Beowulf

[Death]

Just watched this movie last night from the internet and found it to be entertaining but the soundtrack was delayed with matching the voices though I am not complaining since it cost me nothing to watch it. I am sure that the Jews will take down the site I watched it from as soon as they can like they did the other site I used to go to.
What, was a bit odd about this movie was the CGI effects making it difficult to tell some faces from real faces or just a mix of the two. It was nice seeing a movie with no non whites in it though no doubt in the future it will be illegal to make such movies without a racially mixed set of people.


http://watch-movies.net/release_date/

[Sulla the Dictator]

This was a fantastic movie. Excellent. I hope this CGI stuff is the future of film.

[Ambrosio Spinola]

Saw the movie today and was very pleased.

[Petr]

A libertarian review:

http://www.lewrockwell.com/tucker/tucker88.html


Who Was Beowulf?

by Jeffrey A. Tucker


It took twice through, but I’m finally convinced; Beowulf is a wonderful film. There is plenty to recommend it, even if it had stuck to the original plot line.

Nearly every frame is beautiful and riveting. The visuals seemed to have borrowed from the field of gaming, so you can never quite tell if what you are looking at is real or animated. The music is a kick. Beowulf is himself thrilling to watch, as are the monsters, dragons, swords, and, above all, the time: it is set in the 6th-century Scandinavia. The viewer is convinced that it must have been something like this.

Having read the newest translation several years ago, by Seamus Heany, I was not prepared for how the film would change the plot, which is rather linear and boring in the original, but, hey, it’s the 10th century, so who can complain? A monster vexes a town. Beowulf arrives and kills it, kills the monster’s mother, and becomes king and then does other amazing things before he dies a hero's death.

In the new film version, this is a remarkable undercurrent. Hrothgar, the king that comes before, has a hidden secret and it deals with the monster’s mother. It seems that Grendel is his offspring, and the witch, played by Angelian Joli, is irresistible to him, and, later, to Beowulf. Beowulf kills Grendel and then sets out for the mother, who seduces him into giving her yet another offspring that will return to torment the community many years later. Beowulf lies, however. He had given in to her, but only tells everyone that he killed her.

His secret is known only to a few: his wife and his closest associate. Both decide not to pass it on. He is a hero and generations will sing his praises. So declare these court historians, and so it was to be, in the official version. And so the official version has stood.

There is a profoundly moral story here, much like Faustus. What we see are the dreadful consequences of sin visiting themselves on many more than just the sinner. The family is destroyed. The community is destroyed. The path of history is distorted from its rightful journey toward justice and truth onto another path of betrayal, hurt, suffering, violence, degradation, and ruin.

Yes, the moral can be described as Christian, and rigorously so. Indeed, there is an overtly Christian theme in the movie. In an early scene, the king is asked whether they should pray to the new Roman God named Jesus Christ. No, he says, they don’t need Jesus; they need a hero. Later in the film, the man who asks the question carries a crucifix, and, even later, becomes a Christian monk, working to convert the community and successfully so. (Why the Christian Right isn’t heralding this movie is unclear.)

Is this just another case of hero debunking in an age of cynicism, in which authentic virtue is a myth and there is no one to admire? I don’t think so. What’s at stake here is the reputation of leaders, who are a special breed. The state organizes itself in order to celebrate itself. It rules with the consensus of society, which also desires to celebrate the state and its leaders. The head of state has to work very hard not to emerge from this conspiracy as a hero.

We don’t have to look far for examples. See Mount Rushmore. Are we really supposes to believe the maniac, power-mad Theodore Roosevelt is godlike? And let’s consider people who in private life would be considered gangsters, thieves, liars, and murderers, men such as Abraham Lincoln and Franklin Roosevelt. How is it that they came to have their images on our nation’s money, that their glorious stories are taught to all American schoolkids? That their lives are held up to us as models of virtue and glory?

The underside of government leadership is the primary subject of all revisionist history, and this form of history is something we should always give some benefit of the doubt. It is the official story of the heroism of leadership that we should suspect. This is true even with such untarnished demigods like George Washington, who, by all revisionist accounts, was an incompetent general, a man who had no sympathy for the original American idea, who jumped at the chance to send in the troops to put down a tax rebellion. The father of our country? Come on.

Have you visited the Lincoln Memorial? Pure paganism, wrapped in state worship. There he sits in the Temple of Democracy, with his hands on the fasces, ruling us from the Heavens to which he clearly ascended after his martyrdom – the glorification of power on display for all to us. The tourists come and the tourists go. They figure that Lincoln must have been pretty marvelous and think nothing more about it.

So it might have – must have been – with Beowulf, the great warrior who became the king. We know and do not question the version of history handed down to us. We take his ancient hagiographers at their word. But what was the truth? The film provides a credible alternative history, but whether or not this is the true story, the message is one we need to hear: power corrupts. If we care about truth, we need to look at this corruption in its face, and learn from it, and not merely believe what the court historians, from our time or the 10th century, have told us.

November 24, 2007

Jeffrey Tucker [send him mail] is editorial vice president of www.Mises.org. Comment on the Mises blog.

