“Gáttir allar áður gangi fram um skoðast skyli, um skyggnast skyli, því að óvíst er að vita hvar óvinir sitja á fleti fyrir.” ~Odin
“All the doorways, before one enters, should be looked around, should be spied out; it can’t be known for certain where enemies are sitting in the hall ahead.”
Directed by: Robert Eggers
Written by: Robert Eggers, Sjón
Cast: Alexander Skarsgård, Anya Taylor-Joy, Ethan Hawke, Nicole Kidman, Claes Bang
Swift shot: You may think you know this story, but you only know the remakes. This is the opprinnelig – original. Perhaps this is even the original origin story that launched a thousand retellings over the centuries, to include some of our most prolific storytellers. It’s a story about a young Norse prince who witnesses his father’s murder and his lifelong pursuit of his version of justice – the only justice that truly matters, revenge! Robert Eggers and Sjón shoot an immersive living canvas of blood, fire, and fury in The Northman.
Young Prince Amleth (Oscar Novak) is excited to greet his father, King Aurvandil the War-Raven (Hawke) who returns to their village with his trophies and treasure to share with his men and his brother, Fjölnir (Bang).
The prince’s mother, Queen Gudrún (Kidman) has concerns for her son when Aurvandil makes it clear that Amleth is to be groomed for the throne.
Despite her wishes, Aurvandil prepares Amleth for the macabre ritual to make a man out of him. This scene takes a full ten minutes, and it sets the pace for the rest of the film. Amleth and his father partake of some magic mushrooms and have visions of their destiny.
[Swift aside: I can only assume this was as authentic to what a Viking right-of-passage was like in the ninth century, because it was given such meticulous attention.]
Shortly after that, the King is slain and Amleth witnesses his mother carried off as he narrowly escapes death by the skin of a nose. As he flees, Amleth swears that he will have his vengeance, and the man responsible for killing his father will fall by Amleth’s blade. This hate keeps him warm, as he rows off into the cold foam of the sea.
Amleth will return as a man with a colder heart, but the threads of fate will weave him another legacy.
Decades later, Amleth ( Skarsgård) is a Jomsviking berserker, a warrior without a conscious, without a soul. He’s a heartless wolf and bear only pretending at being a man.
In the aftermath of a vicious razing, raping, and ravaging of a Rus village, Amleth is visited by a Seeress played with an efficient eeriness by Iceland’s own, Björk. She reminds him of his vow, and Amleth discovers that his father’s killer is living in exile in Iceland as a farmer.
Amleth decides on a plan, he will disguise himself as one of the slaves being sent to work on the killer’s farm. He will bide his time and exact his vengeance on the traitorous bastard and destroy all that he loves.
But on the slave ship, his destiny changes when he meets a beautiful Slavic woman, Olga (Taylor-Joy). She complicates matters as only a woman can. Here he was set on a straightforward rescue/revenge mission, and now his cold black heart has finally found some warmth – it’s a liability he is unfamiliar with.
Now, he has a heart.
But Amleth is not deterred in the slightest. He creates a personal Helheim for his father’s killer, using PsyOps that even our friends at the CIA would consider a bit too graphic. And on that note, there is a lot of violence off-screen, but it’s clear that was to avoid an X-rating.
Fret not, there is still plenty of brutal violence. I mean, this is a movie about the Vikings. If they didn’t show some ritualistic sacrifices and torture, it wouldn’t live up to their harsh history.
Can Eric Northman, wait, I mean Amleth Northman get everything he wants? Will he accept his destiny . . . or will he want more?
I don’t know if “American audiences” will appreciate The Northman, because quite frankly it wasn’t made for them. It was made for Alexander Skarsgård, who has been fascinated with his Viking heritage since he was a boy. Luckily I spent my twenties in Stavanger, Norway, and I have been playing Assassin’s Creed Valhalla and boning up on my Norse Mythology, because I certainly appreciated all the attention to detail.
Much like with The Witch, Eggers lets the audience feel each scene, you live in it with the characters. And in The Northman in particular, you get an appreciation for the old adage of revenge being a dish best served cold. Amleth takes his time meting out justice, as he tries to keep his new heart intact through Olga.
And like I said earlier, you may think you know this story, but you don’t. And you will never forget how everything plays out in the end. That’s what will make it an iconic film. Jævla Faen!
