Beowulf & Grendel (2005)

In Denmark, during the 6th century, Danish king Hrothgar and his warriors kill a troll whose son, Grendel, vows revenge.

Director:

Sturla Gunnarsson

Writers:

Anonymous (epic poem "Beowulf"), Andrew Rai Berzins

Stars:

Hringur Ingvarsson, Spencer Wilding, Stellan Skarsgård

1 win & 6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Hringur Ingvarsson	...	Young Grendel
Spencer Wilding	...	Grendel's Father
Stellan Skarsgård	...	Hrothgar
Ingvar Sigurdsson	...	Grendel (as Ingvar E. Sigurdsson)
Gunnar Eyjólfsson	...	Aeschere
Gerard Butler	...	Beowulf
Philip Whitchurch	...	Fisherman
Ronan Vibert	...	Thorkel
Rory McCann	...	Breca
Tony Curran	...	Hondscioh
Martin Delaney	...	Thorfinn
Mark Lewis	...	King Hygelac
Elva Ósk Ólafsdóttir	...	Sea Hag
Ólafur Darri Ólafsson	...	Unferth
Steinunn Ólína Þorsteinsdóttir	...	Wealtheow (as Steinunn Ólína Thorsteinsdóttir)

Storyline

The blood-soaked tale of a Norse warrior's battle against the great and murderous troll, Grendel. Heads will roll. Out of allegiance to the King Hrothgar, the much respected Lord of the Danes, Beowulf leads a troop of warriors across the sea to rid a village of the marauding monster. The monster, Grendel, is not a creature of mythic powers, but one of flesh and blood - immense flesh and raging blood, driven by a vengeance from being wronged, while Beowulf, a victorious soldier in his own right, has become increasingly troubled by the hero-myth rising up around his exploits. Beowulf's willingness to kill on behalf of Hrothgar wavers when it becomes clear that the King is more responsible for the troll's rampages than was first apparent. As a soldier, Beowulf is unaccustomed to hesitating. His relationship with the mesmerizing witch, Selma, creates deeper confusion. Swinging his sword at a great, stinking beast is no longer such a simple act. The story is set in barbarous Northern ...

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Plot Keywords:

beowulf | troll | death of father | beowulf character | king hrothgar character | 

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Taglines:

Beneath The Legend Lies The Tale.

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Drama | Fantasy

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence, language and some sexuality

Did You Know?

Trivia

In 1731, the original manuscript that the movie is based on was severely damaged by fire, along with several other medieval writings, in London UK.

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Goofs

When the priest is talking to Beowulf on the morning after his arrival in Daneland, his staff goes from being clenched in his hands, to resting against his shoulder in between shots.

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Quotes

Beowulf: And what did he do to you?
King Hrothgar: [shrugs] Crossed our path. Took a fish.

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Connections

Referenced in My Life Is a Video (2012)

User Reviews

An historical action film with a twist

I was fortunate enough to view the world-premiere performance of Beowulf and Grendel at the Toronto International Film Festival this past September 14th, and I found it to be a hauntingly beautiful film, with some surprising comedic moments added into the mix. All of the lead actors (especially Gerard Butler as Beowulf and Stellan Skarsgard as the King) were superb in their roles, and although I have never read the original epic poem, I found that the story was very well-told and that the director and his cast definitely succeeded in delivering the many-layered messages of racial tolerance, bravery and the real meaning of heroism. The Icelandic setting was absolutely breathtaking, and I certainly agree that it became an additional character and an essential part of the story as well. Finally, the bits of comedy which resulted from Beowulf's interactions with his band of warriors were a welcome and realistic addition to a story that could have easily taken itself too seriously and become bogged down in melodrama. I highly recommend this film to those who enjoy cinematic experiences which fall outside (and well above) the normal Hollywood, cookie-cutter action films. I am also looking forward to its wide release (I hope) here in North America in the next few months, since one viewing of this weirdly wonderful film is definitely not enough!

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

Canada UK Iceland USA Australia

Language:

English Latin Icelandic

Release Date:

9 March 2006 (Thailand)

Also Known As:

Beowulf & Grendel

Filming Locations:

Iceland

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$4,360, 18 June 2006

Gross USA:

$68,820

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$92,076

Company Credits

Production Co:

Movision, Endgame Entertainment, Beowulf Productions Limited

Technical Specs

Runtime:

104 min 103 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1