''Grendel Grendel Grendel'' is a 1981 Australian animated film written, directed and designed by

Alexander Stitt Alexander Arthur Henry Stitt (January 3, 1937 – October 2, 2016) was an Australian cartoonist, artist and celebrity whose work is well remembered in the Life. Be in it. campaign, as well as for Sid the Seagull, and Norm, both created for a var ...

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 Philip Powers (born 1963) is a record producer - and author - specialising in film scores and classical music. His recordings have been nominated for five ARIA Awards. He has produced 34 CDs for the 1M1 Records label including ''The Lighthorse ...

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 Among the early Germanic peoples, a mead hall or feasting hall was a large building with a single room intended to receive guests and serve as a center of community social life. From the fifth century to the Early Middle Ages such a building was t ...

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'').

Plot

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

thegn In Anglo-Saxon England, thegns were aristocratic landowners of the second rank, below the ealdormen who governed large areas of England. The term was also used in early medieval Scandinavia for a class of retainers. In medieval Scotland, there ...

s. 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 A shaper is a type of machine tool that uses linear relative motion between the workpiece and a single-point cutting tool to machine a linear toolpath. Its cut is analogous to that of a lathe, except that it is (archetypally) linear instead of ...

's (

Keith Michell Keith Joseph Michell (1 December 1926 – 20 November 2015) was an Australian actor who worked primarily in the United Kingdom, and was best known for his television and film portrayals of King Henry VIII. He appeared extensively in Shakespeare ...

) 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. Grendel accepts his new role and regularly visits the king's

to frighten Hrothgar's people and devour them. He stops short of killing the king himself and the warrior Unferth (Ric Stone), whose delusions of grandeur and passive opposition to the king amuse Grendel. Feeling sympathy for Hrothgar's miserable wife Wealhtheow, who is also the object of Unferth's secret affection, Grendel decides to finally kill Hrothgar and take her to his lair. Before Grendel can arrive, the meadhall is visited by the hero Beowulf (also voiced by Dignam), who kills Unferth on the increasingly paranoid Hrothgar's orders. Beowulf then ambushes Grendel and tears off his arm, leaving the monster to die outside, pondering over the accidental nature of his death.

Production and release

Stitt acquired the film rights to ''Grendel'' in 1978, and work was commenced at Melbourne Al et al. Studios the following year. The film was conceived as a coproduction with producer

Phillip Adams Phillip Adams, Philip Adams, or Phil Adams may refer to: Sports * Phillip Adams (American football) (1988–2021), American football cornerback * Phillip Adams (sport shooter) (born 1945), Australian pistol shooter * Phil Adams (cricketer) (born 1 ...

, under the banner of Animation Australia. Although completed in 1981, it was not released in US theatres until the spring of 1982. Because of its limited appeal, broadcasting of the film was largely restricted to art theatres in urban centres.Beck, Jerry (2005), ''The Animated Movie Guide'', Chicago Review Press, p. 99,

References

External links

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Grendel Grendel Grendel at the National Film and Sound Archive''Grendel Grendel Grendel''
at Oz Movies
''Grendel Grendel Grendel''
at Just Watch {{Beowulf 1981 animated films 1981 films Australian animated feature films Films based on Beowulf Animated films based on novels Films based on American novels Animated films based on Norse mythology Films set in Denmark Films set in the 6th century Films scored by Bruce Smeaton 1980s Australian animated films 1980s English-language films