The oldest text of recorded English is the classic epic poem of a battle between man and monster. A Norse king, Hrothgar of the Danes, accepts the help of great warrior Beowulf in defeating a monstrous marauding foe, and putting an end to his murderous nocturnal visitations. The adventure leads up to an inevitable, violent clash between the two where Beowulf the hero wins the day. Set during a time when socio-religious shifts were shaking the foundations of northern Europe, Beowulf′s ethics, his reluctant role as a hero, his discomfort with the surrounding hero myth-referred to only fleetingly in the Anglo-Saxon text-and Grendel as sympathetic character are explored in Sturla Gunnarsson′s new adaptation in greater detail than in the past. The relationship between Grendel and Beowulf, Hrothgar′s culpability in his own misfortune, and Grendel′s righteous fury are at the core of the film. The modem interpretation of Beowulf as questioning his role as a fighter, his spirituality and humanity is timely given the global mood of confrontation and underscores the infinite adaptability and relevance of the timeless poem.