In the 900s, a Viking prince seeks revenge for the death of his father killed by his uncle when he was a child.
Posted at 10:30 a.m.
Hamletone of William Shakespeare’s most famous plays, is inspired by the Norse legend Amleth. The latter is brought to the screen by Robert Eggers (The Lighthouse, The Witch) and the Icelandic writer Sjón with the film The Northman. To tell it, an impressive cast bringing together Alexander Skarsgård, Nicole Kidman, Ethan Hawke, Willem Dafoe, Anya Taylor-Joy and Björk, among others, has been assembled. On paper, it’s promising. In fact, it’s heavy.
The Viking Age certainly offered little cause for celebration. We’re not asking for a film about this period of history to warm the heart, but one or two more endearing, even just human characters, might have helped make this tale of pure revenge less depressing. Iceland’s awe-inspiring landscapes and beautifully firelit darkness – the work of cinematographer Jarin Blaschke – aren’t enough. The violence is too great, the tone too serious and the acting too theatrical. We understand the sources of inspiration. But the result is not interesting.
The scenes of pagan rituals and sorcery have a rather bizarre unintended comic effect. Some fights are well choreographed, but become tiresome with their inevitable succession. It feels like we’ve heard the soundtrack dozens of times before. The talent of renowned actors is little exploited. They seem mainly to serve to recognize familiar faces among the crowd of anonymous extras.
Despite the rage that inhabits Amleth and the intense performance of Alexander Skarsgård, his quest leaves us cold as an Icelandic January night. It’s hard enough to step into the shoes of a boy who witnessed his father being murdered by his uncle, but when he grows up to be a remorseless killing machine, the possibilities for empathy become almost non-existent.
It’s also somewhat odd that Nicole Kidman plays Alexander Skarsgård’s mother when she was his wife on the show. Big Little Lies. The “lover” of the hero – Anya Taylor-Joy – is almost 20 years younger here. But hey, it was a time of barbarians, that excuses everything…
Indoors
historical drama
The Northman (VF: The Northman)
Robert Eggers
Starring Alexander Skarsgard, Nicole Kidman, Anya Taylor-Joy
2:16 a.m.