Awards Season has started up again, and, as usual, the discussion has been centered around recent releases from prestigious directors. Since the Telluride Film Festival in September, Kenneth Branaugh’s crowd-pleaser Belfast has been heralded as a front runner for Best Picture. And with each new release, there has been a discussion of whether those films could knock Belfast off of its pedestal. In the past two weeks, Nightmare Alley, Don’t Look Up, Being the Ricardos, and Licorice Pizza were all discussed as potential Oscar nominees. And this week, with the release of Spiderman: No Way Home, and its critical reception, many have started discussing possible awards possibilities for the films. And while these are new releases, I think it’s important to look back at the year as a whole when discussing potential nominees, and not just fall and winter releases.
While For Your Consideration pieces typically center on one aspect of a film, The Green Knight is a film so impressive that it deserves consideration for numerous awards. These are both above and below the line awards, thanks to the meticulous work of Director David Lowery and the technicians that worked on the film. It’s a monument to what the hard work and talent within the film industry can accomplish, and worth remembering and considering in this year’s awards season.
Best Adapted Screenplay
The Green Knight, directed by David Lowery (A Ghost Story, Pete’s Dragon) is a retelling of the Arthurian legend of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. It’s a story that isn’t new to the medium of film, with four other adaptations of the poem. What makes Lowery’s film special is the deviations he makes to the typical adaptation structure, adding in many tests for Sir Gawain to prove his honor, leading to a finale that leaves the audience with precious few answers. These differences come from the film’s screenplay, also penned by Lowery. The screenplay is fascinating to me, because of how it splits the film into chapters visible to the audience. Each chapter tests Gawain on one of the tenets of chivalry. And for each test, Gawain is found to be a failure. When tested on his generosity, Gawain doesn’t naturally spare the poor kid a coin. When tested on his courtesy, Gawain seeks something in return for retrieving a spirit’s dislodged head. When tested on his virtue, Gawain allows the advances of the Lady in the house in exchange for a girdle. When tested for his honor, Gawain lies to the Lord and doesn’t present the Girdle given by the Lady. And when tested for his bravery, Gawain fails in front of the Green Knight, flinching, and running away from the axe of his rival. These are the failures of Sir Gawain, and yet, the audience may never realize that is his failure. The themes of the Green Knight are packed into both the dialogue between characters and the greater structure of the film as a whole, which is an impressive feat worth recognizing.
Best Leading Actor
The Green Knight is a story based around the character of Sir Gawain, a knight whose actions are contrary to the nobility thrust upon him. As noted earlier, the chaptered nature of the film draws attention to each of the challenges that Sir Gawain must face, and Gawain’s failures. Those failures create a distance between the character and the audience. Only through Dev Patel’s performance are we able to empathize with Sir Gawain.
Patel’s performance is masterful from front to back. The first impressive element of this performance stems from the dialogue style of Lowery’s screenplay. It’s a mix of old English and modern, spoken as if it were poetry, which can be difficult to deliver. And yet, Patel delivers each line with purpose, adding the proper vocal inflection to make its meaning clear despite its nature. Patel’s posture and facial expressions continue to enhance his performance throughout the film. Whether Gawain is a stumbling drunk, an ambitious young man with something to prove, or a scared knight walking to his death, Patel delivers these flawlessly. There is no doubt in my mind that these emotions belong to the same Knight of the round table. And I think the final chapter perfectly shows Patel’s abilities, as we watch Gawain return home and become an emotionally disconnected king. It’s the work of a true craftsman to create a character that we continue to rally behind in spite of the character’s dishonorable deeds, and Patel excels at this.
Best Original Score
Of course, I would be remiss if I did not mention Daniel Hart’s mesmerizing score for the film. The Green Knight is a road movie, and the score works overtime to set the tone for this journey. The stellar mix of vocals, stringed instruments, as well as synths, create a rhythm for the ongoing journey. It’s a score both haunting and comforting, pulling you forward, despite the oncoming doom. And yet, I am most impressed with the score’s role in the film. The film isn’t permeated with dialogue, as Gawain’s travels take him away from society, into the unknown path towards the Green Chapel. But the film is never silent. Hart’s score conveys the emotions of Sir Gawain as he journeys forward and enables the audience to mull over what has occurred. For a film with a dense style of dialogue, these moments with Hart’s score are crucial to keep the audience both engaged and understanding the preceding events.
