I thought the use of ravens in the film was a clever way to allow Odin to have a constant presence in the movie without the need to physically show him.
Possibly two scenes… after the berserker raid when Amleth talks to the one guy sharpening his blade about his uncle fleeing to iceland. That guy in particular has a dead eye on one side and when he walks out of frame thats when the raven lands. A possible avatar of Odin to steer Amleth towards his fate 😏
@@jacobrearick5099 I'm pretty sure the one-eyed old man leading the Ulfhednar rite with the ritual horned headpiece and holding the twin spears (inspired by a period helmet plate, I think) is also the guy who slaps Amleth on the back after the raid. I think he takes the role of Odin in the rite but he's not Odin per se.
I loved this film. Everything about it. Even the things that were “wrong” with it were way more correct than most popular media we see. While the Valkyrie depiction was, as you said, way more Wagnerian than what the sagas might depict, the fact that she was still a bit horrifying, had etched teeth, was wearing a swan cloak, and had a swan on her helmet, all gave me great joy. This movie is FULL of those little details likely missed by the casual viewer, but definitely picked up by those of us that know. It’s unlikely to happen, but I’d gladly view another half hour in a director’s cut, or go down a rabbit hole of an hour-long documentary on a Blu-Ray extra. Thanks for this video, by the way!
"More movies like this" May the Gods listen to your words, Ocean, thing is, Eggers is an excpetion among filmmakers, he's really good becuase he invests a lot of time in research and authenticity, something that cannot be said about other directors.
@@CATDHD I think the comment is specifically referencing pre-modern historical cinema, in which Hollywood has a historically awful track record (with some shining exceptions obviously).
Actually ancient Iceland had quite a lot forrests, it estimated 40% of the country was covered at the time beginning of human settlement, todays look is a result of a millenium of deforestation and sheep keeping. There are attempt sof restoring the original vegetation by planting of seedlings in huge amounts.
Her "aged" look was odd. She's 54. As is they didn't need to touch her appearance when Amleth was grown. They had already made her look younger when he was a boy.
I thought she did a wonderful job as well but I was disappointed in her ability to emote with her face. Honestly I think it's because she's had a lot of work done so she just can't move her face like she used to. Outside of that she was excellent.
Her performance itself is masterful, but her lip injections distracted me whenever she was on screen. That procedure creates such a specific look, which is specific to our modern times, that it somehow stood out as anachronistic and took me out of the world a little bit.
the spear dance ritual of the berserkers is depicted on the torslunda plates found in sweden which date back to the 7th century, not long before the viking age. while we dont know exactly how the dance was performed based on these plates, the details are clearly shown on said plates and are represented in the film
I found the movie to be almost a religious experience. It is the movie I've wanted and, honestly, what we as a community needed. I felt transported the entire time and just loved the imagery. As a previous poster mentioned, the Valkyrie was fabulously horrifying with the etched teeth and the swan motifs on her clothing and helmet, and I, too, was hanging on to all the little details throughout the movie. The berserkir and ulfheðnar ritual was just otherworldly!
The only thing in this movie i had some complaints about (light spoilers) is the fact the Gythi of Freyr when talking about sacrifice to him to stave off the main characters attacks she went to sacrifice a human. Historically, humans were only really sacrificed to Odin and Tyr, Theres not, to my knowledge at least historical evidence of Freyr receiving human sacrifice especially due to his offense to blood being spilt in his temples. Other than that though, this was a great movie.
I was waiting to watch this video until I finally saw the movie. I'm so glad you mentioned Freyr being offended by bloodshed, because I sat there thinking (not to myself) "Why would you pray to him for this?!"
Ocean. I wanted to reach out and say THANK YOU! I am a brand new Heathan and you guided me this way with your videos. I started my path and came across Wisdom of Odin (woo). Then your video on how he really is... I now am following you and have dropped him. I've watched a ton of your videos and enjoy thus education.
I literally giggled when they commented on the Christ-God being a “corpse nailed to a cross” and the insinuations during a scene that Christians were blood thirsty corpse worshippers practicing trollish magic. They eat the “blood and body” of Christ as a sacrament so these bits are at least consistent 😂
And it's such a great way of having a pagan hear tales of christian ritual. Like it's not wrong, and it's seen from an authentic pagan perspective, making it sound much more barbaric and visceral than a christian preacher would say it.
One of the spells cast by Groa in Groagaldr is protection against "a dead christian woman" and that has before made me think if pagans found Christian burial practices dangerous, with high potential for returning malicious revenants, as they were so devoid of proper ritual processes (from a heathen perspective)... this whole dialogue in the movie made me think of that again...
I saw this movie in theatres. It blew me away the first time I went and watched it. The second time? I can’t describe the excitement I felt. I love The Northman so much, I hope more movies like this come out.
I forgive the Valhalla portrayal because as a berserker/warrior, Valhalla would probably be Amleth's preferred afterlife. Makes sense for him to dream of it.
I’m surprised that no one mentioned the three dwarfs that crafted the sword, the three dwarfs play an important role in some sagas, they craft mjolnir, Loki has them make sifs golden hair, they also make gungnir. Loved the movie and your review of the movie.
There was a moment towards the end of the film where they were running on horses in fields of endless grasslands and he did in fact thought he had died there. I thought this was a great representation on Volkvangr, so I do believe they did represent multiple afterlives
I just saw it today and I was completely mesmerized. It’s truly an experience worth having. It’s refreshing to have a Viking movie that’s actually brutal and at least tries to make it seem like they actually give a fuck about the historical accuracy of the vents they’re depicting. Absolutely beautiful movie, especially the shots of Iceland, and the soundtrack is fantastic. Based on previous Viking films I really wasn’t expecting this to be as good as it was but it absolutely blew me away, there is some very subtle imagery that I felt in on as a Heathen that I feel that other non Heathen movie goers might’ve lacked. The pacing is fantastic and despite it being a revenge story it’s pretty original. Again, absolutely gorgeous film, my partner said watching it felt like a trance I honestly agree.
