Robert Eggers is one of the most interesting filmmakers of the last few years. The Witch and The Lighthouse, the two films he has made so far, are both films I have some reservations about, but are both wonderfully distinct and mesmerising experiences that leave you with much to think about and piece together. So, I was very excited to see not only a new film from him, but a medieval epic, something I absolutely love.
In The Northman, after witnessing his father's murder and his kingdom get overruled, the young prince Amleth sets out on a journey of revenge, in order to fulfill what he believes to be his fate.
This film was amazing, and it was amazing for a number of reasons. Robert Eggers is almost like a modern day Shakespeare - he takes these concepts that are relatively simple on paper and manages to craft extremely mesmerising experiences around them that explore every ounce of their thematic potential. This was true for his last two films, and equally true for The Northman. For some of my discussion I am going to go into spoiler territory, so do not read ahead if you have not yet seen the film.
This is a story about a number of things, most fascinatingly of all, the questioning of the notion of 'fate'. Amleth, played very well by Alexander Skarsgård, begins very clearly on a path where he is destined to avenge the murder of his father by killing the man who murdered him, and for the longest time, it seems as if that is what he will end up doing. Even when he finds himself embracing his animalistic side and being barbaric towards others, he manages to correct his ways and set himself back on the path that would lead him to doing this. But, at one point, it seems as if this will not be the case. In attempting to get closer to his father's killer, he becomes a slave and meets a woman named Olga, played by the fabulous Anya Taylor-Joy, whose influence seems to send him along a different path; a path where he will have children of his own and continue his father's legacy. This raises the question: is life reducible to one's fate, or is there room for change as life goes on? The film implies that the latter is true at one point, as it seems Amleth will abandon his supposed fate and live a new life with Olga and their children. But, just when this seems true, the film reminds you of the simple times this film takes place in; a time when fate was what defined someone, as Amleth leaves Olga in order to avenge his father. In the end, after a breathtaking final battle, he successfully achieves this by killing his father's murderer, but only to die in doing so, making it clear that perhaps all there is to life is a destiny that one will inevitably fulfill. This idea and all the steps along the way to build it made the film such an enaging and thought-provoking watch.
All this thematic wonder is presented in such spectacular ways. The cinematography is so full of life and captures the scope of this story, with the huge landscapes and vast seas truly feeling as big as they are. The score is pulse-pounding and enchances the brutality on display excellently. There are visuals that are completely memorable, whether it be all the intense, bloody action, or the haunting faces around a fire, or the two damaged men fighting to the death amid lakes of lava. Almost everything about this film had me transfixed and in awe.
With all that being said, I have a key issue with the film, and that is the overall nature. While the utter brutality of the film and its willingness to completely emphasise every ounce of pain / shock certainly created a stellar atmosphere, it does make the film a tough watch. It is quite difficult to endure and it takes its time to let every aspect be properly understood / explored. However, this is at a small cost as I'm glad the film didn't play it safe and was daring enough to be as intense as it was, and parts of this did truly make it enthralling.
I think some people may get the wrong impression of what this film is from some of the marketing, the idea that this is "This generation's Gladiator" is quite misleading. Gladiator does have thematic and narrative parallels to this film but it is a tonally different watch - it feels more like a crowd-pleasing film with an undeniably likeable protagonist and features more sumptuous visuals due to the time period it takes place in. The Northman is far less accessible and goes further in its portrayals of some of the more shocking aspects of this sort of story than Gladiator does.
Overall, I loved The Northman. While it is a tough film to sit through and can certainly be quite overwhelming it brings so much to the table with its excellent themes and ideas as well as its masterful filmmaking. Robert Eggers continues to prove that he's a hugely talented writer and director, and I can't wait to see what he does next.
I'm going to give The Northman an 8.5/10
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