What differences do you notice in the characterization of the Anglo-Saxons, both individual characters, and the people in general?
17 comments:
Anonymous
said...
In the epic, Hrothgar is noble and respected, whereas in the film he is drunk all the time and is kind of a jerk. In the epic, Beowulf constantly talks about fate and glory and how he will die for his people. In the film, he has one long speech, but does not present his values and goals nearly as much as he does in the epic.
I think a lot of the differences between the movie and the epic have to do with the movie's desire to capture the attention of an audience stupid enough to pay $10 to see such a movie. Such people are not going to want to sit through a polite speech about Beowolf's values, mission, and detials of his ancestry. I think the director probably also understands that a lot of highschool students (mostly boys) are going to watch his movie instead of reading the book for English class so he throws some sexual references and drunkeness in the beginning to entertain them and keep them watching. The film is fitting with many people's view of the "dark ages"--a basically barbaric and crude kind of life compared to our own.
Beowulf's character is depicted differently in the epic and in the movie. In the epic he honors the king and shows loyalty to his father, which is important in the Anglo-Saxon culture. In the epic, his speech praises Hrothgar and shows he is respecting the king. In the movie, he does not look too highly upon Hrothgar, as he is a poor leader always drinking. Beowulf does not speak too much about his father and points out only his own achievements. Beowulf makes little reference to his aspirations in the film, besides killing Grendel.
In the movie, Hrothgar is a drunk, lives slovenly and overall acts in a crude manner. In the epic, he is very important to the people and they think very highly of him. In the movie, Beowulf makes one self promoting speech, while in the epic he references his own achievements on various occasions. In general, the movie and the epic differ because they cater to an audience with different values.
Boasting of your bravery and courage are very typical of the Anglo-Saxons. This is shown in the epic because Beowolf makes multiple speeches about his achievements and his bravery. In the movie, his speeches are short and consist mostly of "I am Beowolf." Also, the movie involves a lot of drunks and sex which is not how the epic portrays it. The epic portrays hrothgar as an honorable king, and the movie portrays him as a drunk pervert.
In the movie Hrothgar is always drunk and not really respectable. in the book he is very well respected by his people and they linger on every word that he says and obey his every command. In the book Grendel is made out to be this enormous beast, but in the movie he is actually very skinny and not as big as i would have expected him to be.
In the book the Anglo-Saxon people are supposed to seem honorable and noble but in the movie they are portrayed as a drunken society. this is probably to enphasize how noble beowulf is
Hrothgar is portrayed very differently in the movie than he is portrayed in the epic. In the epic, Hrothgar is a respectable lord and hero, whereas in the movie he is a flawed, drunk man. Also, it is typical of Anglo-Saxon culture for the characters to boast about their honorable achievements and to tell an elaborate history of themselves and of their families. In the film, the epic hero, Beowulf, only has one long speech where he boasts about his achivements, and he does not reference his loyalty to his father. In the epic, Beowulf discusses his own achievments and goals many times and the importance of being loyal to his father. He also shows his loyalty to Hrothgar and the respect that he has for him as an honorable king. The directors probably chose to portray the epic differently in a film so that it attracts the audience of today's society.
I absolutely agree with Brittany and mmb that the movie caters to a modern audience, the same one that enjoy action pictures and superheroes. Should we resurrect old stories such as this if we're going to change the whole essence of them? Or does he change the whole essence of the story? There are several episodes which seem to follow the epic fairly faithfully -- his speak to Unferth, his boast about the sea serpents -- but these are interspersed with the gratuitious sex and violence many of you mention and a flawed king. Is Hrothgar more interesting as a flawed character? I think I'll put that up as a new post...
I agree with everyone saying how the movie was clearly made to appeal to a more modern audience. One of the big differences between the epic and the movie that annoys me in a sense is the portrayal of Beowulf as a person. In the epic, the character of Beowulf seems to center around honor and loyalty, two very important aspects in Anglo-Saxon culture. He seems to genuinely want to help the Danes. However in the movie it almost seems as though he does all of it just for the sake of his own pride, or to have one more thing that he can boast about.
in the movie it doesn't make sense, why would they alter the book so much, in the movie its somewhat similar to the book, but there are bits that doesn't make sense, like how in the movie Hrothgar is a drunk, but in the book there is not evidence that that is true.
In the movie Hrothgar is always drunk and not really respectable. in the book he is very well respected by his people and they linger on every word that he says and obey his every command. In the book Grendel is made out to be this enormous beast, but in the movie he is actually very skinny and not as big as i would have expected him to be.
I think a lot of the differences between the movie and the epic have to do with the movie's desire to capture the attention of an audience stupid enough to pay $10 to see such a movie. Such people are not going to want to sit through a polite speech about Beowolf's values, mission, and detials of his ancestry. I think the director probably also understands that a lot of highschool students (mostly boys) are going to watch his movie instead of reading the book for English class so he throws some sexual references and drunkeness in the beginning to entertain them and keep them watching. The film is fitting with many people's view of the "dark ages"--a basically barbaric and crude kind of life compared to our own.
In the movie grendels mom suduces beowulf, she kills everyone, and beowulfs weakness for women leads in him having a child with her. In the book beowulf slits grendels moms throat, grendles mom only kills one guy, and beowulf only tells the truth. In both the movie and the book beowulf comes to kills grendel, he rips grendels arm out and kills him, and beowulf fights grendles mother. In the story and the movie Beowulf is still a hero.
