The oldest English poem gets the 70s educational film treatment — chainmail, synth, and all.
Film adaptation of the earliest known poem in the English language (written in the 8th century) which examines the ancient and heroic tradition from which the feudal system started to grow. The film, as in the poem, is an elegy lamenting the not only the reality of a lost heroic tradition, but also the loss of innocence which made possible its unquestioning acceptance.
Production
Genuine 1970s medieval reenactor energy, unironically committed.
Writing
Faithful Old English elegy structure, translated for modern ears.
Director
Don Fairservice
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Released during a period of British anxiety about national decline, the film's lament for lost heroism mirrors its moment.
Director Don Fairservice specialized in educational films; this was his most ambitious literary adaptation.
US
