The Northman Review
8.5/10
There is something to be said about a film that fulfills your expectations exactly how you hoped it would. When I heard Robert Eggers, one of the best directors around, was making a film about Vikings, I could envision it in my head. I anticipated a slow burn and brooding tale with meticulous historical details. The Northman did a fantastic job living up to those ambitions. Many have compared the story in the film to Hamlet. It is pretty much the same story, just in a Viking setting. However, it should be noted that Hamlet is based on a Norse Legend, The Tale of Amelth.
It is curious that The Northman did not excel at the box office. It may not be an explosion-filled action spectacle, but it is far more accessible than Eggers’ previous films. Unfortunately, it brings up the issue that Hollywood keeps facing. The audience complains when the studios put out the same kind of cookie-cutter films every year. When they release one that is different and has a unique vision the audience ignores it. Can you really blame the studios for not taking risks when films like this don’t succeed at the box office? In the end, they are a business and they will follow the trail of dollars. If The Northman and other unconventional films found a wider audience, they would take more risks. The public has to take some responsibility for the state of Hollywood today.
The story is straightforward: a young prince’s father is killed by his uncle Fjölnir, so years later the boy grows into a man fueled by revenge. The way the story is told is what makes it stand out. Eggers has a genuine love for history and fills his films with the kinds of details that truly immerse you in the world and make it feel real. Northman is no different. The film showcases Viking culture in a way that most others don’t. We just don’t just see the barbarism and brutality; we see their rituals and community. There are elements of their religious beliefs and superstitions, including Bjork playing a mysterious seeress who foretells the grim future. There are layers of Norse mythology sprinkled throughout.
Alexander Skarsgard played the adult Amelth. He is the perfect choice for the character. He is an imposing figure, standing over 6 feet tall. I didn’t realize how tall he is until Northman. Amelth is a hulking powder keg of a man. When the film jumps ahead beyond his boy years, he is a Berserker roaming the land with a group of Vikings. For those who don’t know, Berserkers were ferocious Viking warriors who fought in a trance-like state. The scenes of him and his crew butchering a village are brutal and really show how terrifying the Berserkers were to come up against. Eventually, he discovers the whereabouts of his treasonous uncle and sets out on his journey to kill him and save his mother.
The Northman has a mythological and primal intensity that I loved. It does not venture into surreal territories in the same way that Eggers last film The Lighthouse did. There are some moments that are hypnotic in the way they pull you into this strange world, such as the ritual young Amelth performs with his father that is overseen by the Jester. Someone expecting a typical action blockbuster may have been weirded out by this scene, but if anything, I wanted to see more parts like it. The Northman has some similarities to David Lowery’s film from last year The Green Knight. They both deal with the curses of fate and the trappings of heroism. Green Knight had a more scattershot structure and was more rooted in fantasy, while Northman stays more grounded. Amelth is bound to his fate no matter what happens. A logical person may ask why he doesn’t just abandon his quest and live a peaceful life elsewhere. That idea is incomprehensible to him.
Eventually, while stowing away on a slave ship bound to his uncle’s home, he meets Olga, a Slavic Sorceress played by the wonderful Anya Taylor-Joy. She’s always had an ethereal quality to her appearance, so she is perfect for the role. Most of the cast are fantastic. Willem Dafoe is great in his smaller role as the fool. It’s hard to imagine anybody else playing his role. The same can apply to many of Dafoe’s films. Ethan Hawke is great as King Aurvandill. The only person who feels out of place is Nicole Kidman playing Amelth’s mother Queen Gudrún. Don’t get me wrong, she is good in the film, but her appearance is too clean and Hollywood. I didn’t see the character, I just saw Nicole Kidman in a costume. The rest of the cast feels like they are from the era. They are gruff and dirty, but she looks like she just had her makeup done. The lack of expression on her face from years of Botox doesn’t help.
I don’t want to sound too harsh on her. Her performance is strong, and she has one of the best scenes in the film. I won’t get into story specifics for that scene, but those who have seen the film will know exactly what I mean by “that” scene. Her acting in that scene is spectacular and I applaud the film for going in that direction with the story. I just wish Eggers cast someone who looked more authentic. Claes Bang delivers a melancholy and somber performance as Uncle Fjölnir. Here is where the film starts to show the perils of fate. Years after betraying his brother, Fjölnir lives in isolation with Gundrun and a group of slaves. He is a tired and increasingly broken man, haunted by where life has led him.
The film does not rush to the conclusion. It takes time to build the characters. Amelth’s relationship with Olga blossoms and becomes the heart of the story. They carry out their revenge schemes together. She can be just as ruthless as he is, only her methods are psychological and meant to get inside the heads of her enemies. Her methods of sorcery are not fantastical or over the top. They are rooted in a combination of mythology and history. The Northman did not enrapture me in the same way as The Lighthouse of The Witch, but it is still a fantastic film in its own way. It is a fairly straightforward narrative with few surprises. Not every film needs to be a shocking twist-filled tale. Knowing in your head how a story is likely to end does not diminish the enjoyment. For me, The Northman is exactly what I was hoping it would be. A wonderful and atmospheric tale of one man’s revenge. Eggers has become one of my current favorite filmmakers. There are very few directors in Hollywood who understand how to capture an era in such a realistic way as he does. I am looking forward to seeing his next film, the new version of Nosferatu.