Best Costume Design
Typically, period pieces dominate awards season when discussing the costume design and hair and makeup categories. The Green Knight may not be a period piece, but I think its costume design is truly fundamental to the film. Where the traditional tales of King Authur have its titular character leading in youth, with energy and ambition, the Green Knight exists in the peaceful times of Authur’s kingdom. While this has oft been a major discussion point for characters in previous adaptations, here, Lowery has chosen to convey this to the audience through the character designs of various characters in the film. Authur and Guinevere may be dressed regally, but the costumes lacking color perfectly shows how they have aged. Megara isn’t mentioned by name in the adaption, but the costume’s eerie similarity to the old woman at the house creates a connection between the two in the story. Dev Patel has never looked better on screen, being the only youthful knight in a world of knights of valor who are no longer fit for combat.
This is further emphasized by the dual role of Alicia Vikander, who plays both Gawain’s commoner love interest Essel, and the Lady at the house. Her costuming perfectly shows the difference between the characters, with Essel’s cut hair and clothing displaying her common nature, and with the Lady having longer, braided hair and a noble dress. It perfectly highlights Gawain’s conflict between the responsibilities thrust upon him, to marry someone noble, and his desire to be with Essel. These are conveyed through the costume, hair, and makeup design. It’s expertly done, and worth considering in the awards season.
Best Visual Effects
The Green Knight has some of the most seamless visual effects in a film in a long time. Between the sequence in the woods that reveals the death of Gawain and the reveal of giants in the second act, this film has some exemplary visual effects. Even the talking fox is integrated perfectly into the film, being a character that has tangible weight and believability despite being completely fictional.
But the best example of this film’s visual effects stems from the second chapter of the film, “One Year Hence.” This sequence is told primarily through a puppet show, depicting the legend of Sir Gawain, who at the King’s Yuletide, slayed the Green Knight with Excalibur. It’s a simple sequence that is incredibly engaging, as we watch the story unfold with the sound of wooden puppets and Daniel Hart’s score filling our ears. It conveys the dread Gawain feels expertly, with expert precision. It’s for this reason that I think these VFX are worth nominating, because they are full of greater meaning and crafted perfectly.
Best Film Editing
The Green Knight was edited by David Lowery. I have already mentioned the power of the final chapter in the film, “The Voyage Home” when discussing Dev Patel’s work as Sir Gawain. And that sequence is the standout editing moment of the film as well. The montage sequence shows us who Gawain becomes through cowardice, and its focus on the green girdle is phenomenal. But it’s not just in the show stopping moments that the editing stands out. This film could very easily become a poorly paced road movie. The chapter breaks and worldbuilding could disengage the audience. But this doesn’t occur in The Green Knight. Rather, the chapter breaks pull the audience in. The world building allows the audience to think over what has occurred, while being magnificent in its own right. The structural editing is further enhanced by the film’s momentary editing, which propels each moment forward, alluding to the higher purpose of Sir Gawain.
Best Cinematography
In recent times, the word cinematography has been thrown around with little meaning attributed to it. For most people, its meaning is built on the beauty inherent in a film’s shots and shot composition. However, I think a simpler meaning is seeing what each shot visually tells the viewer. How the lighting, framing, and camera placement tell a story. And to that end, The Green Knight is an Oscar Frontrunner for best cinematography. Cinematographer Andrew Droz Palermo uses the camera to both convey the otherworldly nature of the fantasy world, as well as the challenges facing Sir Gawain. Some examples of the film’s best cinematography can be seen in the opening title sequence, as we zoom away from a noble commoner heading into battle, towards the passed out, drunk Gawain who is late for mass. It’s a fitting juxtaposition of who Gawain is; it shows that Gawain lacks nobility better than any dialogue can tell. The cinematography holds so much of this film’s meaning, and has so much depth that it requires multiple viewings to fully comprehend. It’s magnificent work, that also looks gorgeous, and is worth a nomination.
Best Directing
It should come as no surprise that I think David Lowery is worthy of a best director nomination. His fingerprints are all over this project, in every aspect of the film’s production. He wrote the script, directed the shooting, and edited this film, as well. But most telling to me is in the quality of the performances within The Green Knight. Dev Patel is a standout performer here, but the supporting cast is giving their all. Alicia Vikander plays two characters effortlessly, Barry Keoghan is a haunting presence for the five minutes we see of him, Sean Harris is a fascinating King Authur, and Ralph Inesson is an imposing Green Knight. The line delivery never falters despite its writing style, and the emotions and ideas proposed by characters radiate off of their actors perfectly. That is the sign of a great director to me, working with a great cast to create performances that anchor the film’s narrative. Plus, Lowery’s work behind each aspect of the filmmaking process is incredible. It’s a sign of an auteur loving his craft, and I think it is worthy of a best directing nomination.
In conclusion, The Green Knight is one of the year’s greatest films released. The craft on display creates meaning, and should be celebrated and remembered for years to come. It’s a film worthy of a best picture nomination, and I hope this article convinced you to give it another watch.
