3 out of 5 stars
Director Robert Eggers (The Lighthouse) looks to ride the wave of the visceral and violent narratives from Vikings and Game of Thrones with his latest feature film. The Northman contains all of the signature stylings of this unique director while harkening back to Scandinavian folklore that even has whispers of Shakespeare’s Hamlet. His shadowy and unrelenting character development will leave viewers bloodied and bruised as they journey through this fuelled tale.
At the heart of the story is Prince Amleth (Alexander Skarsgård), who must escape from the land he has loved as a child. He must flee after his father, King Aurvandill (Ethan Hawke), was assassinated. The boy is saved by a band of Vikings who train him in the art of war and their faith. As he matures and grows in his battle-tested skills, Amleth vows to return to his people to avenge his father, save his mother, Queen Gudrún (Nicole Kidman), and kill his uncle Fjölnir (Claes Bang). King Aurvandill’s brother had taken the kingdom from him after assassinating him and Amleth witnessed it all before fleeing overseas.
The Northman is loaded with extreme violence and sexual content.
While many directors and screenwriters will utilise light and shade in their storytelling, Eggers takes this element to a new level. His visual palette travels between the grey hues of black and white cinema. As he introduces colour there is a purpose to the sudden impact on the senses. This optical play adds to the discombobulating effect on the senses and how the story is interpreted. Where many artists will allow for a reprieve from the narrative's intensity, the American director forces the audience into the deeper recesses of his dark creation and that of the human heart. As he partners with Icelandic author Sjón to pen the screenplay, their story is relentless and exhausting, even though it is packaged in Eggers’ unique visual form. .
Alexander Skarsgard embodies the tortured soul of the lead character within this Shakespearian drama with his physicality and on-screen presence. With the complement of talent that surrounds him, his brutal and focussed performance effectively bears the weight of this burdensome tale. Ethan Hawke and Willem Defoe only make brief appearances. At the same time, Nicole Kidman and Anya Taylor-Joy provide the feminine touch that this otherwise testosterone-driven concept maintains. Each moment will keep people guessing who the villain is within it all. The Northman does continue with the heightened savagery from the beginning to its brutal conclusion. This violent world of witches, magic and ancient spirituality shows how utterly wicked the human heart can be with little hope for peace.
REEL DIALOGUE: The wickedness of humanity
The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? Jeremiah 17:9
The heart is desperately wicked... The Northman proves that the human condition has not changed throughout history. In this microcosm of the human experience, Robert Eggers and Sjón prove that the line between good and evil is a very fine line. This perplexing and raw experience is played out in the mind and heart of Prince Amleth. Still, it could be anyone trying to find the answers to evil in this world.
It is evident throughout history or even by picking up the Bible that humanity may try to rise above the evil deep in their hearts, but continually fails. This could lead many to depression, mainly when evil infiltrates their lives. What are we to do? What is the answer?
Interestingly, the answer can be found in something that may be seen as exceptionally horrific. At the heart of the biblical message, the answer to the wickedness of humanity is located in a man who was executed during the Roman Empire. At first, it may sound counterintuitive, but Jesus' biographies are worth exploring to possibly see how profound and life-changing they can be to anyone.
