The movie “Beowulf” (2007) is supposed to depict the Old English poem Beowulf. In the beginning of the movie I could follow the plot precisely. However, once Grendel’s mother came into the picture, and from then on, I was completely lost. The only similarities I could find between the movie and the Old English poem was that there were vauntings, an importance and the powers of God, Unferth: his jealousy and change of heart, and Beowulf’s killing of Grendel and the dragon.
Everything else, in my opinion, did not connect with the original Old English poem whatsoever.In the movie adaptation, not only does Hrothgar commit suicide and Grendel’s mother is portrayed as a beautiful woman who manipulates Beowulf, but Beowulf has many secrets, becomes king of the Danes instead of Geatland, and comes in contact with women. Most likely, the director and screenwriters of this movie wanted to connect to modern-day expectations of movies such as this one; old English customs, drama, and sex. In this sense, the movie makes perfect sense. There are fornication, trickery, and graphic battle scenes.
However, after reading the Old English poem, and trying to connect what that summarized; power, glory of warriors, the importance of heirs, and leaving legends to be told, the movie has no significant connection. Grading from A-F, ‘A’ being the best, this movie is a ‘P’. The movie was not a horrible movie; if I had never read the Old English poem of Beowulf I probably would have enjoyed the movie. But because I already had an outlook on the original, nothing connected as it should have.
