Beowulf (1999 film)

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Beowulf

Beowulf DVD cover
Directed by Graham Baker
Starring Christopher Lambert
Rhona Mitra
Oliver Cotton
Music by Jonathan Sloate
Ben Watkins
Cinematography Christopher Faloona
Editing by Roy Watts
Distributed by Dimension Films
Miramax Films
Release date(s) 1 April 1999
Running time 95 min.
Country United States
Language English
Budget $20,000,000 (estimated)
Allmovie profile
IMDb profile

Beowulf is a 1999 action movie loosely based on the Anglo-Saxon epic poem Beowulf. It has strong fantasy elements and some science fiction elements. It was directed by Graham Baker and the screenplay was written by Mark Leahy and David Chappe. The movie comes from the same producer as Mortal Kombat which also starred Lambert.

While some of the film remains true to the original poem, other plot elements deviate from the original poem (Hrothgar has an affair with Grendel's mother, and they have a child together, Grendel; Hrothgar's wife commits suicide).

Contents

[edit] Plot

Beowulf is a powerful warrior. He goes to a castle which is haunted by a demon, Grendel, who is slowly killing its entire population. The castle is surrounded by soldiers who will not let anyone in or out, but Beowulf fights his way through. Beowulf then states he intends to kill the demon. Hrothgar, who is king of the castle, welcomes his help.

Hrothgar has a daughter named Kyra. Another important character is Roland who is probably the strongest soldier of the castle. Roland is in love with Kyra, but she does not love him back. It also becomes clear once Hrothgar had a wife who committed suicide after Hrothgar had an affair with another woman. This woman was an ancient being who originally lived on the location where the castle is now. They had a child, Grendel.

Beowulf and Grendel fight and they wound each other, but both recover.

Later Beowulf and Grendel fight again. Beowulf cuts Grendel's arm off with a retracting cestus. After this the castle celebrates, as they believe Grendel has been slain. Kyra declares her love for Beowulf and he returns her affection. Kyra tells him that she killed her previous husband after he treated her badly. Beowulf tells her that his mother is human and his father is Baal, "God of darkness, Lord of lies". This explains his tremendous fighting prowess.

While Kyra is with Beowulf all the other people in the castle are killed by Grendel's mother (and possibly Grendel). Beowulf kills Grendel by stabbing him and then kills his mother by stabbing her and cutting a fire vent placed in front of her, causing flames to engulf her and consume the castle. Beowulf escapes the falling castle with Kyra. The castle is destroyed, with Beowulf and Kyra the only survivors.

[edit] Cast

[edit] Soundtrack

[edit] References

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[edit] External links

v • d • e
The Old English poem Beowulf
Characters
Objects and related texts
Scholars and translators
Artistic representations
Grendel (1971 novel) · Grendel, Grendel, Grendel (1981 film) · Eaters of the Dead (1976 novel) · The Legacy of Heorot (1987 novel) · Beowulf's Children (1996 novel) · Beowulf (1999 film) · The 13th Warrior (1999 film) · Beowulf & Grendel (2005 film)  · Wrath of Gods (2005 documentary film)  · Grendel (2007 film) · Beowulf (2007 film)