Grendel Grendel Grendel
| Grendel Grendel Grendel | |
|---|---|
VHS film cover
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| Directed by | Alexander Stitt |
| Produced by | Phillip Adams Alexander Stitt |
| Screenplay by | Alexander Stitt |
| Based on |
Grendel by John Gardner |
| Starring |
Peter Ustinov Arthur Dignam Keith Michell |
| Narrated by | Peter Ustinov |
| Music by | Bruce Smeaton |
| Cinematography | John Pollard |
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Production
company |
Victorian Film
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| Distributed by | Satori Corporation |
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Release date
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Running time
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88 minutes |
| Country | Australia |
| Language | English |
| Budget | AU$550,000 (est.) |
Grendel Grendel Grendel is a 1981 Australian animated film written, directed and designed by Alexander Stitt and starring Peter Ustinov. It was based on John Gardner's novel Grendel. The music was composed and conducted by Bruce Smeaton and has been released on the 1M1 Records label.
Like Gardner's novel, the film is a retelling of part of the epic poem Beowulf from the monster Grendel's point of view. Grendel (voiced by Ustinov) is by turns a thoughtful and contemplative character and a rampaging monster who attacks the mead hall of an early Danish kingdom, biting the head off of one would-be defender. This was the second full-length fully animated film ever made in Australia (coming after 1972's Marco Polo Junior Versus the Red Dragon).
Initially narrated by the titular character through a flashback, Grendel (Peter Ustinov), the "Great Boogey", recounts how he first left his cave as a child and encountered the Danish King Hrothgar (Ed Rosser) and his thanes. After being rescued by his mother, Grendel pondered over the similarities he shared with the Danes, yet lamented on their not being able to understand his language. He watched as Hrothgar's power and wealth grew, disgusted at his excesses and the royal Shaper's (Keith Michell) revision of history, presenting the king's underhanded and brutal achievements as glorious victories. Desperate to find meaning in life, Grendel encountered the dragon (Arthur Dignam), who informed Grendel that his sole purpose in life is to terrify humanity, thus stimulating human imagination and encouraging social cohesion.
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