Beowulf Movie
Chanting Music immediately establishes epic, warrior-like, resonant, masculine
atmosphere. Heavy, percussive drums – war atmosphere - Pagan warrior culture
Neutral angle – queen, encouraging the audience to empathises with her
Hrothgar is shown to be a good king, generous and succesful, also a drunkard
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2 Warriors (one of which if Unferth the Boaster)
o “When you die, you won’t actually be dead” Pagan vs Christian
High angle shot looking down on Hrothgar
- Inferior subject, takes power away
Canted Framing (tilting the frame)
- Something isn’t right
Beautiful thanes
Birdseye
- Look vulnerable, like prey
Rat across the beam – plucked by Eagle
- Foreshadowing Grendel
- Symbolic of powerlessness of mortals from supernatural creature
Tracking/Dolly Shot
- Moving
Panning, Tilting, Zooming
Music Stops for Grendel
- To be Sympathetic to Grendel
Canted Framing, Low angle shot
- Unferth represented as cruel, callous
Low angle shots make grendel appear imposing, powerful
Orange filter, blue filter
 Warmth or Cold
Light source
 High key lighting  don’t obscure light source, shadow
 Low key lighting  throw shadow into frame
 Rembrandt Lighting  half in shadow, half lit up
 Creates suggestion of duplicity
o
Modernisation
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Sympathy  Grendel
Sexualisation of Grendel’s MILF
Father Son relationship in film with Hrothgar and Grendel
the portrayal of Beowulf as a flawed man
the portrayal of Hrothgar as a womanizing alcoholic
the portrayal of Unferth as a Christian
Beowulf's funeral
the portrayal of Grendel's mother as a beautiful seductress who brought Grendel as
Hrothgar's child and the dragon as Beowulf's child
the fact that Beowulf becomes ruler of Denmark instead of his native Geatland
if we die it will die for glory not for gold
modality
Beowulf in centre of the shot, dwarfs all other men
Low angle
Grendel starts shrinking
Mine is strength, and lust and power.
Beowulf’s Dream  Foreshadows future
You are as much a monster as my son.  Warrior Culture is flawed evil.
Angelina Jolie wearing high heels?
You will forever be king  False Prophecy
Hrothgar, dramatic irony, Hrothgar smiling
“the time of heroes is dead, the christ god has killed them leaving humankind nothing but
weeping martyrs and shame.
Dramatic Irony in Beowulf’s question about Grendel’s father
You’re nothing, even with you power, glory, riches and women.
 Without spirituality, Christianity
 Without Jesus you are unfulfilled
Burning Cross, Dragon
Unferth with crosss
“the sins of the fathers”  repetition
Will be visited on the son, and Beowulf will be the sacrifice for his people
Think of me not as a hero, but as a man, fallible and flawed. Alliteration
Yet triumphant music, soft orange filter, warm luminsecent, low angle to Beowulf to
give him some stature for his important epiphany
Beowulf comes into the light
Pagan Funeral, Mortality of Life
Grendel’s MILF randomly flies, Satanic Illusion taking body to depths of hell
Music is ominous, tense,
Quick Cuts between them, will he resist or fall (Wiglaf and Grendel’s MILF)