Animated Epics: Beowulf

I just saw the animated short a few minutes ago for the first time. I say first, because I intend to purchase it. I teach Senior English, and this film is about to become my newest tool. This is an excellent retelling of the Beowulf legend. The story is intact (except for a few of the bits of background), and the surreal animation lends to the storyteller's voice perfectly. The art is just vague enough (except for the arm scene) that it leaves enough to the imagination to still keep the fairy-tale/legend/campfire-story quality of oral tradition.

It kept the monster's body-count high, but the art was mild enough that I didn't mind allowing my six-year old to watch it with me (proof that even a story as violent as this can be told without an abundance of gore).