Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

If you are like me, you probably love reading Arthurian novels. I can't explain why, but I find the chivalric period to be full of bravery, courage and romance. Alas, as with almost everything that occurs in my life, I discover this love somewhat late (why did this fascination not occur in my college years?).

Anyway, this past weekend I picked up a little book called Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and was totally enchanted by it. Told in the tradition of old English alliterative style, this novel may be hard for some who used to read in the traditional prose style - although, IMHO, it is way easier than Beowulf.

Sir Gawain opens with a feast on New Year's Day at King Arthur's court. Suddenly, a mysterious green knight enters the hall and challenge anyone to hit him with an axe - on a condition that a year from now, that same person has to endure a similar stroke from him. Well, Sir Gawain got up (really, after King Arthur himself was going to accept the knight's challenge) and with one stroke, slashed the green knight's neck so that his head rolls around on the floor.

Not to be deterred by this minor incident (of having no head!), the green knight walks over, picks up his head, hops on his horse, and with his head still in one hand, said to Sir Gawain that he looks forward to their meeting in the next year at a place called the Green Castle.

What follows are some of the most tantalizing events from Sir Gawain's journey to his stay at one of the castles to the king's wife seducing Sir Gawain. The author's description of the hunting scenes, the feasts and even the encounters between King's wife and Sir Gawain are most enjoyable to read. Particular the hunting of the deer - or shall I say, the cutting up of the deer is quite detailed - so this was how they hunt in the 1300s.

The book is relatively short - so nothing like Homer's epic - and one can finish within a day and reread it again!

Sir Gawain is not just a pleasurable read - at the end of the book, it also explores questions about chivalric code, what it means to be a knight...lest what it means to be an honorable person at that period.

At last, I wholeheartedly endorse this book if you are interested in a) Arthurian romance or b) just looking for a good, magic filled book.

La Vie en Rose

Non, Rien De Rien,
Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien
Ni Le Bien Qu`on M`a Fait,
Ni Le Mal
Tout Ca M`est Bien Egal
Non, Rien De Rien,
Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien
C`est Paye, Balaye, Oublie,
Je Me Fous Du Passe

Those are the words to the song, Non Je ne regrette rien, sung by Edith Piaf. It is also one of her most famous - others include La Vie en Rose, Milord, L'hymne a l'amour - songs performed by Edith just before her death. And, of course, if you've seen the movie, this is the last song performed by Paif.

This past weekend saw me watching most of the Oscar nominated Best Pictures movies from Michael Clayton to There Will Be Blood. But, the movie that I was really looking forward to seeing was La Vie en Rose. And it's not the movie itself that I wanted to see, but the acting performance of Marion Cotillard as Edith Piaf.

Why? I was listening to a podcast of my favorite radio talk show and one of the guests, though not a movie critic but have seen just about every movies every year - American and foreign - said that Cotillard gave the greatest single acting performance, male or female, he has ever seen. Yep, that was enough to persuade me.

And, oh, what a performance.

Good thing that she won an Oscar too because it would be sacrileged if she hadn't. And speaking of post Oscar, I was listening to a certain movie critic, Arch Campbell, rambling about how he was still trying to figure out why "a French film won Best Actress". Really, Arch can you just be a bit more americanphile? Because I don't think there are enough American haters out there in the world. IMHO, the award should be given to those who deserve it the most; what does it matter if the film is French, English or Mongolian. I don't see British critics calling for heads when she picked up the BAFTA. Geez...

But, let's get back to the movie


The movie is pretty difficult to follow through its non linear storytelling. I didn't know who Edith Piaf was (and let's face it, few people under the age of forty would know who she was)so it took me a while to actually follow the story. In sum: La Vie en Rose is a movie about the tragic, yet triump life of Edith Piaf.

She was abandoned by her mother when she was young. Brought up in a brothel, following her father in a circus and living on a street, supporting herself by singing. A locally famous cabaret owner spotted her talent and things grew from there (though not without problems). She came to New York to perform and at the zenith of her career, became the highest paid entertainer in America. All of these triumphs, of course, are entwined by series of unfortunate events, which I won't go into details.


But, La Vie en Rose is all about Cotillard's performance covering Piaf life span from 20 to 40s (though she looked like a 60 year old woman). You wouldn't think much of it until you see a picture of Cotillard. She's tall, beautiful and healthy looking whereas Edith Piaf was small, oddly looking and a fragile person. That's when it hit me how hard it must be to play her and convince the audience that they are she is Piaf. So, double kudos to the make up artist as well (and he did win an Oscar for it). My favorite scene is when she found out about the death of Marcel and she completely broke down. Heartwrenching. (Reality: Piaf did not even cancel her performance that night!).

Other than Cotillard's performance, the thing that I love most about this movie involves a scene where Raymond is teaching Piaf how to sing. Pronunciate...nobody can understand the song if you are mumbling the words. Seriously, somebody should tell most of the singers nowaday that NOBODY can understand a word they are singing. I mean, if all one has to do is mumble (and have no vocal range), then I can be a singer. Art? No, it's craptastic. And that is one thing La Vie en Rose is not.

Translation:
No, nothing of nothing
No! I don't feel sorry about anything
Not the good things people have done to me
Not the bad things, it's all the same to me.

No, nothing of nothing
No! I don't feel sorry about anything
It's paid for, removed, forgotten,
I'm happy of the past