Beowulf Group 3: Julia Altmann, Tina Urbanavicius, Kevin Hua and Evelyne Shousha

[Andrew Burton]

*** Your Initial Commentary ***

In roughly 100 words, each student must observe how the trailer for
Valhalla Rising (2009) invokes one or two elements of pagan Germanic
culture and/or Beowulf. Note that the trailer seems set at a moment
in time when Christianity is supplanting pagan religions. Feel free
to consider elements of the scene other than the dialogue. Ensure
that your analysis is original, nuanced and makes specific references
to the trailer. Please be respectful of your classmates – do not post
anything that is offensive or insensitive.

If you haven’t seen the film, read a plot summary here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valhalla_Rising_(film)

The trailer for Valhalla Rising: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQgoGccHJD4

All initial commentary must be posted by midnight Sunday February 5th.

*** Your Responses to other Students ***

In roughly 50-60 words, each student must respond to the posting of
another student. Point out what you agree/disagree with and why,
justifying your opinion with careful reasoning and references to the
trailer when appropriate. Be sure your response is significantly
original relative to what has already been posted. Be courteous and
keep your comments focused on students’ writing/ideas. Only respond
to a student who has not yet received feedback.

All responses must be posted by midnight Friday February 10th.

[Kevin Hua]

The trailer for Valhalla Rising (2009) invokes the violent-loving
nature of the pagan Germanic culture. Just like the protagonist One-
Eye, they will fight whenever the need arises, though not because they
feel any sense of duty. This sense of "the means justifies the ends"
ideology runs rampant throughout their culture, shown with the poem
"The Battle of Brunanburgh," in which the nearly the entire poem is
dedicated to recounting the gruesome details of battle rather than the
cause. One-Eye is described as someone who will kill everyone, and is
always depicted with an ax in hand. This constant readiness for battle
symbolizes a culture bred for war.

[Evelyne Shousha]

Just as in Beowulf, the narrator of the story seems ambivalent about
showing Christian religion in a better light than pagan religions.
Although Christianity has already reached northern Europe, there is
still a strong presence of pagan religion and culture. An obvious sign
of Christian culture in Valhalla Rising is the crusade the hero is
embarking on, but there are also much more subtle signs of Christian
influence. For example, the first three words of the trailer are “in
the Beginning” (0:02-0:04). In Beowulf, there are references to the
Old Testament as well. The Christian crusaders want the Hero, One-Eye,
to follow them in their voyage to the Holy Land; not only could they
use a good warrior (0:53-0:55), but this crusade could save his soul.
In contrast, One-Eye does not seem too concerned with his afterlife
since he kills people throughout the trailer. In conclusion, the
speaker’s view of Christianity and paganism is not clear. The
Christians are not all “good guys” and the pagan people not all “bad
guys”.

On Jan 31, 2:23 am, Andrew Burton <a.bur...@marianopolis.edu> wrote:

[Julia Altmann]

Looking back to what we studied in class, the "Valhalla Rising"
trailer continues to expand on the violence of Germanic culture. As
the video begins the words "An enslaved warrior finds redemption in
vengeance" (0:18-0:26) appear on screen, which shows that in Germanic
culture, redemption wasn't done through prayer or repentance, but
through revenge. The way to make up for being a killer is to extend
that chain. To emphasis that point, the following scenes show the
protagonist, One-Eye, murdering his foes. In fact, most of the trailer
is footage of people being brutally slaughtered. Therefore, this film
demonstrates the emphasis of violence in Germanic Culture.

On Jan 31, 2:23 am, Andrew Burton <a.bur...@marianopolis.edu> wrote:

[tina urbanavicius]

There are significant elements of Germanic culture in the trailer
for Valhalla Rising (2009), as well as similarities between One-
Eye and Beowulf. Germanic culture is reflected in the violent scenes
such as One-Eye killing the man who attempted to murder the
young boy. Vengeance is also portrayed by One-Eye when he
kills the men who had enslaved him, leaving only one to escape.
One-Eye and Beowulf's characters also share honorable traits
and are both great and feared warriors. Elements of Christianity
are also displayed when the priest stays behind knowing he is going
to die: this contradicts pagan culture because he has found peace
knowing that he will be going to heaven.

On Jan 31, 2:23 am, Andrew Burton <a.bur...@marianopolis.edu> wrote:

[Evelyne Shousha]

I agree with Kevin on the importance of battle and its predominance
throughout the trailer. The presence of the little boy should also be
taken into account. No one tries to hide the violence of the fights
from him. He needs to learn about this violent reality as soon as
possible because it will become his reality. However, I think that One-
Eye does have a reason to fight and murder everybody. In the trailer,
it says that he "finds redemption in vengeance" (0:22-0:28). While the
amount of people he kills seems over the top, One-Eye has to protect
his reputation and get rid of those who hurt it. The best way to do
this is to kill everybody (not today of course).

> > All responses must be posted by midnight Friday February 10th.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

[Julia Altmann]

I agree with Tina on the point that One-Eye and Beowulf are very
similar characters, since they are both violent and heroic. Like she
pointed out, One-Eye didn't hesitate in murdering the man who
attempted to harm the young boy and killing the men who had enslaved
him. Beowulf behaves in a similar way. Once Beowulf heard that Grendel
was attacking the Heorot, he immediately left his homeland to slay the
demon, not wanting to miss out on a chance to kill it and be a hero.

On Feb 6, 12:33 am, tina urbanavicius <tinaurbanavic...@gmail.com>
wrote:

[tina urbanavicius]

I agree with Julia on the trailer emphasizing Germanic
culture through the footage of violence and brutal
killings. This theme can also be portrayed in many other
pieces of literature and videos documenting this society.
Julia also pointed out that the beginning of the trailer explains
how redemption was achieved: not "through prayer or
repentance, but through revenge." This demonstrates a
significant element of Germanic culture.

[Kevin Hua]

I agree with Evelyne on the fact that both Beowulf and "Valhalla
Rising" portray Christianity with mixed feelings. We can see, in the
trailer, as you pointed out, that they are journeying to Jerusalem for
a Crusade. However, seemingly all along the way, and even with the
pagan One-Eye, we see that the pagans are much greater fighters. One-
Eye himself kills at least several dozen men, both pagan and
Christian. Sure, working for the Christian makes them seem stronger
for having him on their side, but at the same time, it shows them in a
weakened way, that they need someone to protect them. I believe this
is an outright degradation of Christianity.

On Feb 5, 10:51 am, Evelyne Shousha <evelyne17soc...@hotmail.com>
wrote: