Eggers hires Skarsgard to seek vengence in

The Northman

by Kathia Woods

There have been many movies and television shows made around Vikings. Robert Eggers the director of the Lighthouse has joined the Viking crusade with his latest film in The Northman. Unlike his previous films The Northman is action packed and that’s a good thing. The story line is straightforward but entertaining. 

 The plot is loosely based on Shakespeare's Hamlet. Young Amelth witnesses the betrayal of his father, King Auryandill War-Raven (Ethan Hawke), by his uncle Fjolnir (Claes Bang), and pledges vengeance on those involved. Young Amelth matures into a strong fighting machine, as successfully depicted by Alexander Skarsgard. He devotes his life to become a full-fledged assassin. As he embarks on this journey he encounters a witch (Bjork) who sees his identity and reminds him of his mission.

 After learning of his betrayer's new location, Amelth disguises himself as a slave, joins a ship, and sails to Iceland. He discovers in Iceland that his mother (Nicole Kidman) survived the siege. After losing the realm to King Harold, she is now living the life of a farmer. During the arduous journey to Iceland, he meets Olga of the Birch Forest (Ana Taylor-Joy). She is a fellow slave and a witch. In her he has a partner to help exact his vengeance.

 Eggers' earlier films were designed for an audience that enjoys art house films, but with The Northman, he has a $70 million dollar budget, bigger stars, and a chance to acquire a wider audience. Presents are still the creative cinematography and eerie music that he enjoys using. The growing vengeance motif allows for plenty of action and violence. You won't be disappointed if you like axes being thrown. The aggression is concentrated and does not linger. There are also great special effects in the scenes involving Odin the Norse God and all the spirituality surrounding that giving the film an extra sense of drama. The open scenery as Amelth is traveling across the ocean and highlands is also enthralling.

The only drawback is that the tale appears to be a little plodding at points. The audience realizes that Amelth is on a quest, but it takes a bit for the rest of the cast to emerge. There's also the matter of Kidman playing Skarsgard's mother. She's only nine years older than him, yet this is the most exciting character she's played in a long time. Ana Taylor-Joy is delightful as Olga. She has spunk and agency. She’s not just there to be the pretty girl.

 As Amelth, Skarsgard is outstanding. He's a man who hasn't had many chances to play the hero. It was nice to root for his character  in this very dark but entertaining tale. Another advantage of the film is that it is only two hours and 18 minutes long.

 The Northman's other strength is that it manages to keep your attention from beginning to conclusion. This is thanks to Eggers strong direction and Jarin Blaschke strong cinematography. We are immersed in Amelth's adventure due to Skarsgard's performance and action, which is riveting from start to finish. Rarely does a picture have decent action with great acting, making The Northman a win-win situation for everyone.

The Northman opens in theaters everywhere April the 22nd