Review of The Viking Queen (1967) by Tom H — 22 Mar 2011

"This is not the dream we made, my darling." - The Viking Queen.

King Priam lay on his death bed. He chooses a successor out of his three daughters. He picks Salina. She is to take on the task as The Viking Queen like her mother before her and form an alliance with the Roman's so there may be peace among their tribe.

The Roman leader, Justinian, falls in love with Salina. She too feels the same way despite both having to be allies. While hunting for boar in their chariots, they veer off course. Salina going faster than Justinian turning this so called hunting trip into a chariot race which ends with Justinian jumping into Salina's chariot only to make it tip into a river where they both get wet and intimate. This physical aspect transcends into love. They speak of marriage, but it doesn't happen since a foreshadowing druid named Maelgan speaks of a prophecy written in the sky by Zeus himself. He will not marry them based on what he sees.

Justinian's right hand man Octavian is bewildered himself by his compromise to the people of this tribe especially, in one particular scene, he begins to give away tax breaks to those who need it. When one man, Osiris, isn't treated fairly because he's rich enough he has to pay more taxes based on that alone which pisses Osiris off and begins to plot against Justinian with help from Octavian. Octavian begins hating Justinian and when Osiris's plot to send Justinian away makes him just the more glad he still wishes that he'd stay gone forever!

With Justinian sent to fight a battle in Anglesey, Octavian begins to wreak havoc. His men savagely drag Salina out into the public, ripping her clothes off and whipping her in front of the people who begin an uprising against the Roman's. It doesn't work. From Salina's body whipped to a bloody pulp to her sister Talia raped by Octavian to finally the burning of their tribe, The Viking Queen seeks revenge! DEATH TO THE ROMANS! She begins to take up the sword to fulfill the prophecy that she was meant to do, Kick the Roman's ass.

The film reaches an interesting dilemma for Selina to decide if love is more powerful than prophecy for which is constantly trying to test her. Justinian and Selina are stuck with responsibility for their own duties, he being a roman and she being a queen to her people, their love can not be and that is evident when they both come face to face in the final battle between roman and druid. It doesn't end happily.

This was an interesting film. I liked how it didn't wrap everything up in an embrace between Salina and Justinian. Their love is really not to be. Carita, who plays The Viking Queen, is so beautiful. She only made two films. This was her last, not because she died or anything, but because she didn't like acting and wanted to continue modeling.

Overall, a slightly romantic tale of two people who are meant to be, but not in this life time. Perhaps in another time they'd be perfect for each other.