I personally appreciate when any period piece isn't afraid to show the ugly side of the time period it portrays. Showing us how visceral the violence was adds to the believability of the movie in my opinion and I much prefer it to being shown a sanitized or romanticized depiction of the past.
Agree with you 1000%...Vikings brutal and violent (oh no, can it be? I dare say that there are more graphic tales in the Bible)....who knew? This film was absolutely EPIC!
True, but a film is not a documentary. Every frame is an artistic choice by the director to get his point across. In this case, it felt like there was no message, so it was just violence for violence's sake. It could have been justified if, say, the gore was used to contrast with Amleth's emotional vulnerability. Like, if he had a realization after all those years of mass murdering that revenge does not bring inner piece or something like that.
@@juliapashkovskaya113 The story/film was told from the point of view of the boy, who saw his father murdered by his jealous uncle. A traumatic experience, after being taught by his father, whom he adored, that his place, his duty, was to avenge his father were it to come to that. It's like in a western or samurai film where the hero is tasked with seeking revenge for his master/teacher/father figure. He believed it so much, and connected with it beyond reason. The director was guiding us through his journey and our penchant for violence, our belief systems regarding religion and the like. Well, that's what I got from it. I believe the director asked us to draw our own conclusions, based on his interpretation - of Viking nomadic history. The Northman was Gladiator on steroids, told in a type of Shakespearean format.
@@juliapashkovskaya113 Historical accuracy aside, I do believe a visceral depiction of the dark ages will feel much more authentic than a sanitized version with minimal violence on screen. It was called the Dark Ages for a reason
I absolutely loved this movie, the sound design, the score, the long takes, the cinematography, the action, the acting, ... The story might be simple but it was purposeful so that all the mysticism and the mythology could take such an interesting (if all too brief) role in the movie while remaining entertaining and (somewhat) appealing to the masses. I do also wish I could have watched a 3 hour cut of this movie with all the horror elements that the director is known for but I understand that it would have been even crazier to spend 70-90 Millions for a movie like that. I'm grateful we got this one. I do understand your stance on the relationship this movie has with violence, especially in these enduring times. I feel like the movie's moral veers in the other direction though, even if the entertainment is obviously taken mainly through that violence. Also, I just watched an interview with the director saying that there won't be a director's cut but we might get a few deleted scenes. th-cam.com/video/MkttnPORelw/w-d-xo.html Thank you for your review, always a pleasure to watch your videos!
My husband and I saw this yesterday in theaters and we love all things Vikings and we LOVED this! It’s was so beautifully filmed, authentic, artistic, heart wrenching. Loved it. And the music….it’s stunning and the engine of this film. I listened to a lot of Nordic music and have a dedicated playlist on Spotify and I was so thrilled when I heard it throughout the film. I’m gushing lol and we are buying this one! I didn’t mind the violence, the film is about Vikings, they raided raped and pillaged. That’s the culture. The scenes were done very well. And I ugly cried. Multiple times lol
An evenhanded review. I had a nearly identical reaction. Still, as uneven as The Northman can be, so much of it is so intense and compelling that I'm keen to see it again!
Extremely grateful I didn't have your experience. It was one of the greatest cinematic experiences of my life and easily one of the best films I have ever seen. I also hope your review doesn't put too many people off seeing it. Not your problem ultimately. You're just being honest and as objective as you can but that would be a shame if it did because we need more films like this and we need more people to go out and see them. It is a monumental, breathtaking piece of historical filmmaking and by far Eggers most accessible and strikingly beautiful. I also didn't find it tonally confusing in the slightest, in fact everything about it felt authentic and necessary. It makes all other Viking depictions feel tame and inauthentic in comparison.
Aww that's awesome! I'm glad you had a great time with it! Honestly, the way I structure my reviews is not aimed at telling people what to do with their time - I believe everyone should form their own opinion. My goal is to set proper expectations so people know what they're getting into, and articulate my personal take on the film - I'm always open about my biases. I sincerely hope "The Northman" does well and big studios will take more chances on directors like Eggers more often, giving them as much freedom as possible.
Yes, finally....somebody said it. Loved this film and the epic mythological storytelling. Both real and guttural, savage and brutal like the Vikings themselves. Was there some poetic license? Perhaps, but I can't wait for the director's cut. Maybe, once Eggers establishes enough juice in Hollywood. Agree 1000%..saw it in Dolby screen and I may go back again soon, take my friends. P.S. I've seen more gore and nudity on GoT.
The movie started off so well with the world building, atmosphere and exploration of Norse mythology. I did think the 2nd act dragged on for far too long. Performances and cinematography are excellent.
Terrific, honest, thoughtful review. I was wondering what you'd think of it after seeing reviewer after reviewer just gushing over it. Very interesting to hear your take. I love The Witch and appreciate the craftsmanship of The Lighthouse. Something tells me I'm going to agree with your take on the movie. It does seem a shame that the Egger's mysticism wasn't more embraced.
Thank you! Let me know what you think after you watch it, would love to know your opinion since we're on the same page with Eggers' previous two films. Regardless, it's a great movie to see on the big screen.
A Dane here; I agree completely with your insight on the off balance between the mystical and weird, in the context of the standard formulaic revenge tale. More of the former, please, because Eggers is excellent at it. I also really enjoyed Claes Bang as the prime antagonist that is anything but a one dimensional villain character.
Eggers did not have final cut, so perhaps there were more mystical moments in the film. Perhaps it will happen someday (director's cut) when he has more juice in Hollywood.
For me it’s great that the movie’s reality is not ‘translated’ into our current mindset, meaning: generally we seem to be more aware of what’s good and what’s evil, we are much more cynical and sceptic towards faith and beliefs, but 1000 years ago people’s mindset was definitely a lot different, and I’m glad the movie tries to portray the past without implementing current values or behaviours (or jokes). I really liked when Amleth got someone’s heart there’s no direct explanation that it’s a big thing for those people. We can figure it out ourselves based on what we see and how those people react. It was also quite stunning when they invaded the village and the action focused mainly on Amleth, with the most horrifying thing happening in the background (getting people into the house, that was burned moment later). There was no focus on any particular victim, because it didn’t matter for Amleth, who was used to the violence and probably couldn’t care less about them. It’s also horrible, that the things which happened 1000 years ago also happened in 20th century (and similar things happened recently in Ukraine). Great movie.
Marianna, I just saw it on the big screen today. I actually liked it even better than the Lighthouse. In a way it is a bookend to the Witch. The male version. Yeah it is brutal as hell. But I felt Eggers was going for the mode of a saga. Sagas don't act at all like contemporary fiction. They don't deep dive into character the way I think you're hoping for. And I can see how your emotional disruption over the war in Ukraine would surely affect your watching. My thought, watch it again in ten years. I think you'll se it differently. Also I think it shows something we don't think about too often, but which is very relevant to the situation today. Why is Russia what it is? There is a tension between the war worshiping brutality of the Vikings and the fatalistic dualism of Russian paganism. The Vikings being the strong leaders Russians often crave. The disconnected peasants being the fatalists that are on the darker aspect of the Russian character. Now having said that there are other aspects to the Slavic character. And one mustn't forget the Orthodox Church nor the traditional yearning towards Western culture. These are some of thoughts I had while watching it. But then again I've also been reading the Iliad lately, which is very similar in tone. I think this will be a hit with the same audience that loved 300, and for the same reasons.
I liked this comment, but I disagree with the end statement, the people I saw it with loved 300 & did not like this. 300 is very contemporary with its graphic novel influences & bullshit premise that the Spartans saved “western civilization” (which began in Athens, Sparta’s enemy). The film was excellent though, not only outstanding for the attention to detail in costumes & sets, but the actual mentality & values of this primitive society. You hit the nail on the head describing this as a Norse saga. Many viewers will struggle with this film, since most historical epics (i.e. Gladiator, Kingdom of Heaven) are modern ideas wrapped in historical costume. This film’s accuracy lies in its portrayal of the Vikings through their own worldview. The years will be kind to this film.
Love hearing your opinion as always! I cannot stress enough that people should see this in theaters! I saw it in Dolby last night and gorgeous cinematography and insane visuals plus the booming score and sound design were intensely transporting to the point that I had chills for most of the film. It's such an incredible sonic experience! For me I actually appreciated the restrained weirdness of it. I think The Lighthouse is unrestrained to a fault and lacked the compelling narrative vision of The Witch to make it fully come together. Here Eggers has moments that go deep in that Lighthouse weirdness and magical realism, but with the compelling narrative of an epic myth to drive it all forward. I liked the the intense gore and unflinching camera work because, at least for me, it felt like Eggers was trying to balance "fuck yeah, VIKINGS!" with ". . . holy shit, vikings." A lot of period war/action/etc pieces tend to gloss over the violence and emotional devastation of the events depicted and I liked that Eggers forced us to acknowledge it. And I think he does show restraint during the most disturbingly violent moments, many of which are offscreen. He doesn't go full Ari Aster. I agree that the romance was definitely questionable, but I was willing to go with it because of the strength and wisdom Olga was written to have. It felt like Eggers was imbuing a VERY antiquated take on women with the kind of strength and agency we'd expect from a modern film, and that balance worked for me. There was a moment where she stepped in frame naked though where I did feel it was very much a male gazey kind of "for the audience ;D " moment. It's definitely not a perfect film, but it is such a thrilling and extraordinarily ambitious vision that I was totally able to put aside my few flaws and just be transported by it, which I was not able to do at all for The Lighthouse. This is easily my favorite Eggers film (and I LOVED The Witch). And I definitely agree that it could have used more Bjork, but I'm of the opinion that everything could use more Bjork. Is it time for a Bjorkaissance? After Lars Von Trier robbed the world of more Bjork performances, I think it's time for a Bjorkaissance.