[Ambrosio Spinola]

A weird interpretation of the movie to say the least. Several times through it, while the theme of the encroaching christianity is there, the "Roman God" is mocked and its advance is being looked at as a sad passing from heros who fight for glory to martyrs who die for it.

[Macrobius]

My mind is reeling from trying to imagine a Libertarian Heroic Epic. I just can't do it. The Fountainhead maybe? Rendered with Social Realist CGI?

[banjo_billy]

Beowulf

The Jews of Hollywood did it again.

Beowulf, that great saga of courage and triumph was reduced by the kikenvermim of Hollywood into yet another smear of White Civilization. Instead of Beowulf being the hero of the great epic, the Jews turned him into a liar, a failure and a naked exhibitionist who prefered evil to good.

And as usual, since they had an opportunity to smear Christianity, they pulled out all the stops and reduced it along with Norse beliefs to the level of stupidity.

And not only did the Jews make Beowulf into a knave, but they also warped the ancient story into a triumph of evil over good, a victory of demons over Man, and a celebration of fornication of Men with devils. In the end, Beowulf dies and the evil witch wins another fool to her power.

When it is time to hang all of the Jews, the writers of this film script and the producers of this movie should be among the first places in line.

[///M power]

something is unclear to me about the story.
it is suppose to take place in Scandinavia of the 5-6 century right? if so, why does it show them converting to Christianity? this didn't happen in the 5th century but much much later.

[Ambrosio Spinola]

I´m speechless on how could Banjo Bill see all this in that movie. Have you even read Beowulf? The concept of fairness we have today is quite missing in the old sagas.

MP: Its supposed to happen in Danemark but its true that Christianity did not become a fixed commodity till the 10th Century. Not that one gets the idea they are really christianitzed in the movie, just that some were which might have happened. Beowulf himself gets quite a pagan sea burial :D

[///M power]

I´m speechless on how could Banjo Bill see all this in that movie. Have you even read Beowulf? The concept of fairness we have today is quite missing in the old sagas.

MP: Its supposed to happen in Danemark but its true that Christianity did not become a fixed commodity till the 10th Century. Not that one gets the idea they are really christianitzed in the movie, just that some were which might have happened. Beowulf himself gets quite a pagan sea burial :D

in the Beowulf and Grendel movie, with the amazing actor Stellan Skarsgard who plays the king, and Gerard Butler who plays Beowulf, we see the king being baptized as a Christian ,this wouldn't have happened in the old Norse of the 6th century. also,some of the men wear armor and helmets that don't really feet to the vikings of the 6th century imo.

[Ambrosio Spinola]

Heh...Hollywood has never cared much about historical acuracy regarding ancient military equipment. And it always gives a "cool" touch when the barbarian "sees the light" and leaves his old ways to embrace Christianity. An exception would be the much derided 13th Warrior where the Muslim tries to convert the Norse Warlord but he never does. :p

[///M power]

Heh...Hollywood has never cared much about historical acuracy regarding ancient military equipment. And it always gives a "cool" touch when the barbarian "sees the light" and leaves his old ways to embrace Christianity. An exception would be the much derided 13th Warrior where the Muslim tries to convert the Norse Warlord but he never does. :p
I had seen this movie also, I don't like Antonio banderas.
you know what, at least in the "Beowulf & Grendel -2005" there wasn't a heavy American-liberal propaganda that we see in all the other movies,it was ok comparing to other Hollywood "history" films.

[Jimbo Gomez]

I loved the movie.

[///M power]

I loved the movie.

which one?

[Jimbo Gomez]

Beowolf, that new 3d one.

[///M power]

Beowolf, that new 3d one.

oh, I didn't see it yet, I will go soon.
thanks for the recommendation.

[///M power]

"Only an Arab would take his dog into battle." :rofl:

:rofl: :) :rofl:

[Captain Sharkey]

in the Beowulf and Grendel movie, with the amazing actor Stellan Skarsgard who plays the king, and Gerard Butler who plays Beowulf, we see the king being baptized as a Christian ,this wouldn't have happened in the old Norse of the 6th century. also,some of the men wear armor and helmets that don't really feet to the vikings of the 6th century imo.

The entire christian element to the poem is nothing more than a veneer applied by the 10th century English Monk who put the poem to paper. The poem, in essence, is about as heathen an IE heroic epic as you can get.

This film essentially has nothing in common with the OE original other than the name, the entire point to the poem has been scalloped out of it, and empty poison muck spooned in its place.

[banjo_billy]

I´m speechless on how could Banjo Bill see all this in that movie. Have you even read Beowulf? The concept of fairness we have today is quite missing in the old sagas.

Yeah, I've read it at least twice which is why I was so annoyed with what the kikenvermin did to it. It's a complete insult to European Culture complete with Christian-smearing and Norse-truth-betraying.

[Petr]

The entire christian element to the poem is nothing more than a veneer applied by the 10th century English Monk who put the poem to paper. The poem, in essence, is about as heathen an IE heroic epic as you can get.
J.R.R. Tolkien deeply disagreed with this interpretation.


