The Northman

Director: Robert Eggers

Writer: Sjon, Robert Eggers

Starring: Alexander Skarsgard, Nicole Kidman (someone please stop her stupid AMC theaters commercial, it’s worse than this monstrosity from King James), Claes Bang, Ethan Hawke, Anya Taylor-Joy, Willem Dafoe, Bjork

Reason for watching: New Robert Eggers movies are always worth a watch. Plus this cast is absolutely stacked

Number of times I’ve watched it: first-time viewing

***

I wanted to write something about the power dynamics between people or the relationship between parents and children. How perhaps each person can see themselves as the hero of their story when they can be the villain of another’s. Why is someone so motivated to protect and avenge those they care for even when those loved ones may not be the best people? There are deep themes and stories one could mine from this movie. Hopefully, over time I will be able to find them. But truth be told I just want to gush about how beautiful this movie is and about how intense the action and combat sequences are. Because sometimes that is all you need.

The Northman is based off the myth of Amleth, a medieval Scandinavian figure bent on revenge for the death of his father. In some places, it is considered to be the inspiration for William Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Amleth (Alexander Skarsgard looking ‘roided up here) witnessed his father’s (Ethan Hawke) death when he was a young man at the hand’s of his uncle, Fjonlir (Claes Bang). Since then he has grown to become a berserker warrior, capable of incredible feats of violence, planning to return and free his mother Gudrun (Nicole Kidman). After stowing away on a slave ship heading to his uncle’s home, he befriends Olga (Anya Taylor-Joy), a young witch. Once arriving at Fjonlir’s home, the two begin to psychologically torture their enemy in an effort to break him. Eventually, this leads to a final confrontation between Amleth and Fjonlir.

Again, the action sequences here are exemplary. Director Robert Eggers is known for his long-take style; however he usually is busy terrifying his viewers in his previous films The VVitch and The Lighthouse. His style takes an almost-acrobatic like turn here. Watching Amleth trudge through villages and towns exacting his fury on enemies is a sight to behold. The power and strength is capture in the brutality of our protagonist’s actions. If he was not so good at telling scary stories, I would ask Eggers to take his talents to Warner Bros and try to make a good Superman movie, something that hasn’t been done in decades. But I can only dream. Plus I doubt punching holes through people is good for the Man of Steel’s brand.

Another one of Eggers talents is capturing the dark beauty of the worlds he creates. Those long sweeping shots allow him to show off the beauty of the locations his movies film in. While some may not love gray skies, I find the stark color to be almost comforting in a way. Especially during the beginning scenes before our hero becomes a man and goes on his revenge mission. In addition, the final fight scene between Amleth and Fjonlir occurs on an erupting volcano. Beautiful reds and oranges flood the screen as two warriors go at it in pitched combat.

Eggers is not the only artist here deserving of a slap on the back. For one, I never had quite appreciated the acting of Skarsgard. I thought his brother Peter overshadowed him with his insane performance as Pennywise in the recent It adaptations. But Alexander’s acting here is one of a more physical nature. His angry eyes, flaring nostrils, and guttural screams easily convey what his character is feeling and going through. On top of this Taylor-Joy is always a delight on screen. In a dark movie, she manages to bring a sense of charm that almost no other character can. Ethan Hawke’s brief role as Amleth’s father is a simple one, as he is there to love his young son and to die to inspire this son. But Hawke does his job well. Willem Dafoe may only appear in one or two scenes, but that iconic voice of his grabs my attention strongly. Kidman’s performance is an understated one, and she has a difficult scene near the end. But without her character the motivations for Amleth would fall flat.

Would I recommend this to my parents or in-laws? Definitely not. Would I recommend it to my pastor? Nope. Would I even ask my poor wife to come see it again with me? She would probably rather watch a full NBA game while I talked her ear off non-stop about LeBron James. But would I go see this movie again? You’re darn right I would.

8/10

Until I see another one