I was trying to put my finger on it but you absolutely nailed it, the problem I had with this movie is that it did not know what it wanted to be. Do you want to be a viking 300ish warrior movie, do you want to be a mystic spellibinding surreal movie, the tones were all over the place and none of them were done particularly well and it bothered me. Aside from that I did not like Alexander Skarsgard in this lead role, he had the look but his line delivery and accent did not quite land for me. I wanted so much to like this movie , I was anticipating it for quite a while but it just did not land for me.
Just saw it tonight and agree with a lot of what you said. You can’t deny the craftmanship and effort that went into making this, including the cast, but I got confused at times due to accents and it did seem a bit long in the middle. I’m actually hoping Eggers eventually gets a director’s cut I can watch with subtitles.
@Anthony De Los Santos It still wouldnt kill to have subtitles to help people understand what theyre saying. Im all for accurate accents, but when it actively limits your ability to understand what these characters are saying theres a problem.
@@ImpressionBlend i think the current war in Ukraine probably also affects your sense of the violence in the film. Especially when we see the razing of cities and the slaughtering of the innocent. It's not so abstract anymore, especially when we have real world connections to the violence.
It's definitely part of it. I've never been a fan of gratuitous violence to begin with, but considering everything that's going on it's definitely even less pleasant to watch.
I disagree. I think there was a good balance between the mystical sections and reality. Yes, the movie was violent, but mostly not graphic. There was 1 or 2 scenes that were a bit yuck, but I expected more blood to be honest. I don't really care if it's bloody or not, but I did think there would be more
Excellent review Marianna. Really enjoyed it. I loved the lighthouse, so I’m really excited to check this out. Still need to watch the Witch. Heard it’s great. Keep up the great work.👍
That's weird. I thought the brutality was dialed back actually. The rape happening is all implied but not shown and the violence is straightforward, not gratuitous
Fantastic review. I agree with most of these points. Especially about the violence of the movie- it just didn’t seem to help the story and honestly just wasn’t that much fun. There was a silliness and weirdness at the beginning of the movie that fizzled out. Bummer.
Hmm... Interesting. I had the opposite reaction to the violence shown in this film, as I came out of it thinking that Eggers ascribed to it in his portrayal thereof enough negative connotation that the message did ultimately transcend it. It certainly did not come off as self-indulgent to me since I felt there was enough potential for Eggers to have gone much further in the direction of brutality in service of historical accuracy, so the fact that he chose to stop it where he did made the movie feel somewhat tamer in comparison. This could just be differences in our sensitivities to violence, though, but even during the scenes that did take me aback somewhat it never felt there simply for the sake of its self-celebration. Lastly, I regard the message of the necessity of stopping the cycle of violence as only one of the messages of the film, not its main one. I believe the main message is one of showcasing the consequences of hypocrisy, of telling yourself what the message is versus whether that message really invigorates your actions, so the level of brutality seems apt as a portrayal of resistance against the opportunities the film's mythology gives Amleth to go down a different path, and the way of resistance is expressed in how Amleth interprets what the mythology wants from him, which inevitably leads down the path of carnage.
Being very brutal is also being very realistic. How can you expect a story like this to be realistic but not to be brutal when it goes hand in hand. I can understand not everything's for everyone. But it's not right to demand an artist to create something that satisfies your tolerance....
@@ImpressionBlend gotcha. Hope you're emotionally feeling better now. I thought this was Robert's full vision realized. I can't believe how more brutal it would've been in his og draft. Btw I dunno if it's studio interference or not, but what I grasped was Norse mythology was present in an undertone level and the events happening in the movie can be interpreted as being realistic too if we take out the religious aspects. I think Robert didn't want to make a full out fantasy film, but to have a Norse mythology presence that is influencing it deep down. After all it's supposedly based on real life events....
@@ImpressionBlend Vikings is known for being one of the most horrendously Savage group of people in the history of mankind. Robert never wanted to make Vikings coz he felt Hollywood always romanticizes the notion of Vikings aesthetics rather than portraying for who they are. But he decided to change his mind after visiting Ireland and falling in love with the beauty of it's landscapes. So he decided to make an accurate portrayal of who Vikings are. And ig he definitely delivered on what he set out to do
@@gabe7222 I think (and this is obviously not facts - just my conclusion based on the interviews I've read/watched) that this was his compromise with making a studio film, making things a bit more "mainstream". And honestly, I'm glad he did it and I hope it does well - I WANT studios taking chances on indie directors and original projects more often. I miss the Eggers-ness from "The Witch" and "The Lighthouse", but some of it is still there, and if a compromise is what gets more people interested in his movies - I'm all for it.
@@ImpressionBlend I think this is anything but mainstream. This film is mostly dialogue driven and when action happens there's no fight choreography but just brutal slaughtering; not to forget alot of weird shit lol. Wish movies like these are considered as mainstream 😅 I think you'll give a similar remark if an indie director makes a heavy violence movie like this by calling it as unnecessary and self indulgentant. And hence I wonder if you'd want THAT though.... Your remarks on you missing Robert from the witch reminds me of Edgar wright fans who were complaining and disliking when he didn't make an usual Edgar film with 'last night in Soho'
@@ImpressionBlend "Does he go over the top with that violence though? He does! There are multiple scenes that felt like they truly relished every bit of blood and brutality" Violence in sagas is not sanitized...It's told to prepare the listeners for the horror of combat, so the descriptions of blood and guts serve a practical purpose. Post Scriptum: Fate...Your cattle shall die; your kindred shall die; you yourself shall die; but the fair fame of him who has earned it never die. Havamål. No Norse can ignore fate, it is set, even the Gods are bound by it, that is why Amled cannot even fathom he has a choice, he only sees fate revealed.
@@jbagger331 Exactly. Over the top in the way it's presented. Over the top implies extra. I see plenty of violence in films, and we don't have to operate in extremes of either sanitized or over the top - there is a large spectrum of ways to show violence and make it feel impactful. Personally, I don't need to see guts to get the "point" of the story, and you can't really compare it to sagas because being told something and actually seeing something are very different experiences. To each their own though, and I still enjoyed the movie.
@@ImpressionBlend Violence is sometimes extreme in real life. We have gottten used to the video game violence in visual media. Sanitized and void of its disgusting aspects. You've seen Come and see. So have I. In that movie there instances of gross graphic carnage just like in this movie. But you see a different time closer to us. The appearance and mores of the characters are closer to us. The Norse and Slavs you see in The Northman might as well be from a different planet. Their relationship to violence and how and why they apply it are almost utterly alien to us. More so to you due to your unfamiliarity to the source material. Farvel.
@@ImpressionBlend dude, disembowelment is a real and common occurrence on battlefields where men are slashing at eachother with large pieces of sharpened metal. Stop. Complaining in such an obtuse, ignorant way. Ive seen people getting their heads cut off with knives, chainsaws; even a child getting his head cut off in Syria. This movie's violence was tame. You just need to educate yourself on the realities of battlefield injuries. Guts come out, often.
ugh just watched and i couldn’t agree more! the mythological aspects are the most interesting part… i wish we got more of that😪 i really didn’t connect with any of the characters either???… i do appreciate the cinematography and performances tho. it’s a 3/5 for me
This review felt very nuanced and thoughtful, I have to admit that the cast sold me on the movie already, but I do agree with the point about violence and the way is framed as something that needs to be talked about in a deeper way or framed as anything other than "cool", I have felt that in the past with other movies, it often can feel like the violence is a cutaway to the "awesome" part and it lessens the impact or doesn't take full advantage of the fact that images can have a impact greater than the dialogue (not my first language, so I do apologise for the mistakes)
Björk is not a seer, she is one of the three norns as you can see her is spinning the threads of fate. I found the violence to be offputting and to me that was intentional. It never looked too stylish, but very raw, way more realistic than most movies and most of the time quite shocking.
