Robert Eggers has been on a critically acclaimed run the past few years with films like The Witch and The Lighthouse, art house indies with dense stories featuring notable performances from great actors. While critical darlings, these films haven’t been the most accessible for the average audience goer, both literally in terms of theatrical showings and with their content. The director seeks to branch out to a wider audience with his latest film following a vengeful Viking.
The Northman tells the tale of Prince Amleth (Alexander Skarsgård), a young boy on the verge of becoming a man. After returning from battle, his father King Aurvandil War-Raven (Ethan Hawke) is brutally murdered by his uncle Feng (Claes Bang), who takes Amleth’s mother Queen Gudrún (Nicole Kidman) as his new bride. Two decades later as a man and now a Viking, Amleth is reminded of the vow he took as a young boy by a seeress (Björk) — save his mother, kill his uncle, avenge his father.
The Northman does have a bit to say about the nature of fate and how our choices and decisions interplay with what is destined for us and our loved ones. Amleth sets on a path headfirst toward what more than one mystical witch has described as his destiny to avenge his father and save his mother, but when confronted with truths he wasn’t expecting and after meeting new loved ones that open the possibility for a different life, he temporarily contemplates abandoning his lifelong desire for vengeance. In the end however, he decides that in order to protect those he loves, he must not abandon what fate has in store for him, and that whatever it entails will be best for them when compared to the alternative. While they are present, the exploration of these themes never really go past surface level to match its Hamlet inspired origins. What this film is really about is its spectacle and the depiction of Viking culture, both of which The Northman nails.
The production design in the film is impeccable, complete with costuming and sets that transform its Icelandic and Irish shooting locations into old Viking territory. The look and feel of the villages and the dress of the characters make for an immersive experience in watching the story unfold onscreen. The main impetus for its immersiveness however is the transcendant work that Eggers has done in tandem with director of photography Jarin Blaschke with The Northman’s cinematography. The film is visually striking with great use of natural light to highlight the countryside aesthetic of the locations, but its the camera work and editing employed that is the star of the show. Blaschke, Eggers, and editor Louise Ford use numerous incredible scene transitions that flow together seamlessly including stunning match cuts. The camera movement from Blaschke is great as well, with some of the 360 degree rotational shots being a pure beauty to behold. Perhaps the highlight in their overall work is the scene we see of adult Amleth engaged in a raid of a village in the Land of the Rus that is a one-take long shot reminiscent of the legendary opening battle scene in 2015’s The Revenant. The brutal choreographed battle encapsulates both the brutal action of the film and the elegance of how it is shot and presented onscreen in one fell swoop.
Much of this film’s success hinges on Alexander Skarsgård’s ability to convincingly portray a Viking driven by vengeance, utilizing his cunning, and at a crossroads with fate and the actor is able to check all the requisite emotive boxes and gives a performance that encapsulates the full emotionality of Amleth’s story. Skarsgård is physical, conflicted, resolute, and engrossing as the audience walks alongside him looking for retribution. Anya Taylor-Joy’s Olga is a good counterpart for Amleth and Taylor-Joy plays the character well. Nicole Kidman also gives a riveting performance in a small but impactful supporting role as Queen Gudrún, performing superbly in one of the film’s best and most pivotal scenes.
The Northman is an action adventure film that balances methodical storytelling very well with exciting, graphic fight scenes that excite. The production design and visual technical pieces of the film make it a sight to behold, giving its Viking aesthetic authenticity and elevating the story itself. Alexander Skarsgård gives a solid performance as the lead in a film that featured him prominently throughout its almost two and a half hours. The Northman is a solid, enjoyable time at the movies that should satisfy both artistic viewers and those that love a good time.
Image: Focus Features
