The Northman is the ultimate Viking revenge tale. It’s definitely the most brutally honest depiction of Norse mythology compared to Thor or How to Train Your Dragon. The Northman was a passion project that every Scandinavian wanted to be part of. Swedish actor Alexander Skarsgård sought to make a Viking project for years. Though he’s more known for psychological horror movies like The VVitch and The Lighthouse, Robert Eggers decided to direct The Northman after a trip to Iceland. Icelandic singer Björk introduced him to frequent collaborator Sjón who co-wrote the movie. The Northman may be an epic action film, but its historical setting, otherworldly atmosphere, and artistic cinematography are signature Robert Eggers motifs. Though it is far more mainstream with an easier to follow story and a much bigger cast.
The Northman has many parallels to Hamlet because the legend of Amleth directly inspired William Shakespeare. Aside from the lesser known 1994 film Prince of Jutland, Amelth’s quest for revenge hasn’t been told nearly as many times as Hamlet. Amleth is a young prince who welcomes his father King Aurvandill played by an unrecognizable Ethan Hawke. They act like dogs in an odd ritual involving Lighthouse collaborator Willem Dafoe as jester Heimir. Like Hamlet, Amleth’s father is killed by his uncle who marries his mother. Claes Bang becomes Fjölnir the Brotherless when he seizes the throne. Amleth follows his fate by vowing to avenge his father, save his mother, and kill Fjölnir. He grows into the ripped Alexander Skarsgård who becomes a berserker Viking. The Northman is savage and violent, but not hard to watch.
Though Björk doesn’t take part in the Nordic soundtrack, she does play a Seeress who reminds Amleth of his oath. In order to take revenge, Amleth willingly becomes a slave to get close to his uncle’s farm. It’s there he meets VVitch collaborator Anya Taylor-Joy as enslaved Slavic sorceress Olga. She bares all and gives Amleth something to fight for. Fjölnir’s prideful son Thorir was supposed to be played by Bill Skarsgård, but Gustav Lindh took the part instead. He also has a younger son named Gunnar who remains unaware of their family connection. Nicole Kidman is the biggest name who plays Queen Gudrún who appears victimized, but there’s an unexpected twist that should leave viewers disgusted. Amleth claims the magic sword Draugr and receives help from Odin and his Valkyrie. Yet the more he seeks vengeance, the less likely he is to live a happy life. The Northman is a hard fought victory.
Amleth raids a village
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The first image I remember vividly seeing of this film is the blonde-haired, blue-eyed warrior running toward the camera with a clear set of modern braces in his mouth. Been quite a long while since a proper Viking and Norse film came out, a nice breath of fresh air in filmmaking. Robert Eggers has all the makings of a proper auteur filmmaker with his dedication to authenticity, historical accuracy and any source material he utilizes. Might be a little too bloody for my taste, but I’ll probably take the plunge and check it out.
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It’s worth watching for all the reasons listed. That warrior with the blonde hair, blue eyes, and braces is actually a female Valkyrie.
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