For me and the people I went to go see this movie with the only ones in America that thought this movie really sucked? It's getting such great reviews and all these reviews on TH-cam I thought the movie sucked and was boring
@@ImpressionBlend Based on reviews like yours Northman is an epic (in scope, visuals, sound) whereas Massive Talent is a (brilliant) rom-com. We have a 2 hour RT to the theatre, so it's always an occasion. Northman sounds a little intense for my taste, but I'm half Norwegian so it's educational of my heritage
SPOILER ALERT: I'm glad that you saw the film, although I don't agree with some of your points, as you know film is subjective , The reason why eggers choose to do an action adventure film was to show audiences that he can explore and direct other Genres of film, the film definitely had scenes and moments of high concept visuals that eggers goes for when he tells a story but it wasn't throughout and that was the point, if a filmmaker is doing the same genre again and again is he really challenging himself ? As for the violence that's exactly what happened back in those times, there's nothing flashy or cool about it, its not a hand to hand martial arts film, It's unforgiving and its final. if you didnt know how to fight back then your dead simple as, and in moments it's still like that today. forget about your rights or any of that, its you or them, a moment that perfectly shows that Violence must be used , is when olga tells amleth that she's pregnant with twins and and amleth chooses not to be with his family because he knows Filjnor will try to hunt him down which will put his family all at risk of being killed so he chooses to go back and kill filjnor and this goes back to the the bargain he makes as a kid, He Witch: "you must choose between kindness for your kin, or hatred for your enemies" and as we know things turn to tragedy when he accidentally kills his mum and half brother, and when we reach the end duel between amleth and filjnor the lava and heat from inside the volcanoe is the subtext for how he's felt his entire life robbed of a childhood without love only rage he still a young boy trapped in a man's body he's never been able to move on and we see this personified brilliantly by Alexander Skarsgard when filjnor aims the sword to his face exactly how filljnor killed his father there's a beat of silence between them both where they look in others eyes with regret, Amleth crying but they both know one of them have to die, amleth cuts filjnor head off uncanny to how his dad died and filjnor stabs amleth in the heart, payback for killing and taking his sons heart and that amleths heart was dead the moment his father was murdered and mum was taken away Easy to assume I loved the film, looking forward to Robert eggers next project 💯
Agree. The theme of the film is choice over destiny, or what we presume destiny to be. I do not agree that this brilliant film was glorifying violence and bloodshed, it was, for all intents and purposes, telling a story of how the Vikings lived, and how Amleth suffered from the trauma of watching his father murdered by his uncle. A kind of Shakespearean tragedy. It is, to me, a commentary on the tragedy that exists today in Ukraine. The barbarism and brutality inflicted upon a people who want nothing but to lead peaceful lives. No, this is a classic modern-day masterpiece of a film - bar none. I was transfixed and transported to the time and place that our humble narrator spoke of. Amleth was the violence of old, the vicious cycle that exists to this day, at this very moment. Olga was the hope of a better future, the love and the light that Amleth never got to experience. Olga spoke of choice, that he had the right to choose his path...that he earned it. And choose he did. When Amleth chose both, I didn't understand at first. He provided a better future for his unborn children by breaking the vicious cycle of violence sacrificing himself, as he did with Olga (in order for her to escape a life of slavery). He died a happy warrior, sword in hand, in battle and knowing that it was for his family and the woman that captured his heart. To the young lady who expressed her take on this movie, which I can appreciate, there's more to it than meets the eye. I choose to see this as a tale of woe, but that has a message of hope and of breaking the cycle. To the good people of Ukraine...Fight On!
Just saw this last night. I really enjoyed it. It’s hard to compare to Eggers’s other films as each film has been very different. I probably enjoyed this more than “The Lighthouse”, but that’s not a knock at that film which I also really enjoyed. “Lighthouse” fed on my own feelings of loneliness, frustration, and depression - all negative emotions. “Northman” fed on a primal aggression and seething retribution within me. It was able to play out those emotions, which satiated frustrations I might have with those feelings. “The Witch” is just plain my kind of movie, colonial horror and short of Nosferatu (which may not happen), I don’t think Eggers really has a chance surpassing for me. As per usual when I enjoy something I wouldn’t mind it being longer. I could’ve used an extra hour of this film too. I know most people may want the prologue to be shorter, but I could’ve had that been longer. I did want more of the main character systematically turning his uncle’s life into an unwakeable nightmare. But at the same time, too short is not an issue the film has. Nicole Kidman really surprised me. I didn’t think she was fitting in until her first big scene with her character’s son. But from that point on I very much enjoyed her performance. The romance only bothered me because of the age difference. As I’m an old “True Blood” mark I’ve had a very long time admiring Eric Northman. Anna Taylor Joy I just keep thinking of as child because of “The Witch” and “Split” so I probably haven’t adapted to her maturity… but nonetheless it’s like a 20 year difference which feels odd to me. Overall, I was pleasantly surprised to see what a more “studio” movie by Eggers was like (Focus/Universal rather than A24) and I think it bodes well for his continuing career. The one thing giving me pause is that as you addressed he didn’t have final cut, so I wonder if the tonal disparity and the unsaturated violence would’ve been improved had he had that. Time and again we’ve seen auteur work diluted by other people’s meddling. Does that control only get worse from here? But this end result I still found very satisfying.
@Data Diva Well hello there, good to see you back! Glad you enjoyed the movie! It's so interesting you bring up wishing the prologue was longer - I'm in the same boat, even though for the movie it wouldn't have made sense structurally. I absolutely wanted to see more from that timeline and those characters, especially considering the reveal we get from Kidman's character later in the movie. It's one of those things where you almost wish it was a high budget mini-series that could really get into to all of the details and complicated relationship dynamics. But regardless, what we got with "The Northman" is very impressive!
@@ImpressionBlend It will happen as it's a fairly low cost additional revenue stream. UHD and Bluray sales are such a big part of a movies gross now. How many formats have I been through---VHS to UHD and LaserDisc, DVD, Bluray---lol--plus the components to play them. Home Theater is a bit of a money pit.
I loved everything about the movie except I found the story a little lacking.. which is big deal. I didn't know Eggers didn't have final cut, makes sense the story seemed a little flat. But everything else was awesome and I kept thinking about this movie for a couple days. Amazing visuals and acting.
Its funny, if I where to rank his films I would go this way: 1.The vvitch awesome in all aspects. 2. Lighthouse, great perfomances, but it drags a little bit. 3. The northman: some interesting secuences, but lacking edge, still a great movie.
I disagree with this movie having a simple “anti-violence” theme. I saw it as all about fate. What horrible things happened happened because they must. It was not a modern commentary on the pointlessness of revenge (imo we have enough of those), it was a pre-humanist musing on powerlessly going through one’s life as guided by fate/“the gods” (this is why Kidman’s main scene was the most important scene in the movie to me, as well as why seeing the raids and their horrible results was valuable; morality or choice were simply not a thing for the characters in the movie). I loved it because of this originality (admittedly, I have a tendency to gravitate to deterministic themes in media, Tenet is my favorite Nolan movie, because I think they are more honest about the manufactured nature of fiction).
iI Wasn't blown away on my first viewing , as like you it was one of my most anticipated movie of the Year . . . . i have decided to give it another crack this coming Cheap Tuesday ($10) . . . before they pull it from Sydney Screens . . . . It deserves a second viewing on the big screen ( I hope )
At 3:30 you're actually misrepresenting what he was saying by only using that portion of the quote. He went on to say that there is no Director's Cut, because what the movie he put out is exactly the movie he wanted. The studio didn't have to cut anything, they did have the power to.
Thanks for this nuanced and articulate review. I saw the film last night, and had, essentially, exactly the same reaction. I'm so grateful to see your inclusion of the 'help Ukraine' resources in the video description, and your bracelet as well. My family and I have been displaced from Kyiv since Feb 14, and that conflict has framed and infused every aspect of our lives since the 24th. War, violence, cruelty, and the expression of those horrors as 'necessary' functions of an idealized version of glorious masculinity is, right at the moment, troubling. When I look at the militarization of Russia's essential culture, I see this perspective being privileged systematically as an extension of identity, and of patriotism. The very real effect of that ideology is now being visited on my good friends every single day. It's hard to enjoy it as entertainment, particularly when the dubious 'truth' of that is never seriously or rigorously tested by the characters in the film, or by the film itself. I'm a recent Eggers fan, having seen The Lighthouse for the first time only this past month. I plan to see The Witch as soon as possible. As dazzling as I've found his work so far, I'm a bit discouraged to see that, as his access to financing has opened up the scale at which he can work, Eggers has chosen to tell this story this way. Again, thank you for a great review.
That’s so interesting. I think your sentiments are well founded. But I so very much disagree. Part of why my friends and I loved this movie was because of the fact that no characters detested the actions of others. It surely would have suspended my disbelief if our protagonist was a better, preaching, and judging Viking berserker rather than a subject of the land and time he was bred. I’m definitely of the opinion that a writer has no obligations to write anything allegorical. Themes are important and I think this movie, despite being so alien and familiar at the same time, most definitely has human lessons to be learned from. However, it was a different time and there is nothing disparaging or unfavorable about the fact that Eggers didn’t overtly state his ideology. Brutality is brutal, and I think it’s a spectacle to showcase how we humans lived in this manner without obviously saying what they are doing is bad. That part is clear.
Oddly enough, everything you found to be bad, or not so good, I really really enjoyed. To me, the mystical parts actually fit, and I think they were used in a fair amount. It felt like reading a novel sometimes, and that's always a good thing in my opinion. As for the violence, I think it's good it stayed true to the times the film is portraying. Can't wait to see the director's cut though.
Bad? I didn't say anything was bad, I liked the movie )) Glad you enjoyed it! Hoping for a director's cut as well, though judging by Eggers' recent comments it seems like we'll just get a lot of deleted scenes on the blu-ray release rather than a different cut.
The film is not a romanticized revenge story like The Count of Monte Cristo (2002) by KevinReynolds that covered the most controversial parts of the book and offered a happy ending. That's why he's not successful. The Northman is not a very commercial film because of its more brutal style and dealing with complex subjects such as the Oedipus complex. If in the end the uncle dies and the whole family together happily appears, the film would be successful.
i loved everything about this movie and personally it was my favorite Eggers film by a mile but then again growing up one of my favorite movies was Conan the Barbarian lol
This movie was embroiled with darkness, dark magic, God like beliefs, brutal violence and dismembered parts, quite abit of sex/sexual activities and a purpose for the main character Amleth
. I assumed from the trailer it was going to fit more with brave heart, vikings series, and the last kingdom. It ended up being more of a "poetic" movie involving more of a personal conflict rather than a grand scale conflict. Bottom line, if you go into the movie with a clear head, you'll really love it. Best way i can explain it is it is literally the story of a northman in the viking era seeking revenge for his farther... vs an epic viking warrior who leads an army against another army (like i assumed from the trailers). If you enjoy good poetic storytelling and Nordic religion, you'll enjoy this movie
Im conflicted whether i will see this. Im interested in violence on screen. But i dont like gratitious violence i understand its hard for you at the moment with the terrible digusting things that are happening in the Ukraine. I love your videos and i hope for peace in your homeland soon. I love your work Marianna your a special person. 😍😍😍😍
It landed on me that Amleth was a different kind of hero from what I'm used to when he saw the mom and her little son being put inside the house on fire and he didn't do anything. I was waiting for him to see his own situation and save them but then the scene changed, and unfortunately, I stopped caring what happened to him later. From there, my feelings were as if I was watching a documentary.
