Beowulf (2007)

The 2007 movie “Beowulf” is loosely based on the medieval ages. The movie contains many magical creatures and items that definitely did not exist. These elements also make up a large portion of the movie, making the movie very fictitious. Even with all the fantastical elements found in this movie, there are still many ties to actual events from the middle ages.

One of the most accurate portrayals within this film is the rise of Christianity. At the beginning of the film, Christianity is only mentioned by one person and is immediately dismissed. After the time skip, Christianity is mentioned by multiple people and is not dismissed at all, but other gods are still mentioned. With “Beowulf” taking place in modern-day Denmark, the slow introduction of Christianity makes sense. This aspect of the film is probably the most useful element to learning about history because it shows the increasing importance of Christianity throughout Europe.

When it comes to the people and kingdoms represented, it ends being up hit or miss. None of the people in the film actually existed, but the tribes they hailed from did exist. Those tribes even lived where they were depicted living in the movie. Along with the people, the kingdom in the movie didn’t exist, but it was still part of a tribe that did exist.

The only other aspects that accurately represent history are the weaponry, clothing, and general viewpoints of people. The rest of the movie was very fantastical in nature. Even the idea of a brave warrior that fights monsters single-handedly, although somewhat existing in that time, is a famous fantasy trope that exists today. 

In conclusion, the 2007 movie “Beowulf” is very historically inaccurate. Even with the few accurate points, they are only small portions of the movie. The movie as a whole is very different from actual events of that time period.