Beowulf: The Braggart or the Hero?

How many times have you gone to a movie and said, “That was absolutely nothing like the book”? This phrase is quite the case regarding Beowulf, the not so accurate depiction of the original epic poem translated by Seamus Heaney. The movie shares the same basic plot: Beowulf arrives to help Hrothgar by slaying the demon Grendel and saving his kingdom. However, after about the first thirty or forty five minutes of the movie, it takes a drastic turn from the book. Nevertheless, this distance from the poem that the movie holds is actually a good thing. I am in no way saying that the epic poem was bad, in fact I actually really enjoyed reading it; but, what I am saying is that for a story that is primarily directed at teenagers because of its popularity in literature curriculum, the movie does a much better job of appealing to this audience than the actual poem does. Honestly there is one reason for that: animation.

            Beowulf’s rather accomplished director, Robert Zemeckis, wowed the world in 2004 with his realistic animation in The Polar Express. Beowulf was not much different. The animation displayed in Beowulf makes the viewer feel as though he or she is actually in the heart of all of the action, and I’m not even talking about the 3D version yet. The fight scenes are particularly enhanced by this form of animation. For example, when Beowulf battles Grendel for the first time, Grendel snatches one of Beowulf’s men and bites his head off. The crunching sound, the blood splatter, and the limp, lifeless, and very realistic body that hangs from Grendel’s grasp are vivid images as a result of the advanced animation. Another example is when Beowulf battles the dragon, specifically when he rips the heart out of its chest.  The heart of the dragon beats and looks exactly how one would imagine a human heart to beat and look; every vein and artery is identifiable and skillfully depicted.  The animation either captures (boys) or horrifies (girls) the viewers. Either way, it makes people pay attention to and remember the movie, just like the spiced up scenes and characters that were added.

            In modern culture, everything is a bit more interesting with a dose of sexiness. The addition of Grendel’s gorgeous, sexy, mysterious mother, played by Angelina Jolie, certainly makes the movie a bit more interesting. Despite the fact that it indeed grasps the audience’s attention, it allows for intriguing new plot twists as well. Beowulf himself also engages in this more adult-appropriate atmosphere when he decides to fight Grendel naked. Again going back to the animation, all of this is considered PG-13 because of the fact that it is merely animation. Although the characters in the movie are very accurate depictions of real people, because it is an animated movie, the gore of the fights and the scantily clad scenes are actually considered viewable. All in all, it is this absorbing combination of dazzling animation and a hint of sexiness that really holds the attention of the audience, dissimilarly from the epic poem itself.

            Although the animation is the main reason for the movie’s success, its line up of actors is not exactly unimpressive. The movie’s characters are voiced by, Anthony Hopkins, Robin Wright Penn, Angelina Jolie, and Ray Winstone, just to name a few. This powerful and talented cast not only demands respect, but their voices also fit the characters perfectly, once again circling back to the fabulous animation and depictions. Angelina’s sultry voice characterizes Grendel’s mom’s character, while Ray Winstone’s booming voice fits perfectly with Beowulf’s warrior demeanor. However the characters are quite different from those of the authentic poem. Of course there is the obvious example of Grendel’s stunning mother in the movie, while in the book she is referred to as “monster of women.” Another example is the depiction of King Hrothgar as a drunken adulterer, while he is a man of nobility and honor in the epic poem. Finally, while Beowulf is admired by and considered a hero by everyone in the epic poem, he seems more of an egotist in the movie. For example, when he recalls the story of his swim with Breca, or when he is yelling at the prisoner of war to kill him, because he knows he won’t die a death from someone as insignificant as him. Again, these differences are not necessarily bad, just differences that enable a slightly altered plot.

            The one thing I did not love about the movie was what I took away from it. After I read the epic poem I had a vivid image in my mind of honorable kings, and loyal warriors. This idea was a result of the way the characters in the book behaved while interacting with one another. People admired Beowulf and Hrothgar. In the movie, however, that sense of valor and dignity that was taken away from the poem was missing. These characters are not dignified and exalted; instead they are deceptive and sinful. My point about the animation remains, that the characters are visually spectacular. Rather, my issues lies in the way they act on screen versus the way the act in the poem. It is not that big of a problem that it causes me not to like the movie; it is simply slight criticism.

            Overall I genuinely enjoyed Beowulf. The animation was truly remarkable and gave the old story a breath of fresh air. The imperceptible alterations of the storyline allowed the movie to be more intriguing and captivating than the poem itself, when addressing an audience of high school students. Although some of the changes, such as the character descriptions and attitudes, made some of the values from the epic poem vanish, it was not a catastrophic change. Beowulf was a great reproduction of a great classic and I would definitely recommend taking the time to see it.