I grew up in Norway so, I got to see a lot of Viking artifacts growing up. What also struck me was, I read Sturlusen’s work when I was younger. The mysticism, revenge and berserking reminded me of the sagas BUT it’s how I envisioned it in my head as a young woman. And the intestines pouring out had me cheering in glee.
@@OceanKeltoi oh yes, they absolutely used them. I think that's something Egger's obviously paid a lot of attention too. He had artifacts brought on set apparently.
I thoroughly enjoyed the movie for a few reasons. Reason number one is that I have always appreciated the revenge story. I always love the planning and the visceral aspects in a lot of them, and I always assume that they're going to have a tragic ending and somehow that makes it safe. But for all the reasons you said the acting was great and I really liked the movie is a whole. The main reason I really wanted to see this movie was that I had just become Norse pagan maybe a year before the movie was being advertised. So the fact that they were making a revenge story based on the sagas just blew my mind. The timing was fantastic
I loved it!! I'm so sad about the relatively poor revenue, it seems it's barely covering the production budget :( Weak movies like Morbius, and the Lost City are making double or triple of the revenue with the same budget. And freaking Dr. Strange from Marvel has made 10x more in 2 weeks than Northman in one month.. Unfortunately these things don't help in more movies like this one being made in the future, so frustrating!!
Ocean, loved that pun you had to remove! Wouldn't want you straining yourself so I'm glad you took it in hand. Thankyou for the review! I'm looking forward to it. Go with glory, return with honor! (Carpathian salute. ) 👍❤🥰✌
I was honestly overjoyed seeing the berserker representation, more specifically the Ulfheðnar. I’ve felt linked to wolves in the spiritual aspect for most of my life. With me now trying to learn ways I can honor it and incorporate new traditions, seeing the ritual helped me envision a bit more of how things could have been back then. The scene literally got my adrenaline pumping the first time I sat through it haha
@Ruby Corner yes actually! It’s been a rather weird thing to experience growing up, and I even thought at one point it was me having the ability to shape shift into a wolf haha. Now as I’m older I realize it’s probably less of that, and more so a spiritual link of sorts. Thus, leading me to want to learn more about the Ulfheðnar and how they felt in regards to these urges and instincts.
@Ruby Corner well. People have different ways of coping with different things. In this instance though I think it would do some good to look into the spiritual side if you’re experiencing what I do. Lol
Like you, (and as a heathen) I was very pleased with this film. I've read the sagas. It's refreshing to watch the culture of my ancestors closely portrayed. Perhaps someone will convince Mr Eggers to do a film based on the Eddas. We can hope.
Loved the vid Ocean, and glad I know now I am not the only one who was maybe slightly over enthusiastic about how the Draugr was killed (unanimated?). The monolatry aspect i think comes from them having Terry Gunnell as a consultant on the film. His research is pretty interesting in so far as families having patron deities and the concept of a pantheon when discussing the Germanic cultures possibly being a later construction.
I waited like 3 weeks for this video! Happy you enjoyed it too. Especially pleased with the representation of material culture. And yes, the Draugr scene 👌🏼
I loved seeing that they had the vitki with an apron and turtle brooches. And, while everyone in the theatre chuckled, like you, I thought, "well done" when Amleth dispatched the draugr. All told, it's hard to think of a better way to make an accurate yet mainstream Viking movie. Best movie I've seen in years.
Absolutely blown away by this movie and I want more like it as well. The amount of detail and research put into it all was admirable! It inspired me as a heathen.
The confidence this man has to drag that opening pun out for so long, building up our cringe before it even happens. A true master of painful puns is at work here.
This was the best movie of the early 2020s. For a whole year leading up to April 22 2022, every day, I thought about this movie. It's absolutely awesome. "And I am his vengeance!" Glorious.
Totally agree with your points. Was definitely a fun watch and I think it's bringing up a lot of really good conversations around heathenry. Thanks for making this!
I quite liked the film, but I admit I'm a big Eggers fan. I think the film, irregardless of your opinion on it, did a helluva job invoking a specific time period, mood, and feeling.
@@cobaltfalcon9458 Yup. “Irregardless” isn’t a word in English. I remember when I learned in my early 20s that I had been using it and was wrong. “Sheepish” would be an understatement regarding how I felt, considering I was reading at a college level in the 4th grade. Doh!
Ocean, I really enjoyed this video and your analysis on the movie! I just came back from watching Jimmy's (The Welsh Viking) video and both break it down so well! As a pagan and a writer, it was such an amazing movie to see, and I could definitely see the nods to the sagas, the literature, and even the arts and crafts done, I think my cousin kept giving me a weird look at my cheering in the Dragur scene as well 😅 keep safe, big greetings from Mexico!!
I saw _The Northman_ its opening day; loved it, as I expected from a Robert Eggers' film, having thoroughly enjoyed in the cinema his _The Witch_ and _The Lighthouse_ films.
My Amma on my moms side is icelandic. I got to live there as a young child. I'm excited to see anything with my Ancestors in it. As long as it's keeping it more to tht truer form. I couldn't get past two episodes of those Netflix shows
Great video! I heard an interview with Eggers where he said he worked diligently with some of the best norse scholars on this film and it shows! While I knew many of the references in the film, your video is helping me realize just how accurate it was! I feel like I need to go see it again now. I enjoyed the film, but I think I might enjoy it even more a second time, now knowing what to expect from the story I can concentrate on the "experience" of it all, as well as some of the details at the same time!
I saw this movie in theaters, then immediately bought it and watched it many more times. I will now go watch it again. Such a great film along side the others that Robert Eggers has blessed us with. Definetly need more like this.