You literally saw him murder a bunch of innocent people defending their village, even bitng ones throat off but him not stopping someone get burned alive is what ticked you off? Bro.
I'll have to agree with you here 99%, this is my least favorite Eggers' film. I'll have to watch it again but I left feeling disappointed. Visually it delivers (of course it would) yet the story is disjointed; very little to connect with. Most characters's dialogue sounded "fake" like they were acting... If it werent for the score I would likely feel as if I was watching a play. I dug the violent honesty and the raw dark tone. I loved Hameleth's rage with his curved posture of vengence and his long sword; the barking and screaming, though some of the fight scenes looked so unreal ah ah ah.. Plus, the typical Eggers' mystical weirdnesss and farting humor it's still interesting and unpredictably fun to watch!
If a movie is going to cast Björk and then barely use her, it’s just a waste. She’s such a scene stealer and she hadn’t done a film since the ‘von Trier masterpiece I’ll never ever watch again,’ right? WT actual F? Willem Defoe also needed more screen time. I totally agree with you that the mystic elements should have been delved into much more deeply. I’m sure it was a studio decision, which sucks. Still a good film, wish there was a Director’s Cut to look forward to but it doesn’t seem like that will happen.
Oh it's definitely a good film and it's absolutely worth going for the big screen experience! I do wonder if we'll get a weirder Director's Cut at some point, that would be awesome.
While I haven't seen the film yet Marianna, you're not the first person I've heard about the all of the gore and blood Eggers has in this film. I'm not surprise since Eggers seems to want to get the details correct in his films, such as the language spoken by the characters in The Witch. I do agree with you that you don't need to have so much it show how violent Vikings were.
I friggin loved it, vouldve been even better sure but this is definetly one of the best release of the year easily, but ofcourse its not for everybody.
Now I understand this is your opinion but faulting the film for being brutal seems a little ridiculous. This is VIKINGS we are talking about .. some of the most “brutal” people to ever live. If the film wasn’t brutal then people would be like it doesn’t portray a accurate description of the time.
I'm 100% with you on this . I somewhat agree with other cons mentioned in this review , but saying there is too much violence in the movie about vikings is weird
Hmm... It actually doesn't seem like you understood what I was getting at, especially since I also pointed out that this is a historically appropriate depiction of Vikings. What I was talking about is the way the violence is framed and used, as well as how it's balanced with other elements of the story.
As a professional critique of the film, your point about the "self-indulgent" violence is misguided. You can state your personal taste on violence and whether that made you enjoy the film more or less. But you can't criticize the use of violence because that's an ABSOLUTELY essential part of the experience. The Northman is about putting YOU (a white woman living in 2022) behind the eyes of a real Viking. To do that, you cannot give in to censorship. You cannot compromise. If we're being completely honest with ourselves here, The Northman didn't go as far as it could have or should have with the violence. Vikings were even more violent than this. When the point is to show humanity, then humanity needs to be seen in all its bloody, brutal, anguishing violence.
You misunderstood my point and your take on what I can and cannot criticise is misguided. None of what I said has to do with censorship. Furthermore, the film isn’t a historical reenactment for a documentary - everything you see is an artistic choice, so yes, I will comment on how the violence was used and how it was presented, what the experience of it was from the viewing standpoint and how my personal taste played into all of this. You loved it? Wanted it to be more graphic? Great, that’s your opinion. I thought the movie was good, but it didn’t love it, that’s my opinion. There are multiple ways to look at at art, and we clearly saw the film differently, taking different things away from it. Simplifying what I said in the video to just “criticising violence” is misrepresenting my review to begin with.
I couldn't agree more; it’s my least favorite of Eggers’ films. That being said, regarding the violence, I found it highly referential. Eggers is not known for making overt political commentary, but since learning the Viking raid early in the film takes place in ancient Ukraine, I couldn’t shake the timely poignancy of such a depiction. The violence depicted in the film, given the locations, made me wonder if we earnestly ‘progressed’ as much as we think we have as a society.
I find your lack of love for gore disturbing... Jk😏😂 I'm totally giving The Northman a fighting chance this weekend. I sincerely truly hope you've been doing well! You always say bye at the end of the video. Sooo, Bye! 🤗❤️
while the cinemotgrathy and brooding voilence is great, I felt the dialouge was actually quite poorly written and stunted. Not fault of the actors on that, added to the fact I could predict every single thing in the last two 15 minutes in the movie, and the move felt like it missed something. It was to predictable plot wise for me, even if its based close to hamlet it could have done more.
That was not the message. He was not wrong in thinking that only by killing his uncle could he protect his children. The story presented a view of an archaic vision of life. Part of the power of those ancient views is that they contain some truths. Perhaps truths you do not wish to see.
I didnt love it. It was too repetitive and exhausting. I needed some moments to breathe with the characters and get to know them. It's strange for a movie so intense to feel like a slog but I didn't care
Not repetitive, what are you talking about? The plot flowed from one place to another, and between brutal reality and occult metaphysical. And it's a viking movie, not a romcom lady. Maybe go watch romcom, you won't be exhausted then.
Eggers’s goal was to film a historically accurate Viking movie; how on earth do you expect him to do so without depicting the violence? In fact, it does a disservice to those who were victims of this violence not to depict it in a serious film such as this. And I vehemently disagree that said depiction was gratuitous. Stick to Marvel if you want a sanitized depiction of Norse culture.
![30 ชั่วโมงคนเดียว บนรถไฟชั้น 3 โซเวียต [Around The World Ep. 2]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/MlE9boAVqDA/mqdefault.jpg)
I personally appreciate when any period piece isn't afraid to show the ugly side of the time period it portrays. Showing us how visceral the violence was adds to the believability of the movie in my opinion and I much prefer it to being shown a sanitized or romanticized depiction of the past.
I completely agree, I don't think romanticizing the past is a good idea.
Agree with you 1000%...Vikings brutal and violent (oh no, can it be? I dare say that there are more graphic tales in the Bible)....who knew? This film was absolutely EPIC!
True, but a film is not a documentary. Every frame is an artistic choice by the director to get his point across. In this case, it felt like there was no message, so it was just violence for violence's sake. It could have been justified if, say, the gore was used to contrast with Amleth's emotional vulnerability. Like, if he had a realization after all those years of mass murdering that revenge does not bring inner piece or something like that.
@@juliapashkovskaya113 The story/film was told from the point of view of the boy, who saw his father murdered by his jealous uncle. A traumatic experience, after being taught by his father, whom he adored, that his place, his duty, was to avenge his father were it to come to that. It's like in a western or samurai film where the hero is tasked with seeking revenge for his master/teacher/father figure. He believed it so much, and connected with it beyond reason. The director was guiding us through his journey and our penchant for violence, our belief systems regarding religion and the like. Well, that's what I got from it. I believe the director asked us to draw our own conclusions, based on his interpretation - of Viking nomadic history. The Northman was Gladiator on steroids, told in a type of Shakespearean format.
@@juliapashkovskaya113 Historical accuracy aside, I do believe a visceral depiction of the dark ages will feel much more authentic than a sanitized version with minimal violence on screen. It was called the Dark Ages for a reason
Respectable review. I disagree completely but you gave valid viewpoints.
Hahahahah this is exactly what I was thinking
This is a TRUE cinematic masterpiece!
I absolutely loved this movie, the sound design, the score, the long takes, the cinematography, the action, the acting, ... The story might be simple but it was purposeful so that all the mysticism and the mythology could take such an interesting (if all too brief) role in the movie while remaining entertaining and (somewhat) appealing to the masses. I do also wish I could have watched a 3 hour cut of this movie with all the horror elements that the director is known for but I understand that it would have been even crazier to spend 70-90 Millions for a movie like that. I'm grateful we got this one. I do understand your stance on the relationship this movie has with violence, especially in these enduring times. I feel like the movie's moral veers in the other direction though, even if the entertainment is obviously taken mainly through that violence. Also, I just watched an interview with the director saying that there won't be a director's cut but we might get a few deleted scenes. th-cam.com/video/MkttnPORelw/w-d-xo.html Thank you for your review, always a pleasure to watch your videos!
This comment was 100x more accurate than the review. Good job.
@@mikeposner8563 That's extremely kind of you to say, but nobody does movie reviews better than Marianna :D
My husband and I saw this yesterday in theaters and we love all things Vikings and we LOVED this! It’s was so beautifully filmed, authentic, artistic, heart wrenching. Loved it. And the music….it’s stunning and the engine of this film. I listened to a lot of Nordic music and have a dedicated playlist on Spotify and I was so thrilled when I heard it throughout the film. I’m gushing lol and we are buying this one! I didn’t mind the violence, the film is about Vikings, they raided raped and pillaged. That’s the culture. The scenes were done very well. And I ugly cried. Multiple times lol
An evenhanded review. I had a nearly identical reaction. Still, as uneven as The Northman can be, so much of it is so intense and compelling that I'm keen to see it again!
It's quite an experience on the big screen!
