‘The Northman’ Film Review
by Will Lindus
There isn’t a filmmaker working today who makes films quite like Robert Eggers. With only three feature films under his belt, the filmmaker who is often heralded as part of the new wave of ‘elevated horror’ directors (alongside Avi Aster, Karyn Kusama, and Jordan Peele, amongst others) who wields his meticulous research into historical languages and settings to capture the terror, the brutality, and the atmosphere of bygone eras. In The VVitch, Eggers wove a tale of New England folklore through the isolation and fear of witchcraft as settlers faced an unknown land. In The Lighthouse, a salty tale of two men stranded together turns into a mind warping story of paranoia and depravity.
His third feature, The Northman, borrows from these same roots but with different trappings, approaching this Viking tale of revenge to present itself less in isolated horror and more in the form of a sweeping epic. The story follows a young Viking prince named Amleth, who in his youth experiences the assassination of his father (fiercely portrayed by Ethan Hawke), the kidnapping of his mother (an enigmatic role by Nicole Kidman), and swears revenge upon the uncle who enacted the plot (a mesmerizing performance by Claes Bang). As Amleth grows into an adult (Alexander Skarsgård) whose mind is clouded by vengeance, he sets out on a bloody and action-filled quest to right the wrongs enacted upon him and his family.
If it merely wore the trappings of history in service of the story, it would have been fine enough, but what makes The Northman feel special is Eggers’ attention to historical accuracy. While many gaps are filled through the convenience of scripting and narrative development, Eggers wove Old Norse and Old Slavic language in where appropriate, helping to capture at least the illusion of authenticity. His script collaborator is Sjón, an Icelandic poet, novelist, and lyricist known best for his work with Björk on their song ‘I’ve Seen It All,’ featured in the 2000 film Dancer in the Dark. Sjón’s influence is apparent in the lyrical nature of what could have easily devolved into a testosterone-fueled blood frenzy, making Amlin’s journey feel at the same time inevitable and cosmically tragic.
Björk’s presence is felt in The Northman as well, with Eggers casting her in a small but memorable role as a Seer who adds a touch of mystical intrigue. In fact, Eggers has filled this entire film with a rogue’s gallery of actors he has collaborated with previously, including Anya Taylor-Joy and Willam Defoe, both of whom have their talents channeled perfectly.
From atmosphere to performances to script, Eggers has created the action-packed revenge narrative for people who aren’t normally drawn to such material. It feels like a modern marvel to know that this strange, particular director was given a $90 million dollar budget to make a historical epic that might appeal to the masses, but was allowed to do so without compromising his values or his vision. While The Northman lacks a bit of the focus of his previous films, keeping it at arms distance from being his best film, it is perhaps his most accessible film, a gateway drug that might draw a wider audience into the worlds he inhabits.
4 out of 5 Bear Paws