I went in, with like a want for how things played out, cuz most movies today are predicable, but this, this got me on the edge of my seat several times. I liked the realism, the honest and historical depictions, of what life was and is back then was awesome, theirs no dancing around the rituals and to see, thralldom, in a 2022 movie, was surprising. Especially just letting it be their, not trying to paint it in any one way good or bad. It was just.a product of the time. A necessary evil of sorts, to survive and be efficient. And dont even get me started on how i wanted to see it end and how it ended. You want him to live, and go on to be with family. But fate has other plans, and he falls like a true warrior of the times. In battle, to the last breath. Loved it and prolly will get another viewing in.
I'm stuck in finals at the moment, but I'm planning on going to see it when Im done with them. Incidentally your videos keep me grounded to my faith, I have so much crap going on keeping me from practicing and basically no local community that isnt infested with racists. Thank you.
I loved your reaction to the Draugr part Ocean, its honestly what I would have done in the theater too. I'll probably watch this movie at home or with friends, so I can bring up that part to whoever I watch it with.
I wasn't thrilled to see this movie at first, expecting another Vikings or Last Kingdom. Needless to say I was blown away. I saw it twice in the same day. Not only do we need more movies like this, it needs to be where the bar is set for modern cinema.
I have yet to see the movie but now i am truly enthused to see it. I also love the Skallagrim mention. Another great youtuber that needs attention. But thank you Ocean. Thank you for making me giddy for this film.
Great review! I had to go watch this in the theater as I was preparing the role of Siegfried, and for me, it was transformative. That’s right, you mention Wagner’s Valkyries, well now you’ve got his Siegfried commenting!
Still wouldn’t consider myself a heathen or religious in any regard, but rather a Poetic Edda enthusiast that follows asatru philosophy pretty devoutly. That being said, this film delivered in every aspect I could’ve wanted. The Gates of Hel being represented as fiery irritates me a bit, but I can certainly look past that. I really appreciated the heaps of Shakespearean references as well; it certainly serves as a good bridge to bring Norse stories to mainstream audiences. 10/10 all the way.
Great comments. In addition, it should never be understated of the harsh physical conditions Viking culture existed in. A longer length and accurate depiction of longboat voyages in the open Atlantic would be incredible.
The berserker ritual and the Draugr fight were also my favorite scenes. I was like "Go for the head." But as the polite being I am, I it was more of an inner cheering. xD
Did you already talk about Hel being referred to within the film as having "fiery gates" since the beginning of the movie? That definitely seemed different to the Hel we know.
Hel does have fiery gates in a few of the references. The final poem in the Poetic Edda discusses the flames coming from graves at the gates of Hel. Probably Christianized imagery, but from a literature evidence standpoint it's justified.
@@OceanKeltoi Yeah, we do have to remember that a good chunk of what was written down after the Viking Age was written by Christians. Didn't one of the Eddas have a disclaimer at the start saying that these were just stories and that the Christan God was the true God?
I loved everything about the movie, i even howled with the Ulfhednar XD And Ana Taylor-Joy is frekkin hot... I loved the weapons and armor, the clothing, the houses... Nice :D And i love how crappy the light was sometimes, just the moons light or a little fire or a torch, to bring allot more atmosphere into the faces and silhouettes of people :)
I loved this movie so much! As soon as I noticed the volva has a distaff, i realized this would probably be one of the more accurate pop culture depictions of the Norse that I've seen
I absolutely loved the film, I enjoyed all the visuals, the soundtrack, there was so much that this film just got right. And knowing the story of Amleth, Hrafenkel, and the sagas that helped to inspire this story, I just..... it was amazing, if you haven't seen it yet, go see it.
Really good movie, I guess the only negative would be that it's a story that we've seen many times because it's Hamlet in the viking age. You pretty much know what's going to happen and how it will end but it was so well done.
i LOVED it. As a reenactor, looking at all the clothing, shoes, belts, jewelry, the herringbone pattern on the cloaks, the attention to detail on the garb was astounding. The lamellar armor on fjolnir might be the only thing garb wise that might not be accurate?
That lamellar was a Klivanion, or Klibanion, which is was the Byzantine take on lamellar armor. The implication of Fjolnir wearing that armor is that he was formerly in the Varangian Guard, which is technically possible given the time that scene is set, and has historical precedence as well.
What got me fist pumping was the fact that his sword, gleaned from the burial mound, was a migration era sword, contrasting with the other lobed pommel swords we see in the rest of the film that fits perfectly in the time period the film is set in. Clearly the burial is ancient and so the sword should be ancient too. And sword tech did change a bit from the 6th century to the 10th.
The title for that scene should be “What what, in the butt?” Haha, seriously though me and my husband enjoyed this one a lot. It definitely felt like the most authentic Viking movie I’ve ever seen, and it inspired me to keep going on my own spiritual path.
Ocean, since you did bring up language though passingly, could I ask...? Do you think it's worthwhile to have some understanding of Icelandic, Old English, or even something like Swedish so to better grasp historical works about the gods and the faith? Or is it more like a Catholic knowing Latin, a Western Taoist being able to read Chinese? Like, the translations of the works and those doing them have done such a good job that context of...let's say the Prose Edda, is pretty well communicated. Just a thought
knowing your way around the language is =always= going to be helpful. I'll say quite clearly that I only know my way around English, and I don't think it's something that is required. But I have had to get into the meaning of various words in order to get a deeper understanding quite a few times while researching videos. So it's obviously going to help. In addition, there are several untranslated sources, so knowing the languages that those texts are written in will give you greater access to records. But all that said, I do stress that it isn't a requirement, it just can't hurt.
