Review of The Northman (2022) by Bertobellamy — 22 Apr 2022

Just like 'Dune,' 'The Batman,' and 'Mad Max: Fury Road,' 'The Northman' reminds us that blockbusters don't necessarily have to be soulless to appeal to a wider audience.

Robert Eggers — of 'The Witch' and 'The Lighthouse' fame — faces the biggest challenge of his career by taking charge of a big Hollywood production, risking creative control for the very first time. And, of course, as we know, he had to concede a lot to the studio; but if this is the edited version of it, I can see The Eggers Cut being the new McGuffin of the 21st-century cinephile. Either way, you really have to thank Eggers and everyone involved for the craft and the passion behind the so-called "most accurate Viking film" ever. Tracking shots are amazing; the violence is ruthless but precise; the production values are exquisite, and the acting is fine. Sure, the drama is not that well developed, especially during the second act, but the excitement of watching a group of berserkers raiding a village with absolute savagery, or witnessing an epic showdown in an active volcano cannot be understated. Vengeance is the main theme of the film, but I appreciate how Eggers and Sjón — cowriter — slow but surely create doubts in Amleth — the Hamlet similarities, of course, are no coincidence —, a prince in exile that must choose between hating the past or embracing the future. To be or not to be. Again, there's not that much originality in here, but it´s all about execution. In any other director, this would've turned out in the most generic way possible.

And, finally, you just have to surrender to the fact that this is Björk's first acting credit in more than a decade. That has to count for something.

Gonna patiently wait for the Blu-ray to complete an already magnificent experience.