Unbelievable physical detail can’t overcome blocky storytelling and a mawkish core
In the new Robert Eggers film The Northman, a young prince in proto-Europe’s far north swears vengeance for his father’s murder, is driven mad by revenge, and faces his rival in a climactic battle. Sound familiar?
Basing the film on the ancient Viking story that also spawned Shakespeare’s Hamlet should provide a solid narrative base, and layering in Eggers’ notorious verisimilitude, plus a first-rate cast should ensure success. But confusing dialog, aggressive editing, an embarrassing nod to the MCU, and worse, a mawkish core, create a head-scratchingly disappointing experience.
The film’s Prince Hamlet is Amleth, who as a boy early on is played with ever-widening eyes and ever-exposed teeth by Elliott Rose. Amleth rejoices at his father, King Aurvandil’s (Ethan Hawke) return, with slaves in tow, from some far-off war. After witnessing his father’s brutal murder by the impressively-coiffed Fjölnir (Claes Bang), and his mother Queen Gudrún, (an unfortunately cast Nicole Kidman) carried away, Amleth swears to avenge his father, kill Fjölnir, and rescue his mother.
Years later, Amleth has matured in body (though not in mind), and executes his plan. Strangely, Fjölnir has not usurped the crown, but plows through his days as a shepherd and farmer in the wastes of Iceland, with two new kids by Gudrún, and a group of slaves. Resolute, Amleth sets off to on a meandering path leading to him joining the slaves at Fjölnir’s farm.
While planning a very, very lengthy ambush, Amleth falls for fellow-slave Olga of the Birch Forest (Anya Taylor-Joy), who keeps him supplied with information, and tries to cool his red-hot temper with her wide eyes and pearly-white skin.
Fate is the single theme, and revenge is the simplistic motivation that whips the film along. In fact, in scene after scene, we’re forced to again and again to witness Amleth — tired, bloody, swaying with exhaustion and facing the camera, or in dialog, or scowling at Fjölnir from afar — reminding us of the twin agonies of fate and revenge.
While we wait for the inevitable and ultimate clash, we must endure bucketfuls of blood, guts, disembodied heads, brutal beatings, immolations, and even what must be the most brutal version of Quidditch to have ever been devised. The sheer quantity, variety, and historic realism of the violence can’t fail to impress, and acts as a surprisingly satisfying counterbalance to just about any MCU offering.
Likewise the ultra-grittiness of the production design and costumes, headed by Craig Lathrop and Linda Muir, never let us escape the feeling that this world allows only for the shortest lives that exist in a world barely apart from the animals.
The director’s famously exacting realism demands for sets, costumes, props, and locations is definitely on display, but, sadly, is obscured by the film’s puzzling penchant for stuffing in unnecessary scenes, yet sticking to an overly aggressive editing scheme. We see a lot of great sets, locations, and costumes, but barely have time to acknowledge them before moving on in the story.
Since most of the film’s most impressive scenes occur at night, cinematographer Jarin Blaschke’s work is better appreciated. His camera somehow balances shots of ghostly outdoor figures stealthing around under the stars, to tight interior shots lit by fires and crowded in by rough-hewn walls, underscoring the inevitably of characters having to face one another.
As expected, we end on a dramatic mountaintop where Amleth and Fjölnir square off. Bizarrely, we abruptly shift from utra historio-realism to a low budget version of any number of MCU climaxes. Until now the film has bounced between the living and the dead, the actual and the spirit worlds, the past, present, and future, and Eggers wants to bring all of that together in one climactic and orgasmic scene of violence. But, since his main character has spent an hour previewing the clash, and many, many souls have perished along the way, we’re exhausted, still a bit confused, and just want them to get it over with.
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The Northman is now playing in select Bay Area theaters
