Robert Zemeckis’ Beowulf is a 2007 animated film that tries to make the Old English poem modern. It mostly works.
The plot strips the poem down to its bones. Beowulf, a Geatish warrior, travels to Denmark in 507 to face Grendel, a creature that killed King Hrothgar’s people during a celebration in the mead hall Heorot. The film adds a twist: Beowulf and Grendel’s mother have a secret, and Beowulf lies about it to everyone who asks.
The film’s biggest addition is its sexual side. Grendel’s mother takes the form of a beautiful, gold-covered naked woman and seduces Beowulf in her cave. He accepts her offer of the golden drinking horn and a son in exchange for killing her. The lie about the fight that follows becomes the film’s moral weight.
Trailer, via TheFantasyCentral.
The Voices and the Motion-Capture
The cast reads like a who’s who of 2007 cinema. Ray Winstone voices Beowulf, the title character, and also plays the dwarf performer and the Golden Man/Dragon. Anthony Hopkins voices Hrothgar, the king. Robin Wright voices Wealthow, the queen. John Malkovich voices Unferth, the adviser. Crispin Glover voices Grendel, and his dialogue is entirely in Old English. Angelina Jolie voices Grendel’s mother, and Winstone was cast after seeing his performance as the title character of the 2003 ITV serial Henry VIII.
Winstone enjoyed the motion-capture process. He said, “You were allowed to go, like theater, where you carry a scene on and you become engrossed within the scene. I loved the speed of it. There was no time to sit around.”
He noted that his animated counterpart resembled himself at the age of eighteen, even though the filmmakers did not have a photo for reference. Winstone also played a dwarf performer, and the “Golden Man”/Dragon.
A Poem, Changed
The film’s deviations from the poem are its central problem. Beowulf’s victory over Grendel’s mother is not a fight, but a lie. The film makes the poem’s hero a liar, and it makes the creature a woman. That is a bold choice, but it changes the story’s meaning.
The film also adds a political layer. Beowulf’s lie keeps the horn and the palace safe, but it also keeps his secret. The film’s moral weight is in the lie itself, not in a victory over evil. That is a fair choice, but it is not the poem’s.
The film’s animation is the star. Motion-capture gives the characters a weight that traditional animation cannot match, and the film’s ensemble cast gives it depth.
Verdict
Beowulf is a film about lies, and it tells its own lie. It is honest about its changes while making them, but the changes are the film’s central point. The animation is the film’s greatest strength, and the cast’s voices give it depth.
The film is not faithful to the poem, but it is not a failure either. It is a bold, modern retelling with a clear moral point about lies. The film’s final scene, where Beowulf lies to Hrothgar about the fight, is a strong moment.
- Director: Robert Zemeckis
- Writers: Neil Gaiman, Roger Avary
- Runtime: 115 minutes
- Release: November 16, 2007 (US)
- Cast: Ray Winstone, Anthony Hopkins, Robin Wright, John Malkovich, Crispin Glover, Angelina Jolie
| Element | Approach |
|---|---|
| Source material | The Old English poem Beowulf |
| Animation | Motion-capture |
| Voice cast | A mix of actors with film history |
| Point of view | Modern, with a moral twist |
Beowulf is a film about a lie, told with ambition and a strong cast. It is not faithful, but it is honest about it. The film’s moral weight is in the lie itself, and that is a fair point to make, even if it changes the poem’s meaning. It is a film worth seeing for its animation and its cast, even if it is not a faithful telling of the poem.
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