Beowulf 
Years and years ago, I listened to the epic poem, "Beowulf" as a book-on-tape in the car, as I was driving to work.
As I was watching the movie, Beowulf , I could tell right away that this is Not an exact recreation of the classic poem.
Personally, I wished they had stuck closer to the original story-line.
In addition, I really didn't like the cartoony effects that they added. It made the movie look to Cutesy - kind of like watching Shrek.
And its a movie with scary monsters - and a hero who rescues everyone from the horrible monsters.
I just had a hard time getting passed some of the cutesy characters.
Even though the film shows how, over the years, the people started to follow Christianity - there are still a few comments that don't fit the original religious ideas in the poem.
For example, a man asks the king, since they are in a time of crisis with Grendel the monster terrorizing them, "Do you want to order the people to pray to the God the Romans worship, the Jesus God - as well as our gods?"
And the King replies "No. At a time like this the god's won't help us. We need a hero."
And then Beowulf shows up right in the nick of time.
Read the Wikipedia Discription of Beowulf.
I quote Wikipedia "That the scribes of Cotton Vitellius A.XV were Christian is beyond doubt; and it is equally certain that Beowulf was composed in a Christianized England, since conversion took place in the sixth and seventh centuries...Scholars disagree as to whether Beowulf's main thematic thrust is pagan or Christian in nature...Beowulf’s own beliefs are not expressed explicitly. He offers eloquent prayers to a higher power, addressing himself to the “Father Almighty” or the “Wielder of All.”
In the film, after Beowulf is older, you see people carrying crosses and Crucifixes, and some people have a cross on their clothing.
So the film does depict that there was a change in religious belief during Beowulf's life.
I just wish they had done the entire movie according to the original poem. Its one of the oldest writings that we have in existence. Dating back to around the 8th century.
The original story has survived the test of time. I would have liked to see that as a movie.
Labels: cinema, film, movie, movies