17 comments:
In the epic, Hrothgar is noble and respected, whereas in the film he is drunk all the time and is kind of a jerk. In the epic, Beowulf constantly talks about fate and glory and how he will die for his people. In the film, he has one long speech, but does not present his values and goals nearly as much as he does in the epic.
I think a lot of the differences between the movie and the epic have to do with the movie's desire to capture the attention of an audience stupid enough to pay $10 to see such a movie. Such people are not going to want to sit through a polite speech about Beowolf's values, mission, and detials of his ancestry. I think the director probably also understands that a lot of highschool students (mostly boys) are going to watch his movie instead of reading the book for English class so he throws some sexual references and drunkeness in the beginning to entertain them and keep them watching. The film is fitting with many people's view of the "dark ages"--a basically barbaric and crude kind of life compared to our own.
Beowulf's character is depicted differently in the epic and in the movie. In the epic he honors the king and shows loyalty to his father, which is important in the Anglo-Saxon culture. In the epic, his speech praises Hrothgar and shows he is respecting the king. In the movie, he does not look too highly upon Hrothgar, as he is a poor leader always drinking. Beowulf does not speak too much about his father and points out only his own achievements. Beowulf makes little reference to his aspirations in the film, besides killing Grendel.
There is alot of sex, drinking, and lewd behavior. The director had alot of fun while making this comic "film"
In the movie, Hrothgar is a drunk, lives slovenly and overall acts in a crude manner. In the epic, he is very important to the people and they think very highly of him. In the movie, Beowulf makes one self promoting speech, while in the epic he references his own achievements on various occasions. In general, the movie and the epic differ because they cater to an audience with different values.
Boasting of your bravery and courage are very typical of the Anglo-Saxons. This is shown in the epic because Beowolf makes multiple speeches about his achievements and his bravery. In the movie, his speeches are short and consist mostly of "I am Beowolf." Also, the movie involves a lot of drunks and sex which is not how the epic portrays it. The epic portrays hrothgar as an honorable king, and the movie portrays him as a drunk pervert.
In the movie Hrothgar is always drunk and not really respectable. in the book he is very well respected by his people and they linger on every word that he says and obey his every command.
In the book Grendel is made out to be this enormous beast, but in the movie he is actually very skinny and not as big as i would have expected him to be.
In the book the Anglo-Saxon people are supposed to seem honorable and noble but in the movie they are portrayed as a drunken society. this is probably to enphasize how noble beowulf is
Hrothgar is portrayed very differently in the movie than he is portrayed in the epic. In the epic, Hrothgar is a respectable lord and hero, whereas in the movie he is a flawed, drunk man. Also, it is typical of Anglo-Saxon culture for the characters to boast about their honorable achievements and to tell an elaborate history of themselves and of their families. In the film, the epic hero, Beowulf, only has one long speech where he boasts about his achivements, and he does not reference his loyalty to his father. In the epic, Beowulf discusses his own achievments and goals many times and the importance of being loyal to his father. He also shows his loyalty to Hrothgar and the respect that he has for him as an honorable king. The directors probably chose to portray the epic differently in a film so that it attracts the audience of today's society.
I absolutely agree with Brittany and mmb that the movie caters to a modern audience, the same one that enjoy action pictures and superheroes. Should we resurrect old stories such as this if we're going to change the whole essence of them? Or does he change the whole essence of the story? There are several episodes which seem to follow the epic fairly faithfully -- his speak to Unferth, his boast about the sea serpents -- but these are interspersed with the gratuitious sex and violence many of you mention and a flawed king. Is Hrothgar more interesting as a flawed character? I think I'll put that up as a new post...
I agree with everyone saying how the movie was clearly made to appeal to a more modern audience. One of the big differences between the epic and the movie that annoys me in a sense is the portrayal of Beowulf as a person. In the epic, the character of Beowulf seems to center around honor and loyalty, two very important aspects in Anglo-Saxon culture. He seems to genuinely want to help the Danes. However in the movie it almost seems as though he does all of it just for the sake of his own pride, or to have one more thing that he can boast about.
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in the movie it doesn't make sense, why would they alter the book so much, in the movie its somewhat similar to the book, but there are bits that doesn't make sense, like how in the movie Hrothgar is a drunk, but in the book there is not evidence that that is true.
Sometimes I call Sal, Salad
In the movie Hrothgar is always drunk and not really respectable. in the book he is very well respected by his people and they linger on every word that he says and obey his every command.
In the book Grendel is made out to be this enormous beast, but in the movie he is actually very skinny and not as big as i would have expected him to be.
I think a lot of the differences between the movie and the epic have to do with the movie's desire to capture the attention of an audience stupid enough to pay $10 to see such a movie. Such people are not going to want to sit through a polite speech about Beowolf's values, mission, and detials of his ancestry. I think the director probably also understands that a lot of highschool students (mostly boys) are going to watch his movie instead of reading the book for English class so he throws some sexual references and drunkeness in the beginning to entertain them and keep them watching.
The film is fitting with many people's view of the "dark ages"--a basically barbaric and crude kind of life compared to our own.
In the movie grendels mom suduces beowulf, she kills everyone, and beowulfs weakness for women leads in him having a child with her. In the book beowulf slits grendels moms throat, grendles mom only kills one guy, and beowulf only tells the truth. In both the movie and the book beowulf comes to kills grendel, he rips grendels arm out and kills him, and beowulf fights grendles mother. In the story and the movie Beowulf is still a hero.
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