ReelBob: ‘The Northman’ ★★★
By Bob Bloom
Filmmaker Robert Eggers enjoys delving into the past and putting a punctuation mark on his efforts.
It was true in “The Witch” and “The Lighthouse,” and now he performs the same feat with “The Northman.”
Eggers movie, which he directed and cowrote with Sjón, is not your typical Vikings-era saga.
It’s more about family and revenge.
Simply put, the story centers on a son who sees his father betrayed and murdered by his brother, and his mother taken by the brother.
The son escapes and vows revenge. If that simple plot sounds familiar, it is because this Norse legend was the inspiration for Shakespeare’s “Hamlet.”
The son in “The Northman” is named Amleth, an anagram for the Danish prince.
Eggers seems to have done his homework. While the movie is fictional entertainment, Eggers creates a culture that seems real, with religious and traditional precepts that ring authentic.
Overall, the premise is not very original. At times, “The Northman” recalls John Milius’ “Conan the Barbarian.”
And like “Hamlet” and “Conan,” “The Northman” blends the real world with folklore as well as supernatural and mystical elements in which people rely on talismans and omens to chart their destiny.
After fleeing his homeland, Amleth is raised by Vikings. He is a merciless berserker, killing those who fall under his sword. But Amleth never forgets the vow he made when he fled — avenge his father, save his mother and kill his uncle.
To achieve his aims, Amleth falls in with a group of slaves being sent to his uncle’s farm in Iceland. It seems his uncle, Fjölnir (Claes Bang), lost his usurped kingdom to a more powerful king. Thus, the small, rocky and bleak domain he now rules in the middle of nowhere.
His downfall, though, does not give Amleth any satisfaction. He is single-mindedly set on revenge.
The story really is secondary to the atmosphere in which Eggers envelops us. The movie’s production values, its sets and costumes, feel authentic.
With the exception of Nicole Kidman’s treacherous Queen Gudrún most the cast seems caked in dirt and sweat. You can almost smell them.
The movie is very violent and brutal. No one is spared; men, women and children are slain — sometimes at random.
Alexander Skarsgård is a driven Amleth, allowing nothing to distract him from his quest; not even the beautiful sorceress, Olga (Anya Taylor-Joy), who aids Amleth. The two fall in love, but even that cannot deter Amleth from fulfilling his vow.
Eggers offers some surprises; overall, though, the movie is very straightforward with just a few quick detours into the metaphysical.
“The Northman” may not be your kind of movie. Eggers does not seem to care whether or not the violence offends you. His purpose is to showcase a brutal time when life and death meant less than today.
I am a founding member of the Indiana Film Journalists Association. I review movies, 4K UHD, Blu-rays and DVDs for ReelBob (ReelBob.com), The Film Yap and other print and online publications. I can be reached by email at bobbloomjc@gmail.com. You also can follow me on Twitter @ReelBobBloom and on Facebook at ReelBob.com or the Indiana Film Journalists Association. My movie reviews also can be found at Rotten Tomatoes: www.rottentomatoes.com.
THE NORTHMAN
3 stars out of 4
(R), strong and bloody violence, sexual content, nudity