Extremely grateful I didn't have your experience. It was one of the greatest cinematic experiences of my life and easily one of the best films I have ever seen. I also hope your review doesn't put too many people off seeing it. Not your problem ultimately. You're just being honest and as objective as you can but that would be a shame if it did because we need more films like this and we need more people to go out and see them. It is a monumental, breathtaking piece of historical filmmaking and by far Eggers most accessible and strikingly beautiful. I also didn't find it tonally confusing in the slightest, in fact everything about it felt authentic and necessary. It makes all other Viking depictions feel tame and inauthentic in comparison.
Aww that's awesome! I'm glad you had a great time with it! Honestly, the way I structure my reviews is not aimed at telling people what to do with their time - I believe everyone should form their own opinion. My goal is to set proper expectations so people know what they're getting into, and articulate my personal take on the film - I'm always open about my biases. I sincerely hope "The Northman" does well and big studios will take more chances on directors like Eggers more often, giving them as much freedom as possible.
Yes, finally....somebody said it. Loved this film and the epic mythological storytelling. Both real and guttural, savage and brutal like the Vikings themselves. Was there some poetic license? Perhaps, but I can't wait for the director's cut. Maybe, once Eggers establishes enough juice in Hollywood. Agree 1000%..saw it in Dolby screen and I may go back again soon, take my friends.
P.S. I've seen more gore and nudity on GoT.
We don’t need more films like this. It’s a dull garbage borefest.
@@curly_wyn True that, it's not for everyone. You either love it or hate it, no in between.
@@curly_wyn Stick with Marvel.
The movie started off so well with the world building, atmosphere and exploration of Norse mythology. I did think the 2nd act dragged on for far too long. Performances and cinematography are excellent.
Not just that but I would have liked to see way more berserker scenes, war/battle scenes too.
Terrific, honest, thoughtful review. I was wondering what you'd think of it after seeing reviewer after reviewer just gushing over it. Very interesting to hear your take. I love The Witch and appreciate the craftsmanship of The Lighthouse. Something tells me I'm going to agree with your take on the movie. It does seem a shame that the Egger's mysticism wasn't more embraced.
Thank you! Let me know what you think after you watch it, would love to know your opinion since we're on the same page with Eggers' previous two films. Regardless, it's a great movie to see on the big screen.
@@ImpressionBlend sadly it's not (yet anyway) playing in my part of the Alaskan woods. Might have to wait until it streams 🤷🏻♂️
@@SEAKPhotog Well, if you have the chance - I would definitely see it on the big screen. But I'm sure it's also good at home.
@@ImpressionBlend hopefully it'll make its way here 🤞🏻
A Dane here; I agree completely with your insight on the off balance between the mystical and weird, in the context of the standard formulaic revenge tale. More of the former, please, because Eggers is excellent at it. I also really enjoyed Claes Bang as the prime antagonist that is anything but a one dimensional villain character.
100% agreed on Claes Bang - he was wonderful, and his character was one of the most interesting ones in the film!
Eggers did not have final cut, so perhaps there were more mystical moments in the film. Perhaps it will happen someday (director's cut) when he has more juice in Hollywood.
For me it’s great that the movie’s reality is not ‘translated’ into our current mindset, meaning: generally we seem to be more aware of what’s good and what’s evil, we are much more cynical and sceptic towards faith and beliefs, but 1000 years ago people’s mindset was definitely a lot different, and I’m glad the movie tries to portray the past without implementing current values or behaviours (or jokes). I really liked when Amleth got someone’s heart there’s no direct explanation that it’s a big thing for those people. We can figure it out ourselves based on what we see and how those people react. It was also quite stunning when they invaded the village and the action focused mainly on Amleth, with the most horrifying thing happening in the background (getting people into the house, that was burned moment later). There was no focus on any particular victim, because it didn’t matter for Amleth, who was used to the violence and probably couldn’t care less about them. It’s also horrible, that the things which happened 1000 years ago also happened in 20th century (and similar things happened recently in Ukraine). Great movie.
I had a very different reaction than her. I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of violence gore; the movie leaves little to the imagination.
Marianna, I just saw it on the big screen today. I actually liked it even better than the Lighthouse. In a way it is a bookend to the Witch. The male version. Yeah it is brutal as hell. But I felt Eggers was going for the mode of a saga. Sagas don't act at all like contemporary fiction. They don't deep dive into character the way I think you're hoping for. And I can see how your emotional disruption over the war in Ukraine would surely affect your watching. My thought, watch it again in ten years. I think you'll se it differently.
Also I think it shows something we don't think about too often, but which is very relevant to the situation today. Why is Russia what it is? There is a tension between the war worshiping brutality of the Vikings and the fatalistic dualism of Russian paganism. The Vikings being the strong leaders Russians often crave. The disconnected peasants being the fatalists that are on the darker aspect of the Russian character. Now having said that there are other aspects to the Slavic character. And one mustn't forget the Orthodox Church nor the traditional yearning towards Western culture. These are some of thoughts I had while watching it. But then again I've also been reading the Iliad lately, which is very similar in tone. I think this will be a hit with the same audience that loved 300, and for the same reasons.
I liked this comment, but I disagree with the end statement, the people I saw it with loved 300 & did not like this. 300 is very contemporary with its graphic novel influences & bullshit premise that the Spartans saved “western civilization” (which began in Athens, Sparta’s enemy).
The film was excellent though, not only outstanding for the attention to detail in costumes & sets, but the actual mentality & values of this primitive society.
You hit the nail on the head describing this as a Norse saga. Many viewers will struggle with this film, since most historical epics (i.e. Gladiator, Kingdom of Heaven) are modern ideas wrapped in historical costume. This film’s accuracy lies in its portrayal of the Vikings through their own worldview. The years will be kind to this film.
@@joeyromeny4082 Indeed Eggers is much more thorough at trying to bring the past into the present rather than the other way around.
@@TheAnadromist Eggers did an amazing job, this one reminds me of Mel Gibson’s Apocalypto as well though
The studio is clever. They did do the final cut, but they will release a Director's cut
Love hearing your opinion as always!
I cannot stress enough that people should see this in theaters! I saw it in Dolby last night and gorgeous cinematography and insane visuals plus the booming score and sound design were intensely transporting to the point that I had chills for most of the film. It's such an incredible sonic experience!
For me I actually appreciated the restrained weirdness of it. I think The Lighthouse is unrestrained to a fault and lacked the compelling narrative vision of The Witch to make it fully come together. Here Eggers has moments that go deep in that Lighthouse weirdness and magical realism, but with the compelling narrative of an epic myth to drive it all forward.
I liked the the intense gore and unflinching camera work because, at least for me, it felt like Eggers was trying to balance "fuck yeah, VIKINGS!" with ". . . holy shit, vikings." A lot of period war/action/etc pieces tend to gloss over the violence and emotional devastation of the events depicted and I liked that Eggers forced us to acknowledge it. And I think he does show restraint during the most disturbingly violent moments, many of which are offscreen. He doesn't go full Ari Aster.
I agree that the romance was definitely questionable, but I was willing to go with it because of the strength and wisdom Olga was written to have. It felt like Eggers was imbuing a VERY antiquated take on women with the kind of strength and agency we'd expect from a modern film, and that balance worked for me. There was a moment where she stepped in frame naked though where I did feel it was very much a male gazey kind of "for the audience ;D " moment.
It's definitely not a perfect film, but it is such a thrilling and extraordinarily ambitious vision that I was totally able to put aside my few flaws and just be transported by it, which I was not able to do at all for The Lighthouse. This is easily my favorite Eggers film (and I LOVED The Witch).
And I definitely agree that it could have used more Bjork, but I'm of the opinion that everything could use more Bjork. Is it time for a Bjorkaissance? After Lars Von Trier robbed the world of more Bjork performances, I think it's time for a Bjorkaissance.
Love your take, and I'm glad you loved the film! Also, hell yes to Bjorkaissance, I'm all for it!!
Yeah, no. You're wrong. The movie is 10/10
It's called having a difference of opinion. There is no right or wrong. Art is subjective.
I believe you actually pointing out more or less the same things that I felt watching the movie. As well as my expectations before.
I completely agree with you! This movie was really disappointing to me and it was one of my most anticipated of the year.
I was trying to put my finger on it but you absolutely nailed it, the problem I had with this movie is that it did not know what it wanted to be. Do you want to be a viking 300ish warrior movie, do you want to be a mystic spellibinding surreal movie, the tones were all over the place and none of them were done particularly well and it bothered me. Aside from that I did not like Alexander Skarsgard in this lead role, he had the look but his line delivery and accent did not quite land for me. I wanted so much to like this movie , I was anticipating it for quite a while but it just did not land for me.
Just saw it tonight and agree with a lot of what you said. You can’t deny the craftmanship and effort that went into making this, including the cast, but I got confused at times due to accents and it did seem a bit long in the middle. I’m actually hoping Eggers eventually gets a director’s cut I can watch with subtitles.
I hope so too! Maybe more weird stuff in there for me )))
@Anthony De Los Santos It still wouldnt kill to have subtitles to help people understand what theyre saying. Im all for accurate accents, but when it actively limits your ability to understand what these characters are saying theres a problem.
I've been waiting for this one! You're a bit ambivalent, but I still have to go see this. Maybe there's a longer version? Thanks Marianna.
I've been hearing rumors of an eventual director's cut already, which I would definitely watch! Hope you enjoy!
@@ImpressionBlend i think the current war in Ukraine probably also affects your sense of the violence in the film. Especially when we see the razing of cities and the slaughtering of the innocent. It's not so abstract anymore, especially when we have real world connections to the violence.
