Criticism of Beowulf

Although the reanimation of Beowulf brought visual aid that enhanced the life of the heroic tale, many critics are extremely skeptical to the plotline of the poetry. The film, directed by Robert Zemeckis, added more visual appeal and action and discarded much of the symbolic attributes upon which the hero's tale was built upon. His main focus, of course, was entertainment. Which, in personal opinion, Zemeckis was very successful. He added visual appeal, satire, and sexuality. These three qualities, blended together, created a twisted, but exciting, version of the story.

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Many critics have an opposing opinion on the matter. Manhola Dargis of the New York Times states "the only time the movie pops is when something or someone seems to be flying at you." (Dargis, 1) Her, like many others, believe the story to be nothing more than visual appeal with poor acting and unsophisticated dialogue. Many feel that Seamus Heaney's translation in 1999 is considered a "gorgeous" transformation of the story. (Darhis,1)

So, it is split. Many are very opinionative when literature becomes rolling footage as to how well the beauty of the literal story is translated. Personally, I believe Zemeckis displayed the hero's characteristics that have been displayed for centuries superbly.

1.Dargis, Manhola http://www.nytimes.com,11/16/2007,11/24/2010



Beowulf: Real or Fiction?

It is understood that the events that occurred in Beowulf took place during the 5th century. At this time, the Anglo-Saxon Germans were beginning their settlement of modern day England . This heretical background provides a Germanic twist on the story. Yet, there is also evidence of Geatish culture in the story which shows the intertwining of the two backgrounds which provides a mixture of both Monotheistic and Polytheistic beliefs.

Considering the evidence of factual implementation in the poem, would that also provide non-fictitious information over the main hero Beowulf? According to Wikipedia:

"The events described in the poem take place in the late 5th century, after the Anglo-Saxons had begun migration and settlement in England, and before the beginning of the 7th century, a time when the Saxons were either newly arrived or in close contact with their fellow Germanic kinsmen in Scandinavia and Northern Germany."(Angus,1)

"The majority view appears to be that people such as King Hroðgar and the Scyldings in Beowulf are based on real people in 6th-century Scandinavia." (Wiki,1)

Although they state there is alot of legendary attribute to this Hero, there is little evidence as to his existence. He is just a wonderfully decorated fictional character to help express the victorious battles of the 5th century with more preference and points of interest. You can tell with the emphasis on its artistic creations.

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1.Cameron, Angus, et al. Dictionary of Old English (Microfiche). Toronto: Published for the Dictionary of Old English Project Centre for Medieval Studies University of Toronto by the Pontifical Institute of Medieval Studies, 1986/1994

2.(http://www.wikipedia.org)11/24/2010

The Ladies Man

Back in the Middle English era, a man's sexuality was not considered a major social feature. Therefore it was not thoroughly discussed and described in their poetry and plays. Though I have discussed the sociocultural transition throughout the centuries, I have vaguely discussed todays popular topic when it comes to the science of attraction. Human sexuality is abundant and is often talked about and portrayed in thousands of films. It grabs people's attention. It is socially acceptable, and often attractively interesting. So why not place it into a timeless tale.

In Robert Zemeckis' video portrayal of Beowulf. He applies sexuality in a very provocative, yet comical way. In a CGI animation, the most real-life animation, One would assume you would have to put attractive people in the script in order to grab people's sexual tension. What do you think?

http://www.zonadvd.com/imagenes/articulos/cine_beowulf/ray.jpg

The actor's name is Ray Winstone, a sexy beast????? They certainly had to reanimate him and give him some better features.  Now, the woman who plays the monstrous mother of Grendel, well, she indeed has some good looks for a monster.

http://cdn.buzznet.com/media/jj1/2007/07/beowulf-trailer/beowulf-trailer-02.jpg

The actress' name is Angelina Jolie, and anyone who knows what she looks like automatically knew it was her  in the film. Not much reanimation required. 

Considering Sexuality was not a major viewpoint in Middle English Literature, they used his manly stature and brawn as the attractive features. Also, since Paganist polytheism was still vastly popular during this era, it was duly noted to raise his social stature to that of a God. The inconsistent Paganist symbolism used within the story provided his stature, considering the poet intertwined Christianity and Paganist values. "The Christian Englishmen of the time......viewed the Germanic Pagan with interest." (Gellert,90)   It is quite possible that he raised his social stature through constant bragging. Andrew Showers from Associated Content states "some would say Beowulf is ignorant because it would seem like he brags about strength and skill in battle." (Associated,1)

           1.Showers,Andrew,http://www.associatedcontent.com,Dec4,2006

           2."Beowulf." Classical and Medieval Literature Criticism. Ed. Elisabeth Gellert and Jelena O. Krstovic. Vol. 43. Detroit: Gale Group, 2001. 89-239. Literature Criticism Online. Gale. Tarrant County College. 24 November 2010 <http://ezp.tccd.edu:2055/servlet/LitCrit/txshracd2560/FJ4072250003>

A Comment on Robert Zemeckis' Version of Beowulf

                 As I’ve said in my previous entry, I’m not particularly keen on literature. However, the portrayal of Beowulf in Robert Zemeckis’ film was intriguing, and caught my interest for many reasons. Even though the film didn’t follow the poem completely, there were certain aspects that are more visually aesthetic for a more modern society.  We live in a society where there’s a lack of respect for timeless lierature, and a dependency on sparknotes, movies, and summaries on the internet. Often times, we also get lost in translation when it comes to actually understanding what we’re reading.

                Zemeckis’ rendition is visually stimulating which entices audiences of all ages. It’s this interest that keeps us focused on the story line. The movie was done purely by CGI animation, which was almost preferred since the use of actual actors would have taken the movie to a different and probably more unsavory level. The use of CGI takes our favorite characters from the poem and brings them to life without any limitation or restrictions that a normal human being might possess. In the poem, Beowulf was portrayed as an honorary human being;  who just happens to have “supernatural strength”, and who slays monsters on the side.

                                      "...a thane, they declared with the strength of thirty in the grip of each hand
                                    (Lines 380-381)”

             “There was no one else like him alive.

                                        In his day, he was the mightiest man on earth,

                                         highborn and powerful (line 196-198).”

                   

                    It’s obvious that an actor couldn’t have effectively taken on the role of the Beowulf (Or any of the other characters, really.)- and it’s that suspension of disbelief that keeps us interested, and makes us follow the story more efficiently versus missing key elements because we’re bored with what we’re reading. Even if the film was inaccurate at certain parts, it doesn’t take away from the fact that it was actually appealing- in my opinion, better than reading the poem.

      http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/celeb/top_100/robert_zemeckis.jpg

- (Quote) http://csis.pace.edu/grendel/projf20001a/beowulfdefinition.html

Why did i choose this.

I would not consider myself to be a strong advocate for literature, but I find the story of Beowulf to be a long, everlasting tale that is timeless in comparison to most other mythologies. In my British Literature class, I feel my professor had a much stronger sense of passion for the story and really opened my eyes to its slow transformation of how the story is told to fit the sociocultural era. For example, the difference in focus between the story read in class and the film by Robert Zemeckis shows what was considered more important to express along with the original plot of the story. In the Literature there was a primal focus on an establishment of a "Christian tradition" (Norton, 30) Plus, he is the label of heroism and one of the most decorated characters in history. I find Robert Zemeckis to be somewhat of a pioneer on how he translated Beowulf into a pop culture icon in modern society.