Prior to 'The Northman' director Robert Eggers feature film career had consisted of two black and white, indie, existential horror movies, 'The Witch' which I really liked, and 'The Lighthouse' which I didn't care for. The Northman' is a much bigger film, with a budget over 70 million, filmed on location with an international cast, it's a large scale Viking action drama, different then anything he's done before but still very Eggers.
The colors are largely muted though there are some vibrant greens. Anya Taylor-Joy, who Eggers more or less discovered in 'The Witch' is back, as is Willim Defoe from 'The Lighthouse'. Like the previous movies this is a period piece with a heavy sense of versimilitude, while still incorporating fantastic or supernatural elements.
Spoilers
The plot is a variation on Hamlet with Alexander Skarsgard as prince thought dead, who tracks down his family and the uncle who killed his father. The clan has relocated to Iceland after their small kingdom was conquered by a larger one. Skarsgard infiltrates as a slave, has a romance with Taylor-Joy, then proceeds to sow chaos and create the impression of devine retribution before a final battle with uncle, which is like a medevil version of the ending to 'Revenge of the Sith'.
It's as close to a Viking story as a 10th century Viking might tell it, as we are likley to ever see in a major motion picture. Took me a bit to get into it, though I have Scandanivain roots I profoundly dislike the society in which this is set, and not just because the slavery, but the mysoginy, the violence, the rigid class structures. Skatsgards character is little better then those he fights, their concepts of glory strike as profanity. Again though that's kind of the point, it's a Viking story from a Viking point of view, make of it what you will. Impressive and unique, though not really my thing. ***
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