching. The fame of The Lord of the Rings, 300, Troy, Gladiator and a number of other epics has charged Hollywood with a kind of epic churning fury. Sadly, this can produce such suckfests as Kingdom of Heaven, and I hear they might make a Lord of the Rings spin-off (more like suck-off) directed by not Peter Jackson. Eeyuck!
I suppose we'll have to wait and see. I'll write a review if I get a chance to see it before it hits DVD.
I am excited to see the new Beowulf adaptation. My only hesitation is that Angelina Jolie, who I can only assume plays grendel's mommy (which imdb.com backs up), is going to appear as a beautiful woman. This is a direct shift of emphasis.
Here's the sparknotes synopsis:
Grendel’s mother - An unnamed swamp-hag, Grendel’s mother seems to possess fewer human qualities than Grendel, although her terrorization of Heorot is explained by her desire for vengeance-a human motivation.
(Note: This is a very generalized interpretation, but it works.)
As you can see, part of the mother's role is that she appears to be an even further degeneration of humanity. She possesses vengeance, which is a human trait, but one that goes against the proper order of civilization.
What ultimately drives her son is that the trappings of the civilized world (primarily the great hall) enrage him. He seeks to destroy it. While he is alive, Grendel's havoc leaves the mead hall empty, and the society around it crumbles. After he is slain, society thrives. This sets up the contrast that the author is working to present.
That being said, I think Angelina Jolie's role is going to alter the plot. She is beautiful, and in the trailers she seems to tempt Beowulf. This temptation is not present within the epic poem. In fact, the role of the female in Beowulf is very different. Woman are seen as a commodity, or, in Beowulf's mother's case, evil. This sets up a very masculine world. One in which Jolie's character doesn't fit.
On the other hand, the world in which Beowulf takes place does not lend itself to a film in 2007. The work, as a direct adaptation of events, would consist of a lot of ornamented language and a lot of boasting. Instead, I believe the film adaptation is going to replace many of the man-to-man conversations between battles by increasing their length, and with Beowulf's seductions. I'm fairly sure the macho attitude with transfer onto the screen, but what I'm not certain about is how the plot will change.
My best guess is that Beowulf will eventually deny Grendel's mother to the point where she sheds her sexy big-lipped form for a more battle-ready visage. I can't imagine Beowulf's battle with Grendel's mother to be fought against a nude Angelina. It wouldn't come across very well, and the battle would just seem strange. In fact, this kind of seduction by a monster isn't uncommon of epics. If you remember, The Odyssey featured a similar story. Although Odysseus did not have to fight a wretched hag, he felt the wrath of rejecting seduction.
If my assumptions are true, I do not think the story would suffer too much. Sure, literary critics will more than likely snub their noses at the flick, but ultimately an entertaining film with dragons and monsters is worth watching. The fame of The Lord of the Rings, 300, Troy, Gladiator and a number of other epics has charged Hollywood with a kind of epic churning fury. Sadly, this can produce such suckfests as Kingdom of Heaven, and I hear they might make a Lord of the Rings spin-off (more like suck-off) directed by not Peter Jackson. Eeyuck!
I suppose we'll have to wait and see. I'll write a review if I get a chance to see it before it hits DVD.