I was afraid my husband wouldn't like this movie-he knows nothing about Norse mythology and went because I was dying to see it. But he really enjoyed it. Not to the extreme that I did but definitely thought it was worth the trip to the theatre
Holy shit. Finally saw it. Literally screaming at my screen when the guy made his final decision. I knew it was going to happen but GODDAM. HE WAS SO CLOSE! THEY WERE ON THE BOAT!!! One thing that I really appreciated is how, while focusing on the Norse there was representation of various religions even a sort of monotheistic preference between the various Norse gods in different communities. And that is so refreshing. I just can't help but be reminded about this little history factoid I know about how the first Jews in Egypt not only worshipped Yahweh but the Sun as well and how they owned Egyptian slaves and were brought in as mercenaries instead of them being slaves. Seeing history being depicted as rich, complex, and confusing as the modern day instead of as time periods reducing culture to a monolith was just beautiful to behold!
I was unaware of the Way you where supposed to dispose of a Draugr, I thought the butt thing was just there as a type of insult to it. Thats interesting to know and something im going to keep in mind as I plan to have a Draugr like creature appear in a D&D game at some point.
Regarding the lack of attention given to the God Freyr in the film, Robert Eggers did state in an interview that there was a deleted scene that explored Freyr a bit more. Why it was cut could be for a variety of reasons. I guess we'll find out when the film comes out on blu ray because there are sure to be A LOT of bonus features
When I 1st saw the trailer I was immediately interested as soon as I saw the berserkers. It was the 1st time I saw it in film and I was impressed. Most especially due to Robert Egers Previous works The witch, and the lighthouse. I wonder if he would make Noli me Tangere it would be perfect
Thanku for the incite into this movie.. Me personally I don’t watch movies but u may have inspired me to watch this one just to see the content of the period
As Tolkien did also, weaving hints and whispers into story's encourages questioning and wonder. To those who read or view such stories, I feel this will ignight much interest into deeper journeys.
WHat did you think of the Tree of Kings? Beginning with Adam, Israelite, Tocharian, Spartan, Scythian, Goth, Celtic, Norman, Lombard, etc. LIne into Scandinavian warriors being the "Vikings" and of course ending with Amleth carrying the holy grail bloodline...Awesome and historically accurate as far as the bloodline.
@@ParanormalStories i was definitely tryng to pay more attention to the bodies on the tree but the scene goes by kinda fast and was hard for me to tell. it looked awesome though. loved the visual of the ancestors being connected to the tree via umbilical cord!
When she turned around and I saw Björk's distaff and spindle I had the same reaction that you had to the draugr scene. I yelled F** yes!!! Before I could stop myself 😆
I really enjoyed them movie, but one thing I did think was missing, as Jackson Crawford pointed out on his channel, was the viking sense of humor in the face of hardship I was impressed that they made the old sword look like an actual vendel period sword, while the other swords were correct for circa 900 AD
I've just seen a video where an historical consultant on the film was explaining that the "catching the spear" scene was directly taken from an icelandic saga of the time... Pretty cool, I'd say
Can we get an ocean approved stamp or sticker? I went in opening night very sceptical and the more I watched the happier I got. I did cheer audibly at the draugr scene and no one but my wife and I understood why and it was hilarious
Great analysis! With all the popular fiction surrounding Vikings, it was high time such a film was made. It felt authentic, even the liberties taken (on the more ambiguous aspects of Norse life and myth) felt truthful to the spirit of the age and made a lot of sense in the context. I'm glad you talked about the outfit of the seiðmaðr, that's something easily missed in the film and something I've long wanted to see represented!
I thought the use of ravens in the film was a clever way to allow Odin to have a constant presence in the movie without the need to physically show him.
Possibly two scenes… after the berserker raid when Amleth talks to the one guy sharpening his blade about his uncle fleeing to iceland. That guy in particular has a dead eye on one side and when he walks out of frame thats when the raven lands. A possible avatar of Odin to steer Amleth towards his fate 😏
@Radagast Guess I must have missed that.
@@jacobrearick5099 I'm pretty sure the one-eyed old man leading the Ulfhednar rite with the ritual horned headpiece and holding the twin spears (inspired by a period helmet plate, I think) is also the guy who slaps Amleth on the back after the raid. I think he takes the role of Odin in the rite but he's not Odin per se.
The ravens are like the ghost of Orvindell, Amleth father, the Raven King! Like in Hamleth realy, dont think its Odin
However, Huginn and Muninn do appear at the beginning of the movie!
I loved this film. Everything about it. Even the things that were “wrong” with it were way more correct than most popular media we see. While the Valkyrie depiction was, as you said, way more Wagnerian than what the sagas might depict, the fact that she was still a bit horrifying, had etched teeth, was wearing a swan cloak, and had a swan on her helmet, all gave me great joy. This movie is FULL of those little details likely missed by the casual viewer, but definitely picked up by those of us that know. It’s unlikely to happen, but I’d gladly view another half hour in a director’s cut, or go down a rabbit hole of an hour-long documentary on a Blu-Ray extra.
Thanks for this video, by the way!
Yea, I have to admit, the valkrie was scary af, if I saw that charging towards me irl I'd hide under my bed ffs.
I haven't seen it yet, would you recommend?
@@bezoticallyyours83 absolutely
@@bond_3239 Watched it last night. It was good, admittedly I thought the valkyrie was wearing braces, and they forgot to edit it out or something. 😅
The anger, the rage, the mysticism.. all perfectly portrayed
"More movies like this" May the Gods listen to your words, Ocean, thing is, Eggers is an excpetion among filmmakers, he's really good becuase he invests a lot of time in research and authenticity, something that cannot be said about other directors.
If you by authenticity mean language , then absolutely. Otherwise, there are a lot of filmmakers that invest a lot of time to filmmaking.
@@CATDHD by authenticity I meant damn near everything Eggers does, the locations, the dialect work, the settings, the attention to detail, etc.
@@CATDHD I think the comment is specifically referencing pre-modern historical cinema, in which Hollywood has a historically awful track record (with some shining exceptions obviously).
Actually ancient Iceland had quite a lot forrests, it estimated 40% of the country was covered at the time beginning of human settlement, todays look is a result of a millenium of deforestation and sheep keeping. There are attempt sof restoring the original vegetation by planting of seedlings in huge amounts.
