INSTEP Magzine

Tagline: Pride is the curse

Beowulf is for people who like gore. It's the kind of movie that the men in my house (from ages 9 to 74) will buy as a collector's item. It's the DVD that they will never throw out. And what, might you ask, is so great about Beowulf. Well, it's a much hyped, box office success of a film, a high tech animation that ponders on dragons, demons, heroes and hero worshippers. It has all the right elements of interest: action, sword fights, slash and gore, unbelievably grotesque demons, mystery and the irresistible - a very nude and exceptionally beautiful Angelina Jolie. She's digitally animated, but she's there all right and surfaces from the golden waters like a goddess on fire. It turns out that she's the devil incarnate which makes her all the more alluring.

And the fact that no man can resist her charms is what the story revolves around. Set in Denmark 700 AD, Beowulf begins as the story of a failing king Hrothgar (Anthony Hopkins) whose kingdom is cursed and the deformed demon Grendell attacks every time he is disturbed by loud song and dance and merrymaking. He can't stand the sound of music and laughter as he himself, is a pathetic and depressed creature and wails as he massacres the drunken villagers in retaliation. The King, who seems to know the reason for this curse (but has lost all courage to fight it), calls upon a hero to save his kingdom. Lo and behold, Beowulf sails in from the rough seas as saviour.

Beowulf, in his perfectly chiseled body and courage, appears to be the answer to all prayers but he is marred by one fatal flaw: he is exceptionally proud. He claims to have defeated serpents of the wild seas and announces that killing Grendell is thus no problem at all. He proves himself true to his word but is then faced by a bigger dilemma. Grendell's mother, the mother of all demons, attacks the village in revenge and King Hrothgar announces that it is only through her death that the curse will be over forever.

There are indicators that hint at a subplot. In his bloody attacks, Grendell never touches the King. King Hrothgar's wife refuses to sleep with him as she says he has betrayed her in the most unforgivable way. And last of all, when Beowulf returns from his conquest with Grendell's mother and refers to her as "the hag", King Hrothgar smiles with the knowledge that Beowulf is lying.

"She is no hag," he comments, knowing very well that she is the gold plated seductress who takes men as her mates, to sire an heir to her evil legacy. The King then realizes that Beowulf too has succumbed to her charms. He passes his Kingdom, including his wife, onto Beowulf and subsequently the curse is relayed on as well. It's a fascinating tale of how pride comes to a fall, how being invincible can become man's biggest curse and how no man is immune to the wiles of a beautiful woman.

Beowulf was released a couple of months ago and interestingly was touted as the ideal contender for this year's Oscars in the category of Best Feature Animation. It is directed by Robert Zemeckis using the same techniques as he did in The Polar Express. Yet Beowulf did not qualify, despite being a roaring success, as its critics condemned it for being a 'motion capture animation' instead of a true animation. The technique involves scanning real images and digitalizing them as opposed to drawing and conceptualizing them from scratch. Beowulf was a combination of both and lost its vote as a result.

But it hasn't lost its worth and should be enjoyed to the maximum. For men, Angelina Jolie provides quite a delightful visual relief from all the gore and goop that Grendell causes. And for the women... well Beowulf insists on fighting Grendell on equal terms: unarmed and naked. Hey, no one said anything about all animations being made for children!
- Aamna Haider Isani

*YUCK
**WHATEVER
***GOOD
****SUPER
*****AWESOME