It's definitely part of it. I've never been a fan of gratuitous violence to begin with, but considering everything that's going on it's definitely even less pleasant to watch.
I disagree. I think there was a good balance between the mystical sections and reality.
Yes, the movie was violent, but mostly not graphic. There was 1 or 2 scenes that were a bit yuck, but I expected more blood to be honest. I don't really care if it's bloody or not, but I did think there would be more
It's all personal preference, isn't it? Regardless, it's a good movie and I'm glad you loved it!
Love your channel. So professional. How you haven't got your own programme on a major tv channel is beyond me.
Agree 100% with your review :)
Thank You!!! Finally ! Someone who shares the same POV as me. I thought I am only one who didn't like this movie.
Very interesting. I did not know that hamlet is based on the Northman prince. btw you are very cute
The Witch hive rise up
We all just want to live deliciously ))
Excellent review Marianna. Really enjoyed it. I loved the lighthouse, so I’m really excited to check this out. Still need to watch the Witch. Heard it’s great. Keep up the great work.👍
That's weird. I thought the brutality was dialed back actually. The rape happening is all implied but not shown and the violence is straightforward, not gratuitous
EXACTLY. Not sure where the glorification is at. It was just honest.
Fantastic review. I agree with most of these points. Especially about the violence of the movie- it just didn’t seem to help the story and honestly just wasn’t that much fun. There was a silliness and weirdness at the beginning of the movie that fizzled out. Bummer.
The movie was tonally Inconsistent?Seriously , You must be taking about a different film than the one I watched .
Hmm... Interesting. I had the opposite reaction to the violence shown in this film, as I came out of it thinking that Eggers ascribed to it in his portrayal thereof enough negative connotation that the message did ultimately transcend it. It certainly did not come off as self-indulgent to me since I felt there was enough potential for Eggers to have gone much further in the direction of brutality in service of historical accuracy, so the fact that he chose to stop it where he did made the movie feel somewhat tamer in comparison. This could just be differences in our sensitivities to violence, though, but even during the scenes that did take me aback somewhat it never felt there simply for the sake of its self-celebration.
Lastly, I regard the message of the necessity of stopping the cycle of violence as only one of the messages of the film, not its main one. I believe the main message is one of showcasing the consequences of hypocrisy, of telling yourself what the message is versus whether that message really invigorates your actions, so the level of brutality seems apt as a portrayal of resistance against the opportunities the film's mythology gives Amleth to go down a different path, and the way of resistance is expressed in how Amleth interprets what the mythology wants from him, which inevitably leads down the path of carnage.
Being very brutal is also being very realistic. How can you expect a story like this to be realistic but not to be brutal when it goes hand in hand. I can understand not everything's for everyone. But it's not right to demand an artist to create something that satisfies your tolerance....
I think you misunderstood my point, and I'm definitely not "demanding" anything lol
@@ImpressionBlend gotcha. Hope you're emotionally feeling better now. I thought this was Robert's full vision realized. I can't believe how more brutal it would've been in his og draft.
Btw I dunno if it's studio interference or not, but what I grasped was Norse mythology was present in an undertone level and the events happening in the movie can be interpreted as being realistic too if we take out the religious aspects. I think Robert didn't want to make a full out fantasy film, but to have a Norse mythology presence that is influencing it deep down. After all it's supposedly based on real life events....
@@ImpressionBlend Vikings is known for being one of the most horrendously Savage group of people in the history of mankind. Robert never wanted to make Vikings coz he felt Hollywood always romanticizes the notion of Vikings aesthetics rather than portraying for who they are. But he decided to change his mind after visiting Ireland and falling in love with the beauty of it's landscapes. So he decided to make an accurate portrayal of who Vikings are. And ig he definitely delivered on what he set out to do
@@gabe7222 I think (and this is obviously not facts - just my conclusion based on the interviews I've read/watched) that this was his compromise with making a studio film, making things a bit more "mainstream". And honestly, I'm glad he did it and I hope it does well - I WANT studios taking chances on indie directors and original projects more often. I miss the Eggers-ness from "The Witch" and "The Lighthouse", but some of it is still there, and if a compromise is what gets more people interested in his movies - I'm all for it.
@@ImpressionBlend I think this is anything but mainstream. This film is mostly dialogue driven and when action happens there's no fight choreography but just brutal slaughtering; not to forget alot of weird shit lol. Wish movies like these are considered as mainstream 😅
I think you'll give a similar remark if an indie director makes a heavy violence movie like this by calling it as unnecessary and self indulgentant. And hence I wonder if you'd want THAT though....
Your remarks on you missing Robert from the witch reminds me of Edgar wright fans who were complaining and disliking when he didn't make an usual Edgar film with 'last night in Soho'
You prefer sanitized violence. To have that would defeat the point of the story
That’s SO not what I said
@@ImpressionBlend "Does he go over the top with that violence though? He does! There are multiple scenes that felt like they truly relished every bit of blood and brutality"
Violence in sagas is not sanitized...It's told to prepare the listeners for the horror of combat, so the descriptions of blood and guts serve a practical purpose.
Post Scriptum: Fate...Your cattle shall die; your kindred shall die; you yourself shall
die; but the fair fame of him who has earned it never die.
Havamål.
No Norse can ignore fate, it is set, even the Gods are bound by it, that is why Amled cannot even fathom he has a choice, he only sees fate revealed.
@@jbagger331 Exactly. Over the top in the way it's presented. Over the top implies extra. I see plenty of violence in films, and we don't have to operate in extremes of either sanitized or over the top - there is a large spectrum of ways to show violence and make it feel impactful. Personally, I don't need to see guts to get the "point" of the story, and you can't really compare it to sagas because being told something and actually seeing something are very different experiences. To each their own though, and I still enjoyed the movie.
@@ImpressionBlend Violence is sometimes extreme in real life. We have gottten used to the video game violence in visual media. Sanitized and void of its disgusting aspects. You've seen Come and see. So have I. In that movie there instances of gross graphic carnage just like in this movie. But you see a different time closer to us. The appearance and mores of the characters are closer to us. The Norse and Slavs you see in The Northman might as well be from a different planet. Their relationship to violence and how and why they apply it are almost utterly alien to us. More so to you due to your unfamiliarity to the source material.
Farvel.
@@ImpressionBlend dude, disembowelment is a real and common occurrence on battlefields where men are slashing at eachother with large pieces of sharpened metal.
Stop. Complaining in such an obtuse, ignorant way.
Ive seen people getting their heads cut off with knives, chainsaws; even a child getting his head cut off in Syria.
This movie's violence was tame. You just need to educate yourself on the realities of battlefield injuries. Guts come out, often.
ugh just watched and i couldn’t agree more! the mythological aspects are the most interesting part… i wish we got more of that😪 i really didn’t connect with any of the characters either???… i do appreciate the cinematography and performances tho. it’s a 3/5 for me
Its a no bullshit movie,no black nor white, just action and destiny🧐
This review felt very nuanced and thoughtful, I have to admit that the cast sold me on the movie already, but I do agree with the point about violence and the way is framed as something that needs to be talked about in a deeper way or framed as anything other than "cool", I have felt that in the past with other movies, it often can feel like the violence is a cutaway to the "awesome" part and it lessens the impact or doesn't take full advantage of the fact that images can have a impact greater than the dialogue (not my first language, so I do apologise for the mistakes)
I hope we can get a full length director’s cut with more of the spooky mystical elements
Björk is not a seer, she is one of the three norns as you can see her is spinning the threads of fate.
I found the violence to be offputting and to me that was intentional. It never looked too stylish, but very raw, way more realistic than most movies and most of the time quite shocking.
She's credited as "Seeress" in the film and on the poster.
For me and the people I went to go see this movie with the only ones in America that thought this movie really sucked? It's getting such great reviews and all these reviews on TH-cam I thought the movie sucked and was boring
Seeing it tomorrow. Can't wait. Gr8 review. 🎥 🍿 🌭
Enjoy!! And thank you ))
We have time & budget for 1 movie a week (max). Should we go to The Northman, or Massive Talent on our day off?
Sorry, can't help you there - haven't seen "The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent" yet myself, but I'm planning to ASAP
@@ImpressionBlend Based on reviews like yours Northman is an epic (in scope, visuals, sound) whereas Massive Talent is a (brilliant) rom-com. We have a 2 hour RT to the theatre, so it's always an occasion. Northman sounds a little intense for my taste, but I'm half Norwegian so it's educational of my heritage
Seeing it on Monday, can't wait.
Yay! Enjoy!
