Lögberg-Heimskringla - 04.11.2005, Side 12

12 • Lögberg-Heimskringla • Friday 4 November 2005
A new take on an old
Beowulf and Grendel
Directed by Sturla Gunnarsson
Canada/Iceland/UK, 2005,
103 minutes
Reviewed by
Christine Mueller
Director Sturla Gunnars-
son offers a sympathetic look at
one of English literature’s old-
est monsters.
Gunnarsson’s Beowulf and
Grendel is based film loosely
on the epic poem Beowulf
which was written anonymous-
ly in Anglo-Saxon before the
1 Oth century. The ancient poem
tells of the adventures of a war-
rior in sixth-century Scandina-
via.
Beowulf and Grendel, a co-
production of Canada, Iceland,
and the U.K., features outstand-
ing actors from all three coun-
tries.
As in the poem, Beowulf
(Gerard Butler) is a hero/war-
rior of a tribe from the South
known as the Geats. Beowulf
is summoned by King Hrothgar
of Denmark (Stellan Starsgard)
to help defeat a monster, Gren-
del (Ingvar Eggert Sigurðsson)
who has been killing and terror-
izing Hrothgar’s warriors.
Sturla Gunnarsson puts a
human face on the monster.
Grendel is a sympathetic char-
acter, similar to the Hunchback
of Notre Dame or the Phantom
of the Opera. Grendel’s human
qualities are evident in his at-
traction to the witch Selma
(Sarah Polley), and in his abil-
ity to communicate his feelings
through gestures and sounds in
spite of his lack of language.
There is a depth and a kind-
ness to Beowulf’s character.
Throughout the film, he seems
perplexed by Grendel’s intense
anger. The mystery of what
might lie beneath the surface of
the feud between the monster
and the Danes draws the viewer
in, despite the violence.
Filmed entirely in Iceland,
the photography is spectacular
and beautiful — sweeping land-
scapes of lava fields, waterfalls,
and oceans. Sound effects are
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monster in Beowulf and Grendel
important too, adding drama
to this heroic adventure. At the
beginning of the movie we hear
the thundering hooves of horses
and, later, the roar of a water-
fall as Christians are baptized.
We hear the shrill voice of the
“Sea Hag” and the eerie silence
before one of Grendel’s attacks
on the warriors.
However, much of the dia-
logue is difficult to understand.
The film’s story is a bit chal-
lenging to “get into” since, like
a Russian novel, one must to
sorl out a myriad of characters
— the warriors, kings, trolls,
Geats, and Danes — from one
another. Once the identities of
the characters become clear,
the action is enthralling.
Beowulf and Grendel has
a mystical, dream-like quality
which remains with the viewer
long after it is over.
* * *
Beowulf and Grendel was
selected as the closing film at
the Calgary International Film
Festival. The film was shown at
a gala which was held at the Jack
Singer Concert Hall in Calgary
on October 2, 2005. Accord-
ing to Gunnarsson, who spoke
at the showing in Calgary, the
film will be released in Iceland
at New Year’s and will retum to
Canada in March of 2006.
More than 12 members of
the Leif Eiriksson Icelandic
Club of Calgary (LEIC) at-
tended the gala. The film was of
particular interest to the LEIC
as, one year ago, we acquired a
suit of armour which was used
in Beowulf and Grendel. Valen-
tine Armouries of Calgary was
commissioned to make armor
for this movie.
Norse Myths re-released
d’Aulaires’ Book ofNorse
Myths
by Ingri and Edgar Parin
d’Aulaire
Preface by Michael Chabon
New York Review Books, 160
pages, 2005
$24.95 US / $33.95 CDN
Reviewed by
Perry Grosshans
Like the first three Ae-
sir gods raising Ymir’s
dead body out of the
primal sea to create Midgard,
d’Aulaires’ Book of Norse
Myths rises from the past to
bring the world of the Aesir
back to life for a new genera-
tion of readers.
Originally published as
Norse Gods and Giants in
1967, d’Aulaires’ Book of
Norse Myths was written and
illustrated by Ingri and Edgar
Parin d’Aulaire. Based on both
the Poetic Edda (a collection
of Norse verse written down
in the lOth and 1 lth centuries)
and the Prose Edda (a collec-
tion of myths and tales written
by Snorri Sturluson around the
year 1200), the d’Aulaires cre-
ated a wonderful and dazzling
storybook of Norse mythol-
ogy. It harkens back to books
like the fairytales of the Broth-
ers Grimm, where the violence
and darkness inherent in the old
stories are not glossed over.
“I was drawn to that dark-
ness,” says Michael Chabon,
author and essayist, in his pref-
ace to the book. For Chabon,
the world of the Northmen,
although steeped in the same
darkness as the Greek myths
or the stories of the Old Tes-
tament, was different. “The
darkness was not solely the
fault of humans,” Chabon says.
“The world of the Norse gods
and men and giants... begins
in darkness, and ends in dark-
ness.” It’s because, Chabon
says, the Aesir are mortal gods.
Odin knew “that the world of
marvels they had created was
on the verge, through their own
faithlessness and might, of
Ragnarokk [sic].”
The book is a wonder to read
and behold. It opens up with a
breathtaking two-page painting
of the nine Norse worlds. The
rest of the art throughout has
a consistent folkloric quality
to it. Illustrations range from
simple black-and-white line
drawings, or sometimes simple
two-tone colours, to full-co-
lour, full-page paintings. The
drawings give the entire book a
rustic feel, as if one were hold-
ing a tome from the old Norse
world itself.
There is an introduction by
the d’Aulaires, briefly explain-
ing about the Aesir gods, the
nine worlds, and how the Norse
myths managed to survive so
long, even after Christianity
took hold in the north.
The stories themselves are
arranged somewhat chrono-
logically, beginning with the
creation of the first giant Ymir
and his gargantuan ice cow, the
first Aesir gods, the giants and
trolls, and then the creation of
the world and eventually man.
Following that are numerous
stories about the Aesir and
Jotuns, such as Loki’s first ap-
pearance and bonding to Odin,
the theft of Sif’s golden hair,
and the theft of Thor’s hammer,
and all ending with the coming
of Ragnarokk.
The stories read well, and
capture both the beautiful and
dark parts of the Norse world,
just as Chabon says in his pref-
ace. Glory and pain, rewards
and death, friends and freak-
ish foes are all stunningly por-
trayed in both word and art.
d’Aulaires’ Book of Norse
Myths is one of those books to
be passed down through the
generations, and is a wonder-
ful book to read for both adults
and children.
Visit us on the web at http://www.lh-inc.ca