This paper offers a fascinating take on the film's ending and its broader ecological messages:
: Space, Time, and Identity applies Paul Ricœur’s theories to argue that Gawain's wounds are actually paths toward self-recognition. The Green Knight (2021)
: It argues that Gawain’s decapitation should not be viewed as a tragedy or physical expiration. Instead, it represents a shift from a human-centered view (anthropocentrism) to an earth-centered one (ecocentrism). This paper offers a fascinating take on the
: Research in The Chivalric Code in The Green Knight (2021) examines how Lowery uses the quest to critique medieval honor and build a stricter, secular code for the modern age. : Research in The Chivalric Code in The
: The author suggests that "beheading" in the film engenders a sustainable way of relating to the world by acknowledging that nature will eventually reclaim all human artifice. Other scholarly perspectives on the film include:
One notable academic paper analyzing the 2021 film is The Death-Driven Eco-Ethics of David Lowery's The Green Knight by Alexa Alice Joubin, published in The Quarterly Review of Film and Video .