SPOILER ALERT:
I'm glad that you saw the film, although I don't agree with some of your points, as you know film is subjective , The reason why eggers choose to do an action adventure film was to show audiences that he can explore and direct other Genres of film, the film definitely had scenes and moments of high concept visuals that eggers goes for when he tells a story but it wasn't throughout and that was the point, if a filmmaker is doing the same genre again and again is he really challenging himself ? As for the violence that's exactly what happened back in those times, there's nothing flashy or cool about it, its not a hand to hand martial arts film, It's unforgiving and its final. if you didnt know how to fight back then your dead simple as, and in moments it's still like that today. forget about your rights or any of that, its you or them, a moment that perfectly shows that Violence must be used , is when olga tells amleth that she's pregnant with twins and and amleth chooses not to be with his family because he knows Filjnor will try to hunt him down which will put his family all at risk of being killed so he chooses to go back and kill filjnor and this goes back to the the bargain he makes as a kid, He Witch: "you must choose between kindness for your kin, or hatred for your enemies" and as we know things turn to tragedy when he accidentally kills his mum and half brother, and when we reach the end duel between amleth and filjnor the lava and heat from inside the volcanoe is the subtext for how he's felt his entire life robbed of a childhood without love only rage he still a young boy trapped in a man's body he's never been able to move on and we see this personified brilliantly by Alexander Skarsgard when filjnor aims the sword to his face exactly how filljnor killed his father there's a beat of silence between them both where they look in others eyes with regret, Amleth crying but they both know one of them have to die, amleth cuts filjnor head off uncanny to how his dad died and filjnor stabs amleth in the heart, payback for killing and taking his sons heart and that amleths heart was dead the moment his father was murdered and mum was taken away
Easy to assume I loved the film, looking forward to Robert eggers next project 💯
Agree. The theme of the film is choice over destiny, or what we presume destiny to be. I do not agree that this brilliant film was glorifying violence and bloodshed, it was, for all intents and purposes, telling a story of how the Vikings lived, and how Amleth suffered from the trauma of watching his father murdered by his uncle. A kind of Shakespearean tragedy. It is, to me, a commentary on the tragedy that exists today in Ukraine. The barbarism and brutality inflicted upon a people who want nothing but to lead peaceful lives. No, this is a classic modern-day masterpiece of a film - bar none. I was transfixed and transported to the time and place that our humble narrator spoke of. Amleth was the violence of old, the vicious cycle that exists to this day, at this very moment. Olga was the hope of a better future, the love and the light that Amleth never got to experience. Olga spoke of choice, that he had the right to choose his path...that he earned it. And choose he did. When Amleth chose both, I didn't understand at first. He provided a better future for his unborn children by breaking the vicious cycle of violence sacrificing himself, as he did with Olga (in order for her to escape a life of slavery). He died a happy warrior, sword in hand, in battle and knowing that it was for his family and the woman that captured his heart. To the young lady who expressed her take on this movie, which I can appreciate, there's more to it than meets the eye. I choose to see this as a tale of woe, but that has a message of hope and of breaking the cycle. To the good people of Ukraine...Fight On!
Just saw this last night. I really enjoyed it. It’s hard to compare to Eggers’s other films as each film has been very different. I probably enjoyed this more than “The Lighthouse”, but that’s not a knock at that film which I also really enjoyed. “Lighthouse” fed on my own feelings of loneliness, frustration, and depression - all negative emotions. “Northman” fed on a primal aggression and seething retribution within me. It was able to play out those emotions, which satiated frustrations I might have with those feelings. “The Witch” is just plain my kind of movie, colonial horror and short of Nosferatu (which may not happen), I don’t think Eggers really has a chance surpassing for me.
As per usual when I enjoy something I wouldn’t mind it being longer. I could’ve used an extra hour of this film too. I know most people may want the prologue to be shorter, but I could’ve had that been longer. I did want more of the main character systematically turning his uncle’s life into an unwakeable nightmare. But at the same time, too short is not an issue the film has.
Nicole Kidman really surprised me. I didn’t think she was fitting in until her first big scene with her character’s son. But from that point on I very much enjoyed her performance.
The romance only bothered me because of the age difference. As I’m an old “True Blood” mark I’ve had a very long time admiring Eric Northman. Anna Taylor Joy I just keep thinking of as child because of “The Witch” and “Split” so I probably haven’t adapted to her maturity… but nonetheless it’s like a 20 year difference which feels odd to me.
Overall, I was pleasantly surprised to see what a more “studio” movie by Eggers was like (Focus/Universal rather than A24) and I think it bodes well for his continuing career. The one thing giving me pause is that as you addressed he didn’t have final cut, so I wonder if the tonal disparity and the unsaturated violence would’ve been improved had he had that. Time and again we’ve seen auteur work diluted by other people’s meddling. Does that control only get worse from here? But this end result I still found very satisfying.
I've seen worse violence in Game of Thrones. And the Mother of Dragons was supposed to be 15. So, I don't get it. But, to each his own.
@Data Diva Well hello there, good to see you back! Glad you enjoyed the movie! It's so interesting you bring up wishing the prologue was longer - I'm in the same boat, even though for the movie it wouldn't have made sense structurally. I absolutely wanted to see more from that timeline and those characters, especially considering the reveal we get from Kidman's character later in the movie. It's one of those things where you almost wish it was a high budget mini-series that could really get into to all of the details and complicated relationship dynamics. But regardless, what we got with "The Northman" is very impressive!
How do you get this amount of subs and views with this content?
EPIC DAMN MOVIE!!!! I love the brutal honestly of Viking culture and religion. The dialog was poetry.
Sounds like a Directors Cut is needed here and will probably happen based on its success. I haven't seen it yet but I certainly will.
Would love to see a Director's Cut, there's definitely more to this movie that got cut out.
@@ImpressionBlend It will happen as it's a fairly low cost additional revenue stream. UHD and Bluray sales are such a big part of a movies gross now. How many formats have I been through---VHS to UHD and LaserDisc, DVD, Bluray---lol--plus the components to play them. Home Theater is a bit of a money pit.
Thanks for your review! As I get older, I too don’t like seeing graphic violence on screen. Welcome to the club!
There’s always Disney.
@@deazl666 Yes & TCM.
I loved the movie. I can’t decide which of his movies I like the best. They’re all equally awesome in my mind.
Eggers is definitely one of the most exciting directors working today!
Robert Meyer Burnett gave you a shout out this past friday on The John Campea Show! 😀
Excellent review, Marianna!
Thank you!
I loved everything about the movie except I found the story a little lacking.. which is big deal. I didn't know Eggers didn't have final cut, makes sense the story seemed a little flat. But everything else was awesome and I kept thinking about this movie for a couple days. Amazing visuals and acting.
Its funny, if I where to rank his films I would go this way:
1.The vvitch awesome in all aspects.
2. Lighthouse, great perfomances, but it drags a little bit.
3. The northman: some interesting secuences, but lacking edge, still a great movie.
I disagree with this movie having a simple “anti-violence” theme. I saw it as all about fate. What horrible things happened happened because they must. It was not a modern commentary on the pointlessness of revenge (imo we have enough of those), it was a pre-humanist musing on powerlessly going through one’s life as guided by fate/“the gods” (this is why Kidman’s main scene was the most important scene in the movie to me, as well as why seeing the raids and their horrible results was valuable; morality or choice were simply not a thing for the characters in the movie). I loved it because of this originality (admittedly, I have a tendency to gravitate to deterministic themes in media, Tenet is my favorite Nolan movie, because I think they are more honest about the manufactured nature of fiction).
iI Wasn't blown away on my first viewing , as like you it was one of my most anticipated movie of the Year . . . .
i have decided to give it another crack this coming Cheap Tuesday ($10) . . . before they pull it from Sydney Screens . . . .
It deserves a second viewing on the big screen ( I hope )
At 3:30 you're actually misrepresenting what he was saying by only using that portion of the quote. He went on to say that there is no Director's Cut, because what the movie he put out is exactly the movie he wanted. The studio didn't have to cut anything, they did have the power to.
Thanks for this nuanced and articulate review.
I saw the film last night, and had, essentially, exactly the same reaction.
I'm so grateful to see your inclusion of the 'help Ukraine' resources in the video description, and your bracelet as well. My family and I have been displaced from Kyiv since Feb 14, and that conflict has framed and infused every aspect of our lives since the 24th.
War, violence, cruelty, and the expression of those horrors as 'necessary' functions of an idealized version of glorious masculinity is, right at the moment, troubling.
When I look at the militarization of Russia's essential culture, I see this perspective being privileged systematically as an extension of identity, and of patriotism. The very real effect of that ideology is now being visited on my good friends every single day.
It's hard to enjoy it as entertainment, particularly when the dubious 'truth' of that is never seriously or rigorously tested by the characters in the film, or by the film itself.
I'm a recent Eggers fan, having seen The Lighthouse for the first time only this past month. I plan to see The Witch as soon as possible.
As dazzling as I've found his work so far, I'm a bit discouraged to see that, as his access to financing has opened up the scale at which he can work, Eggers has chosen to tell this story this way.
Again, thank you for a great review.
That’s so interesting. I think your sentiments are well founded. But I so very much disagree. Part of why my friends and I loved this movie was because of the fact that no characters detested the actions of others. It surely would have suspended my disbelief if our protagonist was a better, preaching, and judging Viking berserker rather than a subject of the land and time he was bred. I’m definitely of the opinion that a writer has no obligations to write anything allegorical. Themes are important and I think this movie, despite being so alien and familiar at the same time, most definitely has human lessons to be learned from. However, it was a different time and there is nothing disparaging or unfavorable about the fact that Eggers didn’t overtly state his ideology. Brutality is brutal, and I think it’s a spectacle to showcase how we humans lived in this manner without obviously saying what they are doing is bad. That part is clear.
Oddly enough, everything you found to be bad, or not so good, I really really enjoyed. To me, the mystical parts actually fit, and I think they were used in a fair amount. It felt like reading a novel sometimes, and that's always a good thing in my opinion. As for the violence, I think it's good it stayed true to the times the film is portraying. Can't wait to see the director's cut though.
Bad? I didn't say anything was bad, I liked the movie )) Glad you enjoyed it! Hoping for a director's cut as well, though judging by Eggers' recent comments it seems like we'll just get a lot of deleted scenes on the blu-ray release rather than a different cut.
Unfortunately i didnt like this film as much as roberts other films but you nailed this review. Hope you have a great day i subbed to your channel:)
Thank you! Welcome to my channel ))
So, we need to wish for an extended directors cut to be released… right?
