strangely enough, Im reading the Seamus Heaney translation for Medieval History class right now. its really good. something
Yep that is the translation I read. Didn\'t read it for school though... just read it because... well... I don\'t know why really.
Speaking as the token Saxon (apparently my family are listed in the Domesday Book as "minor yeomanry"!!
), Beowulf is one of the greatest works written in any language and the translation by Seamus Heaney is not just a translation, but
THE translation to read.
As for the cast in this, it\'s a real pity this is animated and not live action - Ray Winstone is probably the nearest Britain has ever had to a De Niro. He would bring just about the right amount of grit to the role, without sinking to caricature. He has a fantastic acting career, starting in things like Quadrophenia and the Sweeney, a show to which he might indeed return for the new film version. Also watch out for him in the new Indiana Jones film. One of my favourite roles of his was in the TV drama Vincent, shown last year in the UK.
I don\'t go to see animated films in the cinema as a rule, but with Neil Gaiman (co-author with Terry Pratchett of
Good Omens and author of
Stardust and the excellent
Anansi Boys and
American Gods) also having written the screenplay, this has some potential and I may make an exception.