Good to know. I wondered about the forests in Iceland during the film.
Nicole Kidman, however brief her screen time, knocked it out of the park in this movie. Her loathing and disdain and mockery was chilling.
True. Her character could have easily seemed over-the-top, but she pulled it off well.
Her "aged" look was odd. She's 54. As is they didn't need to touch her appearance when Amleth was grown. They had already made her look younger when he was a boy.
I thought she did a wonderful job as well but I was disappointed in her ability to emote with her face. Honestly I think it's because she's had a lot of work done so she just can't move her face like she used to. Outside of that she was excellent.
Her performance itself is masterful, but her lip injections distracted me whenever she was on screen. That procedure creates such a specific look, which is specific to our modern times, that it somehow stood out as anachronistic and took me out of the world a little bit.
@@adamlane6453 Hang on - lip injections weren't around back in the 10th century? Ok got it.
the spear dance ritual of the berserkers is depicted on the torslunda plates found in sweden which date back to the 7th century, not long before the viking age. while we dont know exactly how the dance was performed based on these plates, the details are clearly shown on said plates and are represented in the film
@@nancydachaudamour1166 what the hell are you talking about?
@@nancydachaudamour1166 you are incoherent
@@nancydachaudamour1166 when are you going to make any sense?
@@nancydachaudamour1166 your intelligence quotient is low
I found the movie to be almost a religious experience. It is the movie I've wanted and, honestly, what we as a community needed. I felt transported the entire time and just loved the imagery. As a previous poster mentioned, the Valkyrie was fabulously horrifying with the etched teeth and the swan motifs on her clothing and helmet, and I, too, was hanging on to all the little details throughout the movie. The berserkir and ulfheðnar ritual was just otherworldly!
Felt the same with everything everywhere all at once never have I felt strange. It was a trip
The only thing in this movie i had some complaints about (light spoilers) is the fact the Gythi of Freyr when talking about sacrifice to him to stave off the main characters attacks she went to sacrifice a human. Historically, humans were only really sacrificed to Odin and Tyr, Theres not, to my knowledge at least historical evidence of Freyr receiving human sacrifice especially due to his offense to blood being spilt in his temples.
Other than that though, this was a great movie.
Like literally I love people being so immerse in what they love. It's contagious and it helps the message to get across
I was waiting to watch this video until I finally saw the movie. I'm so glad you mentioned Freyr being offended by bloodshed, because I sat there thinking (not to myself) "Why would you pray to him for this?!"
Ocean. I wanted to reach out and say THANK YOU! I am a brand new Heathan and you guided me this way with your videos. I started my path and came across Wisdom of Odin (woo). Then your video on how he really is... I now am following you and have dropped him. I've watched a ton of your videos and enjoy thus education.
My favorite imagery device in this film is the way the ancestral trees are presented.
Its so refreshing to watch a critique that isn't a complete bashing of a film I enjoyed.
Jolly good!!!
I literally giggled when they commented on the Christ-God being a “corpse nailed to a cross” and the insinuations during a scene that Christians were blood thirsty corpse worshippers practicing trollish magic.
They eat the “blood and body” of Christ as a sacrament so these bits are at least consistent 😂
I LOVED THAT!
And it's such a great way of having a pagan hear tales of christian ritual. Like it's not wrong, and it's seen from an authentic pagan perspective, making it sound much more barbaric and visceral than a christian preacher would say it.
One of the spells cast by Groa in Groagaldr is protection against "a dead christian woman" and that has before made me think if pagans found Christian burial practices dangerous, with high potential for returning malicious revenants, as they were so devoid of proper ritual processes (from a heathen perspective)... this whole dialogue in the movie made me think of that again...
Not a cross. A corpse nailed to a tree! Even better.
My only thought at that moment was "Where's the lie?"
I was on the fence about the movie. Thank you for the review, I’m going to see it now.
The last fight scene around the lava reminded me of Star Wars! Loved the movie!
I saw this movie in theatres. It blew me away the first time I went and watched it. The second time? I can’t describe the excitement I felt. I love The Northman so much, I hope more movies like this come out.
I forgive the Valhalla portrayal because as a berserker/warrior, Valhalla would probably be Amleth's preferred afterlife. Makes sense for him to dream of it.
yes, a desire to go to Valholl is definitely in line with the character.
I’m surprised that no one mentioned the three dwarfs that crafted the sword, the three dwarfs play an important role in some sagas, they craft mjolnir, Loki has them make sifs golden hair, they also make gungnir.
Loved the movie and your review of the movie.
Yes!! Thank you!!
There was a moment towards the end of the film where they were running on horses in fields of endless grasslands and he did in fact thought he had died there. I thought this was a great representation on Volkvangr, so I do believe they did represent multiple afterlives
I just saw it today and I was completely mesmerized. It’s truly an experience worth having. It’s refreshing to have a Viking movie that’s actually brutal and at least tries to make it seem like they actually give a fuck about the historical accuracy of the vents they’re depicting. Absolutely beautiful movie, especially the shots of Iceland, and the soundtrack is fantastic. Based on previous Viking films I really wasn’t expecting this to be as good as it was but it absolutely blew me away, there is some very subtle imagery that I felt in on as a Heathen that I feel that other non Heathen movie goers might’ve lacked. The pacing is fantastic and despite it being a revenge story it’s pretty original. Again, absolutely gorgeous film, my partner said watching it felt like a trance I honestly agree.
I grew up in Norway so, I got to see a lot of Viking artifacts growing up. What also struck me was, I read Sturlusen’s work when I was younger. The mysticism, revenge and berserking reminded me of the sagas BUT it’s how I envisioned it in my head as a young woman. And the intestines pouring out had me cheering in glee.
I watched it this past weekend. I almost cried when I saw the beautiful tablet weaving and pattern welding
Honestly that sword needs a whole video
@@OceanKeltoi makes me laugh when people are shouting “they didn’t use single edged swords!!”
