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I adapt books into screenplays as kindof a hobby, it's fun, a new way to look at the story. So I was reading Beowulf for the upteenth time the other day and it struck me, this would make a truly spectacular movie if done right...
So the question is, how doyou do it right?
Do we make grendel and his mother into overbearing cliche hollywood cgi monsters, or do we look for a way for grendel to be a tortured half giant man, or just a part human but still gumanoid?
the dragon, is he a giant Reign of Fire seventy foot collosus of fire and death, or is he your more celtic dragon, twelve, thirteen feet, more flying komodo dragon with an attitude problem.
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There is a novella written from Grendel's point of View. It is called, astonishingly enough, Grendel. I forget who wrote it.
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I also saw a box for a Beowulf movie starring, I beelieve, Christopher Lambert. It's been a while since I saw the box and I never rented the movie, so no clue what it's like.
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The 13th Warrior was, I believe, a take on Beowulf. And I believe the author of Grendel was Alan Garner. Or something close to it.
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Take a de-Govenor'd Schwartzenegger as the older Beowulf. Do his death battle with the dragon. That is a story not told oft in Hollywood. It would have action and sympathy as Beowulf, the undefeatable hero of hero's, must face not only his lost youth, but his acceptance of death and being defeated.
Begin with a younger, hansomer hero defeating a truly gruesome Grendel as a story sung by a bard in Beowulf's home.
Then later bring in Beowulf's memory of the fiercer battle, with Gredel's mother. Grendel's mother is old and undefeated, facing defeat at this young punks hands. Then run several parallel scenes later as Beowulf begins to resemble Grendel's mother as he loses a long fight with the dragon.
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quote:Originally posted by pooka: There is a novella written from Grendel's point of View. It is called, astonishingly enough, Grendel. I forget who wrote it.
John Gardner is the author. It's a fine read. Read a chunk of it for a speech class in high school, long ago. As I recall if does a very good job varying between making Grendel pitiful, humorous, and terrifying... A little like Serkis' Gollum.
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John Gardner! I knew Alan Gardner didn't sound quite right. I have never found a copy of Grendel, but I really enjoyed "Freddy's Book" which he also did.
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Yea but there doing the Beowulf in motion capture, which means, it must under no circumstances be watched by anybody whose read the book, or they might just kill themselves.
The Lambert version was set in the future with laser weapons, (shudder)
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There was talk a few months ago about a Beowulf movie. Even had a cast picked out. Couple of Hollywood names, that sort of thing. Looks like they're aiming for 2007 if it gets off the ground.
I think there has to be some kind of human element in both Grendel and his mother and the dragon. I wouldn't watch a Beowulf movie if it was just gonna be some blow-em-up Hollywood bash. I like that the creatures meant something. They had motives and purpose and were symbolic of human traits. I think the best way to do this is by focusing on the face. Give any scary body a human-like face and you've added a whole new level of creepiness. Nothing like having this tortured grotesque monster turn to the screen, open it eyes...and grin.
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