As we continue throughout this post-Covid timeline and the age of streaming services, there has been multiple questions about the future of cinema surrounding movie theaters. Are people actually willing to go out to theaters anymore to see a new film or would they just rather wait another three to four months when that said film will be available through Netflix, HBO Max, Hulu, or Disney Plus, etc..? While the big blockbusters that come out will definitely get folks climbing out of their rocks every once in a while, what about for some of the lesser knowns films? The ones that might not be as well marketed, profitable, or high budgeted but arguably have more craft put to it that was just made to be seen on the big screen and not so much on a streaming app on your phone.
The big reason theaters going away entirely will ruin one important aspect when watching a film, the experience. Not just with watching it with other people in a dark room on a comfy seat, with food and beverages, and where you are forced to be glue to where you are sitting and watch the film from beginning to end without live tweeting it, but to get that sense of experience of watching a glorious and beautiful new feature on the biggest and widest screen possible. Infinity War and Endgame wouldn’t have had the impact they did if it wasn’t for the audiences responding gleefully and cheerfully to the crowd pleasing and fist bumping moments throughout. Had it just been only available to watch through Disney Plus or Netflix, while both movies would still be fun, they wouldn’t have been nearly as fulfilling. Just remember the first time you watch Captain America holding the Mjolnir WITHOUT hearing anyone scream!
Then comes a more smaller and independent film like The Northman, a film that feels like it was made for the experience on the big screen as oppose to a streaming service. The kind of film that the vision of Robert Eggers is on full display with this action-packed and visually appealing feature about Vikings, vengeance, and what happen when those two elements clash with one another. It made not be the most revolutionary story ever told in a film but the way it’s told with it’s great filmmaking makes it revolutionary enough in it’s own right.
Premise: We see a young boy named Amleth (played in the first half hour by the young Oscar Novak) who has come to idolized his father, King Aurvandill War Raven (Ethan Hawke). The two being to get closer with one another when they take part in a spiritual ceremony helmed by Heimir (Willem Dafoe), where they both consume a hallucinogenic substance which allows for them to envision themselves as animal-like creatures. By taking part in this ceremony, Amleth has now tapped into powerful visions of his lineage and learn more about his family tree than ever before. However, the very next day, a group of warriors led by Aurvandill’s brother Fjolnir (Claes Bang) ambushes the King. It’s then that Fjolnir murders his own brother in cold blood, seizes his queen, Gudrun (Nicole Kidman), and takes over the kingdom. Young Amleth, who is forced to watch his own uncle and capture his mother, narrowly escapes the clutches from Fjolnir’s men and is able to vanish without any of them knowing his true identity. We then see Amleth many years later (played for the rest of the film by Alexander Skarsgard) who finds himself forced to track back to his father’s killer. It’s then that him along with a woman he later meets with (Anya Taylor-Joy) must use his survival and animal-like traits he inherited from his father to get revenge on his Uncle in a way that would be the most satisfying and fulfilling.
Okay, admittedly, on paper, this is not necessarily the most original premise ever. The typical revenge story is something that we have seen a thousand times before in all sorts of medium. Sometimes it works out well (John Wick), other times not so much (The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo). Here, it basically plays like a mix between The Lion King and The Revenant with the way it uses it’s revenge trope by having personal tie-ins and spending the majority of the time with the main character as they fight and claws their way to survival with some hallucinations thrown in there.
However, unlike the latter movie, there is at least more going on here than say Leonardo DiCaprio nearly killing himself for that Oscar. We do see Alexander Skarsgard, Amleth’s conflicting with himself has to how he goes on about his means of revenge and when is the right time to strike. There is also a couple of family dynamics thrown in to the mix that does make it more personal and complicate for the protagonist as it’s meant to question his heritage and if he was looking up to the right man all along. Plus, it also helps that unlike poor Leo, Amleth actually gets to interact with other human beings throughout the course of the film and can even actually speak.
At the same time, I don’t think that is what Eggers was going for when making this movie. This isn’t necessarily a film where you are guarantee to walk away from it with some sort of new knowledge about Vikings, prehistoric times, or give you a new meaning of revenge. This is a film where Eggers is willing to take these ideas and concepts and do it in a cool, interesting way. For the most part, that’s what he accomplishes pretty well.