The film is not a romanticized revenge story like The Count of Monte Cristo (2002) by KevinReynolds that covered the most controversial parts of the book and offered a happy ending. That's why he's not successful.
The Northman is not a very commercial film because of its more brutal style and dealing with complex subjects such as the Oedipus complex.
If in the end the uncle dies and the whole family together happily appears, the film would be successful.
this movie made me wonder what a movie made by Vikings for Vikings would be like
Have you seen the movie “On Body and Soul”?
i loved everything about this movie and personally it was my favorite Eggers film by a mile but then again growing up one of my favorite movies was Conan the Barbarian lol
This movie was embroiled with darkness, dark magic, God like beliefs, brutal violence and dismembered parts, quite abit of sex/sexual activities and a purpose for the main character Amleth
Maybe someday, someone will make a movie of when Vikings & the Germanian were hired to drive Moors out of Spain.
. I assumed from the trailer it was going to fit more with brave heart, vikings series, and the last kingdom. It ended up being more of a "poetic" movie involving more of a personal conflict rather than a grand scale conflict.
Bottom line, if you go into the movie with a clear head, you'll really love it. Best way i can explain it is it is literally the story of a northman in the viking era seeking revenge for his farther... vs an epic viking warrior who leads an army against another army (like i assumed from the trailers). If you enjoy good poetic storytelling and Nordic religion, you'll enjoy this movie
This was Braveheart on steroids with touches of Shakespeare. Loved it.
I think they made the same mistake advertising for The Green Knight.
Im conflicted whether i will see this. Im interested in violence on screen. But i dont like gratitious violence i understand its hard for you at the moment with the terrible digusting things that are happening in the Ukraine. I love your videos and i hope for peace in your homeland soon. I love your work Marianna your a special person. 😍😍😍😍
By far one of the best movies of the year.
It landed on me that Amleth was a different kind of hero from what I'm used to when he saw the mom and her little son being put inside the house on fire and he didn't do anything. I was waiting for him to see his own situation and save them but then the scene changed, and unfortunately, I stopped caring what happened to him later. From there, my feelings were as if I was watching a documentary.
Hollywood isn't history.
You literally saw him murder a bunch of innocent people defending their village, even bitng ones throat off but him not stopping someone get burned alive is what ticked you off? Bro.
Honestly, that whole scene was rough to watch.
@@dud5606 it was a time of war, brutality, and conquest. He was berserker. A warrior.
@@cloudlanding8258 Exactly. I thought that whole tribal scene was very telling.
I think you have missed the whole point of the movie.
I'll have to agree with you here 99%, this is my least favorite Eggers' film.
I'll have to watch it again but I left feeling disappointed. Visually it delivers (of course it would) yet the story is disjointed; very little to connect with. Most characters's dialogue sounded "fake" like they were acting... If it werent for the score I would likely feel as if I was watching a play.
I dug the violent honesty and the raw dark tone. I loved Hameleth's rage with his curved posture of vengence and his long sword; the barking and screaming, though some of the fight scenes looked so unreal ah ah ah.. Plus, the typical Eggers' mystical weirdnesss and farting humor it's still interesting and unpredictably fun to watch!
If a movie is going to cast Björk and then barely use her, it’s just a waste. She’s such a scene stealer and she hadn’t done a film since the ‘von Trier masterpiece I’ll never ever watch again,’ right? WT actual F? Willem Defoe also needed more screen time. I totally agree with you that the mystic elements should have been delved into much more deeply. I’m sure it was a studio decision, which sucks. Still a good film, wish there was a Director’s Cut to look forward to but it doesn’t seem like that will happen.
Oh it's definitely a good film and it's absolutely worth going for the big screen experience! I do wonder if we'll get a weirder Director's Cut at some point, that would be awesome.
Thank you for the review!
Thank you for watching!
I love the people in the comments who don’t want to admit that this movie isn’t that great.
While I haven't seen the film yet Marianna, you're not the first person I've heard about the all of the gore and blood Eggers has in this film. I'm not surprise since Eggers seems to want to get the details correct in his films, such as the language spoken by the characters in The Witch. I do agree with you that you don't need to have so much it show how violent Vikings were.
We need a 4k Blu Ray HDR release with a Director’s Cut..
Yessss
Happy Happy, Joy Joy!
@@ImpressionBlend Not so great news.. Saw an Eggers interview with Collider.. He states: “.. there won’t be a longer Directors Cut on Blu Ray..”
@@rickg8015 Yea, I saw that today as well.... it's a bummer, but at least he said there will be a ton of deleted scenes, which should be interesting!
I friggin loved it, vouldve been even better sure but this is definetly one of the best release of the year easily, but ofcourse its not for everybody.
Loved this movie. Best one I've seen in theaters in years.
I was bored. It's OK for a 5$ show if your curious. Otherwise wait until it streams, probably in early fall.
Now I understand this is your opinion but faulting the film for being brutal seems a little ridiculous. This is VIKINGS we are talking about .. some of the most “brutal” people to ever live. If the film wasn’t brutal then people would be like it doesn’t portray a accurate description of the time.
I'm 100% with you on this . I somewhat agree with other cons mentioned in this review , but saying there is too much violence in the movie about vikings is weird
Right! I would expect nothing less from a film like this SMH
Hmm... It actually doesn't seem like you understood what I was getting at, especially since I also pointed out that this is a historically appropriate depiction of Vikings. What I was talking about is the way the violence is framed and used, as well as how it's balanced with other elements of the story.
Seriously good review! Many thanks.
Thank you!
As a professional critique of the film, your point about the "self-indulgent" violence is misguided. You can state your personal taste on violence and whether that made you enjoy the film more or less. But you can't criticize the use of violence because that's an ABSOLUTELY essential part of the experience. The Northman is about putting YOU (a white woman living in 2022) behind the eyes of a real Viking. To do that, you cannot give in to censorship. You cannot compromise. If we're being completely honest with ourselves here, The Northman didn't go as far as it could have or should have with the violence. Vikings were even more violent than this.
When the point is to show humanity, then humanity needs to be seen in all its bloody, brutal, anguishing violence.
You misunderstood my point and your take on what I can and cannot criticise is misguided. None of what I said has to do with censorship. Furthermore, the film isn’t a historical reenactment for a documentary - everything you see is an artistic choice, so yes, I will comment on how the violence was used and how it was presented, what the experience of it was from the viewing standpoint and how my personal taste played into all of this. You loved it? Wanted it to be more graphic? Great, that’s your opinion. I thought the movie was good, but it didn’t love it, that’s my opinion. There are multiple ways to look at at art, and we clearly saw the film differently, taking different things away from it. Simplifying what I said in the video to just “criticising violence” is misrepresenting my review to begin with.
I enjoy the movie , but I did felt the movie dragged on towards the end. Also, I wish they explained Bjork character more . Flesh things out more .
I couldn't agree more; it’s my least favorite of Eggers’ films. That being said, regarding the violence, I found it highly referential. Eggers is not known for making overt political commentary, but since learning the Viking raid early in the film takes place in ancient Ukraine, I couldn’t shake the timely poignancy of such a depiction. The violence depicted in the film, given the locations, made me wonder if we earnestly ‘progressed’ as much as we think we have as a society.
Maybe we will get a directors cut if the final cut wasn't his, and that version could balance out the issues?
I hope so!
I find your lack of love for gore disturbing...
Jk😏😂
I'm totally giving The Northman a fighting chance this weekend.
I sincerely truly hope you've been doing well! You always say bye at the end of the video. Sooo, Bye!
🤗❤️
while the cinemotgrathy and brooding voilence is great, I felt the dialouge was actually quite poorly written and stunted. Not fault of the actors on that, added to the fact I could predict every single thing in the last two 15 minutes in the movie, and the move felt like it missed something. It was to predictable plot wise for me, even if its based close to hamlet it could have done more.
That was not the message. He was not wrong in thinking that only by killing his uncle could he protect his children. The story presented a view of an archaic vision of life. Part of the power of those ancient views is that they contain some truths. Perhaps truths you do not wish to see.
What a great movie. I loved it. Thanks for the review.
Glad you loved it!!
There are very few movies that will make the audience dive in to a pagan, shamanic world. The Northman is one of them. Excalibur would be another one.
Hi, I'm a Ukrainian. Do you think there's any way for me to watch new movies? Like the Batman and stuff
I was waiting for your review Marianna. 😊
I wanted to love The Northman but I didn’t either. I still admire it & how it’s original Cinema. 👏
Totally with you on that one - a lot to admire here, even though I didn't personally love it.
Excellent analysis - on many levels.
Thank you!
I'm soo excitedddd 🤘😭
Have fun!
Great and balanced review.
I agree 100%.... left pretty disappointed 😞
I didnt love it. It was too repetitive and exhausting. I needed some moments to breathe with the characters and get to know them. It's strange for a movie so intense to feel like a slog but I didn't care
Critics are talking about it like it's god-tier. I can't wait to see it.
Not repetitive, what are you talking about? The plot flowed from one place to another, and between brutal reality and occult metaphysical.
And it's a viking movie, not a romcom lady. Maybe go watch romcom, you won't be exhausted then.
Eggers’s goal was to film a historically accurate Viking movie; how on earth do you expect him to do so without depicting the violence? In fact, it does a disservice to those who were victims of this violence not to depict it in a serious film such as this. And I vehemently disagree that said depiction was gratuitous. Stick to Marvel if you want a sanitized depiction of Norse culture.