Robert Eggers is a filmmaker who loves to commit to authenticity as well as an unflinching rawness to the stories he brings to the big screen. His previous efforts with The Witch and The Lighthouse are dark, grounded and mythical films that explore different cultures and honour the language, design and atmosphere of the periods which they’re set in. The Northman pretty much copies this same formula. The Northman is a film about Vikings, and when we think of Vikings we think of longships, blood-covered battlefields and Norse Gods. The Northman expands the story of their culture to show scenes of sports, rural living, slavery and even more. In short, this film is like an encyclopedia for Viking knowledge.
The story is based on Amleth, who is played by Alexander Skarsgard, and his revenge to save his mother, avenge his father and kill his uncle. It feels very Shakespearian in terms of story and the reason why is because Shakespeare took this very ancient story as inspiration for Hamlet. So as you can tell this is a very, very old story but it is brought to life in such a vivid and epic way. The landscapes feel rustic, cold and of an old world which helps bring a sense of authenticity to the film. The props, costumes and locations all fit within the traditions of Viking heritage and make The Northman feel like you’re watching history come alive before your eyes.
It’s not all about the landscapes though as the film is stuffed with a massively talented cast of actors playing some conflicted characters. Willem Dafoe, Anya-Taylor Joy, Claes Bang, Björk, Nicole Kidman and Ethan Hawke all join Skarsgard in the film and each one brings a dark personality to their character, whether is betrayal, deception or melancholy. The theme of revenge lurks around every corner in the film, and with limited dialogue, it is what we’re shown that makes the story more convincing and unflinching. Night raids in a village, an attack on a stronghold and a climactic battle near a volcano all say a lot more than expository dialogue.
There are a fair few comparisons with films such as The Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones too, but that’s only in terms of scope and character building. This is also the only problem with the film as it does borrow a lot of ideas and inspirations from other recent works in TV and film. With such a high demand for high fantasy at the moment there are points where you will compare certain scenes with other works which I did throughout the film. This isn’t a major flaw but an unfortunate one as it sometimes distracts you from the story. However, whenever Amleth is on the screen you are instantly drawn back into his world.
★★★★☆
4/5
The Northman is the biggest and best film by Robert Eggers to date, which is saying something considering how much critical acclaim he’s got from his previous works. Alexander Skarsgard pulls in a heavy and stoic performance and inhabits Amleth with a strong sense of humanity with a huge burden on his shoulders. The story takes its time developing and as a result is much more rewarding, and by the end you will probably have learnt a lot more about Viking culture. The Northman is without doubt the best Viking film made on the big screen to date!
Thanks for reading today’s blog!
Alex Murray, the Head of Eyesight Productions
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