@@wulfshead I wasn't sure about that myself but then someone sent me some archeological finds of Norwegian swords and i was like-- oooo
@@OceanKeltoi oh yes, they absolutely used them. I think that's something Egger's obviously paid a lot of attention too. He had artifacts brought on set apparently.
First time finding this channel. This guy definitely has the right vibe for the subject matter.
I thoroughly enjoyed the movie for a few reasons. Reason number one is that I have always appreciated the revenge story. I always love the planning and the visceral aspects in a lot of them, and I always assume that they're going to have a tragic ending and somehow that makes it safe. But for all the reasons you said the acting was great and I really liked the movie is a whole. The main reason I really wanted to see this movie was that I had just become Norse pagan maybe a year before the movie was being advertised. So the fact that they were making a revenge story based on the sagas just blew my mind. The timing was fantastic
I loved it!! I'm so sad about the relatively poor revenue, it seems it's barely covering the production budget :(
Weak movies like Morbius, and the Lost City are making double or triple of the revenue with the same budget. And freaking Dr. Strange from Marvel has made 10x more in 2 weeks than Northman in one month.. Unfortunately these things don't help in more movies like this one being made in the future, so frustrating!!
Big agree. The best way to get more movies like this is to see it in the theater.
It sucks. I am both busy AND poor. So, I often find, by the time I am ready to see a film it is fucking gone from theaters, lol.
Best support it on streaming services and get a hard copy.
Ocean, loved that pun you had to remove! Wouldn't want you straining yourself so I'm glad you took it in hand. Thankyou for the review! I'm looking forward to it. Go with glory, return with honor! (Carpathian salute. ) 👍❤🥰✌
I was honestly overjoyed seeing the berserker representation, more specifically the Ulfheðnar. I’ve felt linked to wolves in the spiritual aspect for most of my life. With me now trying to learn ways I can honor it and incorporate new traditions, seeing the ritual helped me envision a bit more of how things could have been back then. The scene literally got my adrenaline pumping the first time I sat through it haha
@Ruby Corner yes actually! It’s been a rather weird thing to experience growing up, and I even thought at one point it was me having the ability to shape shift into a wolf haha. Now as I’m older I realize it’s probably less of that, and more so a spiritual link of sorts. Thus, leading me to want to learn more about the Ulfheðnar and how they felt in regards to these urges and instincts.
Thought it was* whoops
See if you can find Jackson Crawfords TH-cam videos on Dangar, the highest concept of honor in the time of the Norse Viking era.
@Ruby Corner well. People have different ways of coping with different things. In this instance though I think it would do some good to look into the spiritual side if you’re experiencing what I do. Lol
@@Alphqwe Drengr.
Like you, (and as a heathen) I was very pleased with this film. I've read the sagas. It's refreshing to watch the culture of my ancestors closely portrayed. Perhaps someone will convince Mr Eggers to do a film based on the Eddas. We can hope.
Loved the vid Ocean, and glad I know now I am not the only one who was maybe slightly over enthusiastic about how the Draugr was killed (unanimated?).
The monolatry aspect i think comes from them having Terry Gunnell as a consultant on the film. His research is pretty interesting in so far as families having patron deities and the concept of a pantheon when discussing the Germanic cultures possibly being a later construction.
I waited like 3 weeks for this video! Happy you enjoyed it too. Especially pleased with the representation of material culture. And yes, the Draugr scene 👌🏼
I loved seeing that they had the vitki with an apron and turtle brooches. And, while everyone in the theatre chuckled, like you, I thought, "well done" when Amleth dispatched the draugr. All told, it's hard to think of a better way to make an accurate yet mainstream Viking movie. Best movie I've seen in years.
Absolutely blown away by this movie and I want more like it as well. The amount of detail and research put into it all was admirable! It inspired me as a heathen.
Thank you for this video and sharing your knowledge on Viking culture. I enjoyed the film even though I didn’t understand the rituals and beliefs.
The confidence this man has to drag that opening pun out for so long, building up our cringe before it even happens. A true master of painful puns is at work here.
This was the best movie of the early 2020s. For a whole year leading up to April 22 2022, every day, I thought about this movie. It's absolutely awesome. "And I am his vengeance!" Glorious.
Totally agree with your points. Was definitely a fun watch and I think it's bringing up a lot of really good conversations around heathenry. Thanks for making this!
I quite liked the film, but I admit I'm a big Eggers fan. I think the film, irregardless of your opinion on it, did a helluva job invoking a specific time period, mood, and feeling.
Irregardless is a double negative
@@cobaltfalcon9458
Yup. “Irregardless” isn’t a word in English. I remember when I learned in my early 20s that I had been using it and was wrong. “Sheepish” would be an understatement regarding how I felt, considering I was reading at a college level in the 4th grade. Doh!
Wait Eggers, was that the one who did The Lighthouse?
Ocean, I really enjoyed this video and your analysis on the movie! I just came back from watching Jimmy's (The Welsh Viking) video and both break it down so well! As a pagan and a writer, it was such an amazing movie to see, and I could definitely see the nods to the sagas, the literature, and even the arts and crafts done, I think my cousin kept giving me a weird look at my cheering in the Dragur scene as well 😅 keep safe, big greetings from Mexico!!
I’ve never seen ocean this excited or hype about anything in this intensity and it’s amazing
You were respectful even to the possibly inaccurate scenes, and for that you earned my sub! ⚔️
I saw _The Northman_ its opening day; loved it, as I expected from a Robert Eggers' film, having thoroughly enjoyed in the cinema his _The Witch_ and _The Lighthouse_ films.
I fucking lost it when my man caught that spear
Norns. Yes. Yggdrasil. Yes. Berserker culture. YES. Draugr butt love. YEEESSSS
I watched your trailer analysis and that's why I'm watching this. Awesome!