The Unity of Beowulf: Tolkien and the Critics

As Lewis E. Nicholson notes, J. R. R. Tolkien's article "Beowulf: The Monsters and The Critics" is "widely recognized as a turning point in Beowulfian criticism" (x). Of course, this turning point does not mean that later critics agree with Tolkien's complete assessment of Beowulf, but it does mean that they accept a key point made by Tolkien: Beowulf is a fine poem and a unified one at that. The mark of Tolkien's impact is that critics before him regard Beowulf as a less than unified work, more important for its historical and philological content than its literary merit, and critics after him regard Beowulf as a unified work of art.

http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/billramey/beowulf.htm


Petr

[Helios Panoptes]

Yeah, I've read it at least twice which is why I was so annoyed with what the kikenvermin did to it. It's a complete insult to European Culture complete with Christian-smearing and Norse-truth-betraying.

Besides Triumph of the Will, are there any movies that you actually like?

I never saw Beowulf and I doubt that I will, at least not until it is released on DVD. I'm thinking of going to see No Country for Old Men because somebody has been pestering me to go the movie theater. It might be the only film I see at the movie house all year. I didn't see any last year, although I downloaded a few.

[banjo_billy]

[quote=Helios Panoptes]Besides Triumph of the Will, are there any movies that you actually like?[quote]

"Ironweed" was tremendous.

"Jud Suss" was fantastic.

"The Blue Kite" very realistic.

"Xiu Xiu: the Called-Down Girl" mind boggling.

"Citizen Cain" incredible (though propaganda)

Just a few that I like.

[///M power]

ok, I watched the movie. it was good, besides 2 things which I didn't like:
1- what's the deal with him taking off his entire cloths all the time, and jumping on the troll with his completely naked body?! gay. this is so gay. who would jump on someone with his penis exposed like this? only a fag.

2-the whole bullshit thing with the Christianity in Scandinavia of the 6th-5th century, it was unnecessary and don't know why they put a Christian theme to the movie,it should just be norse with their gods and not putting Christianity in it.

[Gregz]

Hollywood films are to full of Homoeroticism, Librail revisionism and Surrealism for my liking. None the less, I'm going to go and see Beowulf in 3D today in order to see what all the fuss is about.

By far best film that I've seen recently is Control (British Independent Film). Control is a autobiographical film about the rise and fall of the late Ian Curtis (lead singer of joy division).

Ian Curtis was clinically depressed and Control is a increadable dark film. It certainly made my girlfriend cry.

:popcorn: :(

http://momentum.control.substance001.com/

[Choppy deroute]

in the Beowulf and Grendel movie, with the amazing actor Stellan Skarsgard who plays the king, and Gerard Butler who plays Beowulf, we see the king being baptized as a Christian ,this wouldn't have happened in the old Norse of the 6th century. also,some of the men wear armor and helmets that don't really feet to the vikings of the 6th century imo.

There's that, and the fact that there were like mountains in the background. We don't actually have any mountains here. None I'm aware of, at least. They might as well have filmed the movie in Congo.

Besides it was a silly movie. I mean, what's up with the blue hand coming out of the water thingy?

[Arminius]

the whole bullshit thing with the Christianity in Scandinavia of the 6th-5th century, it was unnecessary and don't know why they put a Christian theme to the movie,it should just be norse with their gods and not putting Christianity in it.

The original Beowulf had christian themes as well. Quite understanding as it was probably written by a anglo-saxon monk. (as Sharkey has said already)

I named my dog beowulf, though it was long before this movie. I liked the epic when I read it in high school.

[banjo_billy]

There's that, and the fact that there were like mountains in the background. We don't actually have any mountains here. None I'm aware of, at least. They might as well have filmed the movie in Congo.

Besides it was a silly movie. I mean, what's up with the blue hand coming out of the water thingy?

I guess ALL the hands and bodies would be blue swimming in that water, eh? All the scenes were shot in the winter time, like the land of ice and snow never has any summertime? What's with that?

[Ambrosio Spinola]

In all justice Angelina did not look all that dressed up either :p

[banjo_billy]

In all justice Angelina did not look all that dressed up either :p

Well, the movie did have some good parts. No complaints there.:rofl:

[Ahknaton]

I just saw this on DVD. I didn't realize it was CGI before watching it, and I twigged to it after less than a minute, so they have a way to go before they attain photorealism. I don't agree with those who say it is anti-Christian, anti-Norse or that the plot has been "Jewed", in fact I thought the addition of flaws added an extra dimension Beowulf's character. What Neil Gaiman did in fact was layer some Christian - or dare I say "Judeo-Christian" - themes (e.g. the corruption of Adam by Eve, and the symbolism of the serpent as representing temptation and lust, "you shall be as a God" etc) over the top of the original myth. As Sharkey said, there have been some Christian elements added to the story in the past.
Is this just another case of hero debunking in an age of cynicism, in which authentic virtue is a myth and there is no one to admire? I don’t think so.
I agree with this, but I don't agree with the rest of that author's take. Heroes with flaws are as old as Achilles, it's not some post-modern cynicism or anything like that.