The Northman is a riveting medieval drama set during Viking era Scandinavia. Starring Alexander Skarsgard, Nicole Kidman, Anya Taylor-Joy, Ethan Hawke, and Willem Dafoe, the film has a fantastic ensemble cast and a successful director to boot. Robert Eggers, who shot to popularity after The Witch in 2015, also wrote and directed the award-winning The Lighthouse.
Skarsgard plays the protagonist Amleth, a prince who lost everything after his uncle murdered his father and kidnapped his mother. As a man, he is reminded of his vow to avenge his father, save his mother, and kill his uncle, and ventures to Iceland to fulfill his promise. While The Northman did not do so well at the box office, it is a wonderfully enjoyable movie for several reasons.
10 The Cast And Performances Are Top Tier
The casting in The Northman is perfect. Ethan Hawke plays Amleth's father, Aurvandill, and while his on-screen performance is only brief, the audience cannot see anything but a Viking king. Kidman is equally compelling in her performance as Amleth's mother, Gudrún, while Taylor-Joy is captivating as enslaved Rus witch Olga.
The performances in The Northman are so good that audiences forget that they are watching a fictional movie, as the emotions and motives of each character are compellingly justified. Skarsgard is particularly wonderful, with viewers able to discern how the traumatized prince has grown into an angry and resentful man. He is given a true chance to shine in The Northman.
9 Björk Steals Her Scenes
One of the most excellent cameos in The Northman is Björk's appearance as Seeress, a darkly beautiful and eerie witch who appears to Skarsgard's Amleth. After Amleth participates in a berserker raid on Olga's Rus village, Amleth takes a walk in the night to rid himself of the raid party's celebrations. He stumbles upon Björk in the ruins of a burnt house, flicking a sort of ritualistic instrument to create a haunting sound.
The entire scene is magical, with Björk being lit from behind by moonlight as she is decorated in the fantastical costume of a seer. She gives off an air of otherworldliness as she reminds Amleth of his vow, her line, "Remember for whom you shed your last tear," truly taking the audience's breath away.
8 The Cinematography Is Theatrical And Beautiful
With origins in theater, it is no surprise that Robert Eggers favors static composition over needlessly showy movements, offering action and emotion over pulling attention away from the performances. Throughout The Northman, the cinematography is picturesque, emphasizing the wildness of Iceland and the Vikings inhabiting it.
From simple tracking shots which focus on Amleth's animalism, to still close-ups exploring the complexities of emotion on the human face, the director of photography Jarin Blaschke (who also worked on The Lighthouse and The Witch) does an excellent job at presenting the story of The Northman through an almost observational lens.
7 The Northman Depicts Vikings In A Realistic Light
One thing that many viewers have been quick to note about The Northman is the amount of realism in the movie. Most notably, Vikings are not depicted as heroic in the film, a stark contrast to how they are generally portrayed in media. They are ruthless, violent, and kill and abuse anyone who stands in their path, including children. This is shown in visceral detail during Amleth's raid on a Rus village.
Moreover, the costume and hairstyles, as well as the weapons used, are also extremely accurate for the period. Some viewers have observed that Amleth would not have been shirtless in the raid, however as he is part of a berserker group it is possible to suggest that, as he is wearing animal fur instead, he is either cocksure in regards to the outcome, or that he simply does not care if he dies in action.
6 The Locations And Period Specifics Are Excellent
Another great aspect of The Northman is the setting, or rather settings. The tale begins in Hrafnsey, a fictional island close to Orkney; an archipelago in the Northern Isles of Scotland. The year is 895, which was during the reign of Harald I Fairhair, the first king of Norway. As pictured, Amleth's father returns home from war with his men, riding up the hill to his longhouse on a wintry gray day.
Much of the film's weather is dark and dreary, not only reflecting the mood of the movie but also the realistic conditions of living so far north. Moreover, much of The Northman takes place in Iceland, which is famous for its beauty and rugged landscape, making for stunning visuals alongside the performance.
5 The Northman Draws Inspiration From Viking Sagas
The tale of The Northman is based on the story of Amleth, which was also the direct inspiration for Shakespeare's Hamlet. The story of Amleth was first written by Saxo Grammaticus, a Danish historian, theologian, and author in the late 12th century, but many scholars believe that the tale existed long before then.
There is mention of Amleth in the Edda, an Old Norse textbook from the 13th century which is the primary surviving source for our understanding of Norse mythology. Originally, Amleth was said to be a prince of Jutland, a Danish kingdom in the north, and he was the son of king Horvendill and queen Gerutha.
4 Mythological Figures Are Presented As They Are Described In Sagas
Professor Neil Price was one of three historical experts brought onto the movie to help with production, and while he specialized in historical weaponry he noted that much of the representation of mythology was also incredibly accurate. From the brief appearances of an Odin-like figure throughout the movie to the scenes involving a valkyrie carrying Amleth to Valhalla (referred to as Valhöll in The Northman).
Price observed in an interview with Wired that the valkyrie depicted in The Northman is exactly as they are described in works such as the Edda. She is fierce and terrifying, an otherworldly warrior as opposed to an angelic figure, as valkyries are often presented in other media. Audiences were quick to note that the valkyrie appears to be wearing braces, however, the markings are instead a type of tattoo on her teeth; an accessory that has only recently been discovered by historians.
3 Filmmakers Got Viking History Experts To Advise On Production
Professor Neil Price was the historical weapons expert brought on to aid realism in The Northman. He, along with clothing consultant Nille Glæsel and Danish musician Jonas Lorentzen, was part of a team of experts who brought the historical-mythological world of The Northman to life.
Glæsel, for example, was insistent on omitting leather clothing (such as headbands), as it would not have been historically accurate for the time, and instead opted for headbands made out of tablet weaving. Lorentzen, as well as helping score the movie, also consulted as a voice coach during the berserker ritual scene.
2 The Atmosphere is Eerie And Fantastical
The atmosphere of The Northman is perhaps one of the most compelling aspects of the movie, treading the line between history and legend. There are several instances where audiences are unsure what is real and what is a work of magic, whether it be a vision that Amleth is experiencing or a near-death experience.
The color grading and weather lend a touch of pathetic fallacy to the movie and envelopes audiences in The Northman's dark and vengeful mood.
1 The Northman Demonstrates The Importance Of Women In Norse Culture
Finally, one of the best things that The Northman demonstrates is the importance of women in medieval Scandinavia and Norse culture as a whole. Kidman is compelling and magical throughout the movie, and perfectly exhibits the power that a queen has over not only her kingdom but her husband also.
Moreover, The Northman depicts the importance of sorceresses, such as Björk's Seeress and Anya Taylor-Joy's Olga of the Birch Forest, to the Norse culture and how they are seen as the middle ground between man and god. They are so crucial in fact that they spur Amleth on in his story, helping him achieve his end goal, albeit at the cost of his life.