Beowulf and Grendel review-Montreal Mirror

Beowulf & Grendel

Just what you were waiting for: a feature-length period adaptation of the Beowulf poem, based on Norse mythology. The ninth-century poem is credited with inspiring J.R.R. Tolkien, telling the rather gory story of one warrior’s fight with a nasty troll, Grendel. Beowulf & Grendel is the creation of the excellent Canadian filmmaker Sturla Gunnarsson, who originally hails from Iceland. This, he says, is his return to his roots, a calling he had felt for years to adapt the ancient poem.

It certainly boasts some very impressive production values. Beowulf & Grendel was shot entirely in Iceland (but set in Northern Europe), when the King of the Danes asks warrior Beowulf to head off to assassinate the nasty troll Grendel. That, as it turns out, is much harder to do than originally thought, given Grendel’s fiery resilience. The setting, costumes and acting (the cast includes Sarah Polley and Stellan Skarsgard) are truly brilliant here. But audiences may find some of the overwrought, Nordic histrionics a bit tiring by the final third, when troll, warrior and witch battle it out to the nasty, sordid end. A period film this complex deserves praise, given the logistics of pulling it off. Suffice it to say, however, that Beowulf & Grendel is not everyone’s cup of tea. (MH)

www.montrealmirror.com