The Northman
Synopsis
Robert Eggers brings down the fury of the Nordic gods in his Viking epic The Northman. Set at the turn of the 10th century in Iceland, the story centers around prince Amleth (Alexander Skarsgård) who, as a child, witnesses the murder of his father, King Aurvandil War-Raven (Ethan Hawke), by his uncle, Fjölnir (Claes Bang). Fjölnir promptly takes over War-Raven’s kingdom as well as the hand of his wife, Queen Gudrún (Nicole Kidman), and calls for the head of Amleth. Though he’s forced to flee, Amleth vows to one day avenge his father, save his mother, and kill Fjölnir. After having spent years as a member of a ferocious pack of warriors, Amleth – who enlists the help of the mysterious, somewhat mystical Olga of the Birch Forest (Anya Taylor-Joy) – finally gets the chance to carry out his revenge and fulfill his destiny. But whether his mission will be worth the sacrifices it demands is another issue entirely.
Analysis
I really appreciated how grounded yet mystical the movie’s world felt. The benefit of shooting on location is evidenced by the film’s gorgeous scenes of nature that effectively place you into environments. For scenes in villages and camps, the buildings, tools, and weapons feel hand-made and true to the setting. Character dialogue also has the “regality” of a Shakespearean play but still carries a lot of emotion and is very understandable. On the mystical front, the design of each supernatural element – be it being or object – comes across as incredibly alien but still real. These mythological elements are easily digestible because they aren’t too abstract to take you out of the film or require much interpretation, and play a big role in driving the plot forward. I also loved the lush black-and-white palette the movie uses to depict supernatural scenes; it was a great way to contrast the normal with the abnormal while at the same time preventing the magical realm from just looking like the mortal one but devoid of color. So you end up with a world that’s an ideal breeding ground for legends, where the natural and supernatural go hand-in-hand.
Delivering intense action is something that The Northman excels at. The trailers alone should make it clear that this isn’t a movie that shies away from violence: multiple people are decapitated, stabbed, shot with arrows, and offed by other brutal methods. However, at no point did I think the film was glorifying violence. Instead, the type of violence depicted was a solid match for the grounded tone the film was going for. Another element that makes the action believable is how human the characters are. There isn’t a one-man-army who can plow through hordes of people without having to sacrifice any sweat or blood. Not only do the characters here bleed, but their lack of superhuman abilities is also obvious in the way they wield weapons. Each sequence thus feels very intense because each character is vulnerable. So, the combination of these elements with how close up the action is shot makes for an extremely visceral viewing experience.
The strength of the movie’s plot comes from its simple yet still layered design. Unlike Egger’s previous and more abstract films such as The Witch and The Lighthouse, this movie’s plot –mystical elements notwithstanding – is fairly straightforward: uncle kills father, father’s son returns to enact his revenge. While these events may not be all that the movie is about, they very much remain the focal point and are given closure by the end. I also liked how the film takes place on a small scale and sets aside a lot of time for character work. The former was a great way to focus on the personal conflict between Amleth and Fjölnir, as well as allow for intense rather than bombastic action sequences. The latter effectively fleshed out and advanced characters, making the viewer much more emotionally invested in the story. This is especially true for Amleth, since his evolving romantic relationship with Olga humanizes him so that he isn’t just a man seeking revenge. And in general, such scenes beefed up the drama by giving the impressive cast the chance to shine.
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Lastly, what I liked most about this film is how it casts destiny as a form of enslavement. Ever since Amleth was a little boy, he’s determined that his fate is to avenge his father and save his mother. Part of Amleth’s quest to accomplish this involves him voluntarily entering into slavery, which further hammers in the idea that his entire mission is an act of self-enslavement. While his goal is certainly based on some notion of righteousness, the movie gives Amleth plenty of reason to question whether his actions are, in fact, noble. The film even presents Amleth with an obvious out in fleeing with Olga to raise their family, which he refuses despite his character growth. So while Amleth eventually fulfills his mission, his story is a tragic one because he’s allowed his life to be dictated by fate: we watch a man get so caught up with his destiny that he sacrifices his own soul – both by reducing his identity to the completion of one objective and committing various atrocities along the way – and throws away any chance of true happiness just to fulfill his “life’s purpose.” By depicting destiny as a type of bondage, I think Eggers is trying to say that destiny is a ridiculous concept that one willingly binds themselves to, which leads them to act irrationally and ultimately ends in some form of self-destruction. Because once the credits for The Northman roll, we can’t help but doubt that Amleth did the right thing.
Conclusion
Simply put, The Northman is an awesome movie to catch in the theater. The film hits on all fronts when it comes to world-building, action, and plot and has a fresh, subversive take on the idea of destiny. I’ve read some criticisms about the movie being too “slow” and having “too much dialogue,” but honestly I have no idea what those people are talking about – or even if we watched the same film. So if you’re looking for a great action movie with a strong story attached, I can’t recommend The Northman enough.