onsdag 20 juli 2022

The Northman

When i was in Spain back in 2002, i met a Scottish woman named Sharon. We just started talking at the hotel we stayed at, and we became friends so quickly. Those remaining days i had on the vacation, we would spend the time together going to a carneval, going swimming in the ocean. When our vacations ended in Spain, we stayed in touch and she wanted me to come to Scotland and celebrate New Years Eve there. So i went over to Edinburgh, to visit her and her family. It was one of the best New Years Eve party´s i have ever been to. You see, her friends have dressed up as vikings, because i was a guest from Sweden, so they thought that in Sweden we live for the honor of vikings. I tried to explain that we don´t really live the viking life, dressing up as vikings, but these Scottish friends wanted to show their respect for my visit, and dressing up as a viking was their way to welcome me. I will always remember this as one of the best weekend celebrations i have ever experienced, so New Years Eve in Edinburg, 2002, is a memory i will never forget. It ended up with John, a friend of Sharon, he undressed in underwear and jumped into the ice cold river. Why? Well he was drunk and thought it was a good idea, probably not. We both passed out drunk on a sofa that night, so everything was in perfect Scottish order. Since i am Swedish we do hear about vikings now and then, it could be from documentary TV films, or perhaps film adaptations as well from viking stories. One of the viking films i still enjoy today, is the violent viking action drama Valhalla Rising, released in 2009. This film is directed by Nicolas Winding Refn, who directed the very well made British biographical drama Bronson, where Tom Hardy gave a powerful performance as Charles Bronson ( real name is Charles Arthur Salvador ). Valhalla Rising takes place around the year of 1096 AD and follows a Norse warrior named One-Eye ( Mads Mikkelsen ) and a young boy as they travel with a band of Christian Crusaders by ship in the hopes of finding the Holy Land. Valhalla Viking is definetely a different film from the film catalogue that director Nicolas Winding Refn have delivered to us. It is a very dark story, with beautiful Scottish landscapes, and really brutal as well. Definetely worth checking out if you want to see a solid, and different film about vikings. I recommend you get the UK Blu Ray release and listen to the commentary track, and you find out some interesting details about the film. Speaking of vikings, i remember being surprised that actor Alexander Skarsgård was working on a new viking film called The Northman. We don´t see many viking films being made in Scandinavia, so of course it sounded interesting that includes a cast of Ethan Hawk, and Nicole Kidman as well. Is it possible that The Northman is the best viking film we had for many years, or should you skip this one and watch the 1958 film The Vikings instead ?

In AD 895, King Aurvandill ( Ethan Hawke ) returns to Jutland after his overseas conquests, reuniting with hiw wife, Queen Gudrún ( Nicole Kidman ), and his heir, Prince Amleth ( Oscar Novak ). To prepare Amleth for his eventual ascension, the two participate in a spiritual ceremony overseen by Aurvandill´s jester, Heimir ( Willem Dafoe ). The next morning, Aurvandill´s bastard brother Fjölnir ( Claes Bang ) murders the king, raids his hilfort and carries away Gudrún. Amleth flees by boat, swearing vengeance. As an adult, Amleth ( Alexander Skarsgård ) is determined to make sure that Fjölnir will suffer for his

Since i was excited goint into a film such as The Northman, i have to say that this film managed to deliver what i was hoping for. I wanted some really brutal viking kills, and you get that here. I also wanted the vikings to look cool, and we got that as well. I also have to say that the story ( even if it is very simple ) works for the most part, because you don´t need a complicated story in a film about vikings. The story actually reminded me a lot of the 1982 film Conan The Barbarian with Arnold Schwarzenegger. Even if these films are very different, for a number of reasons, they do have a similar revenge story. Conan´s ( Arnold Schwarzenegger ) parents are killed by Thulsa Doom ( James Earl Jones ) and his men, and in The Northman you have young boy Prince Amleth, who watches his father King Aurvandill be killed by his own brother. A revenge story in a historical film, is actually a great idea to make the plot interesting. If it would have been a story of just vikings killing people, you may have not cared about the characters either. So they made the right choice to make a viking film with a plot that matches the time period. The costume design looks good, and you can tell they tried to capture the look of how people used to dress during these times. I have to say i am impressed over the houses that were built for this film, where certain details makes you feel like you are visiting the home of a viking family. Anything negative to say? I have to be honest and say that this film is a little bit too long. It feels like certain dialogue scenes feels a bit drawn out, to try and make you engaged into the characters. And i honestly did not care at certain times, no matter if some of the characters discussed important subjects. The acting from some of the smaller characters does not leave any bigger impact and felt uninspired to deliver their dialogue, so it is basically the bigger Hollywood stars who make this film work. Alexander Skarsgård definetely went into this film with a passion for his character, so i can´t say anything negative about his performance. The Northman is basically a historical action film that is definetely made for fans of vikings, and that is something director Robert Eggers tried to focus on while making this film. He clearly felt passionate to tell a story during this time period, and he give us a film that definetely will please the audience it was made for. The Northman may not be a film for everyone, but if you enjoy historical films, i have a feeling you might appreciate what this film have to offer. The Northman is a great choice for your Blu Ray shopping mall visit this summer, especially if you dress up as a viking in the store ( we want to leave a good impact, right? )

Rating: DDD

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