Throughout the whole film, we see plenty of men engaging in sword fighting, deaths and executions done in a pretty gruesome wade, hairy shirtless men doing their slave duties, beautiful blond women lecturing about sorcery and engaging in feminine whiles, visions that take place in the supposed afterlife (kinda like the ones from Black Panther), and even scenes where we see Skarsgard communicating and engaging with animals out there in the wild. At times, it may come across as pretentious, but no doubt, that it serves a purpose within the film. Not just with what we see as a Viking that has learn to adapt to the survival of the fittest but learn to become one of them as well to get what he wants.
What also makes it work is that they don’t necessarily paint Amleth himself as strictly a good guy. As he learns more about his family and the connections to them, he sees that they might not be as heroic as he might lay one. His mother might be still alive but at what cost and was she even really faithful or care much about his father. His uncle might’ve killed his own brother and Amleth’s father but what if the actions that the former King was headed for would have made factors worse for everyone involved in the kingdom. In the end, the actions he will make to get his years long waiting revenge on Fljonir will make it feel worthwhile or if he just threw away his life to become the thing he swore to destroy.
The performances are top-notch throughout. Alexander Skarsgard is engaging and compelling as this poor, tortured soul of a protagonist that is interesting enough in his own rights that you spend time with to see whether his head is set on being a hero or anti-hero. Anya Taylor Joy does a great job in a role that feels entirely made for her, as being the one woman that represents the slimmest bit of light that lies within Amelth’s heart. Claes Bang is intimating as the antagonist of the picture and makes for a great mire image of Amelth’s arc throughout. Ethan Hawke makes for a impressive brief appearance as the father and king, which makes it easy to buy him actually being Skarsgard son in real life. Nicole Kidman, Willem Dafoe, and Bjork admittedly don’t get nearly as much screen time as I would have like but they definitely do get a chance to chew up the seniority every time they come on the big screen.
However, the most important thing that this movie had to get right is it’s spectacle and craftmanship and oh man, does everyone on the creative team nail it. The production values are top notch, with some of the perfect costume design and make-up possible for the type of movie that this movie is set in. The cinematography by Jarin Blaschike is jaw dropping with perhaps some of the best shots and location shooting I’ve seen in a movie all year. The afterlife scenes in particular, are the type of visual metaphors that will be on your mouth for quite some time. The editing by Louise Ford will undeniably be noticed upon by the Academy at least nine to ten months from now. The score by Robin Carolan and Sebastian Gainsborough is brilliantly done and mixed perfectly well with the environment and atmosphere that this movie is set in. This was a feature that needed everyone to bring their absolute A game to make it worthwhile and everyone did exactly that.
If there is one thing that is missing from the picture, it’s perhaps a more emotional connection to the characters in the film. While superbly well-acted and well-made, there isn’t much in here that might require you to get a handkerchief or something. Not to say every movie in the world needs to make me cry, but with a movie that sees poor broken people suffering and eating each other up, you get the sense that there are moments that should comes across as more meaningful than just epic. Then again, as the protagonist tends to learn in the film, tears won’t make your problems go away, a sword and fist will!
The Northman is proof that The Witch and The Lighthouse were no flukes and Robert Eggers should be notified as one of the next big directors to keep an eye on for future projects. While I’m not sure it’s has well-crafted as the former or as bizarrely entertaining as the latter, this is undeniably Egger’s biggest and most ambitious film to date and one that is the most worth the theatre going experience. While a familiar premise and lack of tears might hold it back a bit, it’s spectacle and craftmanship more than makes up for any possible shortcomings. It looks amazing, the cast is terrific, it’s glorious excessive and action packed, and has probably one of the most satisfying third acts I’ve seen in quite some time.
The Northman is proof that it’s not just the big blockbusters that are worth savoring the theaters for, it’s also the big independent films as well!
Bring on, Nosferatu!
Other comments:
- I guess I actually have to watch the original Nosferatu now!
- I haven’t seen the newest episode of Moon Knight but if Ethan Hawke died in this week’s installment, then he’s must be looking to become the next Sean Bean.
- For those that complain but lack of original movies, you better get your ass down to theaters this week and help do something about it. Between The Northman, Unbearable Weight of Massive Talents, and The Bad Guys, this is a weekend of original releases. See at least one of them this weekend or else you can’t complain!
- Also, see Everything Everywhere All At Once! Just see it!
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