My Amma on my moms side is icelandic. I got to live there as a young child. I'm excited to see anything with my Ancestors in it. As long as it's keeping it more to tht truer form. I couldn't get past two episodes of those Netflix shows
I saw it with my daughter for my Mother’s Day present - completely epic even for mums and daughter day - she loved it too ;)
😊
I've seen it twice already and I still love it
Really nicely made video and quality discussion. Can't help but subscribe. You've earned it, for sure.
Great video! I heard an interview with Eggers where he said he worked diligently with some of the best norse scholars on this film and it shows! While I knew many of the references in the film, your video is helping me realize just how accurate it was! I feel like I need to go see it again now. I enjoyed the film, but I think I might enjoy it even more a second time, now knowing what to expect from the story I can concentrate on the "experience" of it all, as well as some of the details at the same time!
I saw this movie in theaters, then immediately bought it and watched it many more times. I will now go watch it again. Such a great film along side the others that Robert Eggers has blessed us with. Definetly need more like this.
I went in, with like a want for how things played out, cuz most movies today are predicable, but this, this got me on the edge of my seat several times. I liked the realism, the honest and historical depictions, of what life was and is back then was awesome, theirs no dancing around the rituals and to see, thralldom, in a 2022 movie, was surprising. Especially just letting it be their, not trying to paint it in any one way good or bad. It was just.a product of the time. A necessary evil of sorts, to survive and be efficient. And dont even get me started on how i wanted to see it end and how it ended. You want him to live, and go on to be with family. But fate has other plans, and he falls like a true warrior of the times. In battle, to the last breath. Loved it and prolly will get another viewing in.
I'm stuck in finals at the moment, but I'm planning on going to see it when Im done with them.
Incidentally your videos keep me grounded to my faith, I have so much crap going on keeping me from practicing and basically no local community that isnt infested with racists. Thank you.
I loved it, and I'm glad to hear you did as well.
I loved your reaction to the Draugr part Ocean, its honestly what I would have done in the theater too. I'll probably watch this movie at home or with friends, so I can bring up that part to whoever I watch it with.
I wasn't thrilled to see this movie at first, expecting another Vikings or Last Kingdom. Needless to say I was blown away. I saw it twice in the same day. Not only do we need more movies like this, it needs to be where the bar is set for modern cinema.
I have yet to see the movie but now i am truly enthused to see it. I also love the Skallagrim mention. Another great youtuber that needs attention. But thank you Ocean. Thank you for making me giddy for this film.
I know very basic information about Vikings and Norse mythology but this movie has easily become one of my favorite movies of all time.
So thank you and great content!!!
Great review! I had to go watch this in the theater as I was preparing the role of Siegfried, and for me, it was transformative. That’s right, you mention Wagner’s Valkyries, well now you’ve got his Siegfried commenting!
Still wouldn’t consider myself a heathen or religious in any regard, but rather a Poetic Edda enthusiast that follows asatru philosophy pretty devoutly. That being said, this film delivered in every aspect I could’ve wanted. The Gates of Hel being represented as fiery irritates me a bit, but I can certainly look past that. I really appreciated the heaps of Shakespearean references as well; it certainly serves as a good bridge to bring Norse stories to mainstream audiences. 10/10 all the way.
Great comments. In addition, it should never be understated of the harsh physical conditions Viking culture existed in. A longer length and accurate depiction of longboat voyages in the open Atlantic would be incredible.
I cannot wait to see it!
The berserker ritual and the Draugr fight were also my favorite scenes. I was like "Go for the head." But as the polite being I am, I it was more of an inner cheering. xD
Does this mean ancient vikings invented the head shot? 🧟♂️ 😉
Did you already talk about Hel being referred to within the film as having "fiery gates" since the beginning of the movie? That definitely seemed different to the Hel we know.
Yeah that fight at the "Gates of hel" was... Weird. And very Christian inspired. Very curious on the thoughts of the writer for that scene.
Hel does have fiery gates in a few of the references. The final poem in the Poetic Edda discusses the flames coming from graves at the gates of Hel. Probably Christianized imagery, but from a literature evidence standpoint it's justified.
@@OceanKeltoi thanks Ocean!
@@OceanKeltoi Ah, now I think I understand.
@@OceanKeltoi Yeah, we do have to remember that a good chunk of what was written down after the Viking Age was written by Christians. Didn't one of the Eddas have a disclaimer at the start saying that these were just stories and that the Christan God was the true God?
I loved everything about the movie, i even howled with the Ulfhednar XD And Ana Taylor-Joy is frekkin hot... I loved the weapons and armor, the clothing, the houses... Nice :D And i love how crappy the light was sometimes, just the moons light or a little fire or a torch, to bring allot more atmosphere into the faces and silhouettes of people :)
I loved this movie so much! As soon as I noticed the volva has a distaff, i realized this would probably be one of the more accurate pop culture depictions of the Norse that I've seen
I absolutely loved the film, I enjoyed all the visuals, the soundtrack, there was so much that this film just got right. And knowing the story of Amleth, Hrafenkel, and the sagas that helped to inspire this story, I just..... it was amazing, if you haven't seen it yet, go see it.
Really good movie, I guess the only negative would be that it's a story that we've seen many times because it's Hamlet in the viking age. You pretty much know what's going to happen and how it will end but it was so well done.
i LOVED it. As a reenactor, looking at all the clothing, shoes, belts, jewelry, the herringbone pattern on the cloaks, the attention to detail on the garb was astounding. The lamellar armor on fjolnir might be the only thing garb wise that might not be accurate?
That lamellar was a Klivanion, or Klibanion, which is was the Byzantine take on lamellar armor. The implication of Fjolnir wearing that armor is that he was formerly in the Varangian Guard, which is technically possible given the time that scene is set, and has historical precedence as well.
@@blakejohnson6362 and now my knowledge is expanded, thank you for that! and what a legit detail to add in
What got me fist pumping was the fact that his sword, gleaned from the burial mound, was a migration era sword, contrasting with the other lobed pommel swords we see in the rest of the film that fits perfectly in the time period the film is set in. Clearly the burial is ancient and so the sword should be ancient too. And sword tech did change a bit from the 6th century to the 10th.
Went to see it last night and, loved it.
The title for that scene should be “What what, in the butt?” Haha, seriously though me and my husband enjoyed this one a lot. It definitely felt like the most authentic Viking movie I’ve ever seen, and it inspired me to keep going on my own spiritual path.
This was the first film I saw in the Cinema since Covid started since my immune systems bad, so glad I went.. just the opening gave me chills.
Ocean, since you did bring up language though passingly, could I ask...?
Do you think it's worthwhile to have some understanding of Icelandic, Old English, or even something like Swedish so to better grasp historical works about the gods and the faith? Or is it more like a Catholic knowing Latin, a Western Taoist being able to read Chinese? Like, the translations of the works and those doing them have done such a good job that context of...let's say the Prose Edda, is pretty well communicated.
Just a thought
knowing your way around the language is =always= going to be helpful. I'll say quite clearly that I only know my way around English, and I don't think it's something that is required. But I have had to get into the meaning of various words in order to get a deeper understanding quite a few times while researching videos. So it's obviously going to help. In addition, there are several untranslated sources, so knowing the languages that those texts are written in will give you greater access to records. But all that said, I do stress that it isn't a requirement, it just can't hurt.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts
I saw this yesterday and instantly wanted to know your thoughts
I was afraid my husband wouldn't like this movie-he knows nothing about Norse mythology and went because I was dying to see it. But he really enjoyed it. Not to the extreme that I did but definitely thought it was worth the trip to the theatre
Name dropping Jimmy was cool of you. His videos are great
Holy shit. Finally saw it. Literally screaming at my screen when the guy made his final decision. I knew it was going to happen but GODDAM. HE WAS SO CLOSE! THEY WERE ON THE BOAT!!!
One thing that I really appreciated is how, while focusing on the Norse there was representation of various religions even a sort of monotheistic preference between the various Norse gods in different communities. And that is so refreshing.
I just can't help but be reminded about this little history factoid I know about how the first Jews in Egypt not only worshipped Yahweh but the Sun as well and how they owned Egyptian slaves and were brought in as mercenaries instead of them being slaves.
Seeing history being depicted as rich, complex, and confusing as the modern day instead of as time periods reducing culture to a monolith was just beautiful to behold!
You said it perfectly: "MORE MOVIES LIKE THIS PLEASE"
Thank you. Just thanks.
I was unaware of the Way you where supposed to dispose of a Draugr, I thought the butt thing was just there as a type of insult to it. Thats interesting to know and something im going to keep in mind as I plan to have a Draugr like creature appear in a D&D game at some point.
Regarding the lack of attention given to the God Freyr in the film, Robert Eggers did state in an interview that there was a deleted scene that explored Freyr a bit more. Why it was cut could be for a variety of reasons. I guess we'll find out when the film comes out on blu ray because there are sure to be A LOT of bonus features
yeah i preordered the blu ray.
@@OceanKeltoi Nice!😉
When I 1st saw the trailer I was immediately interested as soon as I saw the berserkers. It was the 1st time I saw it in film and I was impressed. Most especially due to Robert Egers Previous works The witch, and the lighthouse. I wonder if he would make Noli me Tangere it would be perfect
Your opening puns/jokes, keep on giving!!!
Have not seen it yet, but so very much looking forward to it! 💛💛💛
Thanku for the incite into this movie.. Me personally I don’t watch movies but u may have inspired me to watch this one just to see the content of the period
The funeral procession looks like it was lifted straight from how I read about it in “the Viking spirit.”
it's heavily inspired by Ibn Fadlan's text as well as Neil Price's descriptions of archeological finds.
As Tolkien did also, weaving hints and whispers into story's encourages questioning and wonder. To those who read or view such stories, I feel this will ignight much interest into deeper journeys.
seen Northman 6 times and each time was just as gripping as the first. what a badass movie
WHat did you think of the Tree of Kings? Beginning with Adam, Israelite, Tocharian, Spartan, Scythian, Goth, Celtic, Norman, Lombard, etc. LIne into Scandinavian warriors being the "Vikings" and of course ending with Amleth carrying the holy grail bloodline...Awesome and historically accurate as far as the bloodline.
@@ParanormalStories i was definitely tryng to pay more attention to the bodies on the tree but the scene goes by kinda fast and was hard for me to tell. it looked awesome though. loved the visual of the ancestors being connected to the tree via umbilical cord!
When she turned around and I saw Björk's distaff and spindle I had the same reaction that you had to the draugr scene. I yelled F** yes!!! Before I could stop myself 😆
I really enjoyed them movie, but one thing I did think was missing, as Jackson Crawford pointed out on his channel, was the viking sense of humor in the face of hardship
I was impressed that they made the old sword look like an actual vendel period sword, while the other swords were correct for circa 900 AD
I agree - more movies like this, please!
I've just seen a video where an historical consultant on the film was explaining that the "catching the spear" scene was directly taken from an icelandic saga of the time... Pretty cool, I'd say
awesome and very interesting as well as deep review 10/10!
Can we get an ocean approved stamp or sticker? I went in opening night very sceptical and the more I watched the happier I got. I did cheer audibly at the draugr scene and no one but my wife and I understood why and it was hilarious
Never change, NEVER!
Great analysis! With all the popular fiction surrounding Vikings, it was high time such a film was made. It felt authentic, even the liberties taken (on the more ambiguous aspects of Norse life and myth) felt truthful to the spirit of the age and made a lot of sense in the context. I'm glad you talked about the outfit of the seiðmaðr, that's something easily missed in the film and something I've long wanted to see represented!