Thursday, April 17, 2025
HomeCultureFilmThe Northman

The Northman

The Northman
Director: Robert Eggers
Starring: Alexander Skarsgård, Nicole Kidman, Claes Bang
Genre: Thorless

If your taste in film is Shakespearean drama, Tarantino level violence and Viking legend then The Northman hits your sweet spot. For the rest of us, there’s still plenty to like so long as you can deal with graphically realistic cinematic blood and gore and thousand-year-old Viking practices that range between the surreal, the extraordinary and the horrendous.

Perhaps the most interesting discussion point about The Northman is the fine line between gratuitous violence and historical accuracy. Context is everything in this debate. The Northman claims to be based on real Viking history – the “landnámsöld” (the age of land-taking) and the Danish historical legend that inspired Hamlet. Indeed, almost everything in the film is Norse mythology such as raven familiars, catching spears mid-air, pickled heads and almost every piece of clothing.

There is almost no CGI to ensure historical accuracy and everything was built on set, including viking long-boats, villages and swords, although all the men are hairless and buff with perfect teeth (a realism problem I also had with The Power of the Dog).

So, the argument goes that if the legends are full of murder, rape and pillaging then so should the film. Indeed, if it wasn’t for the level of violence then the amazing battle and fight scenes wouldn’t have nearly the same impact on the viewer, and the extraordinary final battle scene, the culmination of what is ultimately a straight-forward obsessive revenge drama, wouldn’t work at all.

And if that’s too much for you then there’s always the Marvel Studios Thor series where buff bodies, perfect teeth and computer animation are essential and expected. And dull.

Rating: Four-and-a-half swimming pools of blood.

_______________

film@ssh.com.au

 

 

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

spot_img
- Advertisment -spot_img
- Advertisment -spot_img

Volunteers’ News – April 2025

Volunteers’ News – April 2025.

A ministry concludes

After 18 years with the South Sydney Uniting Church (SSUC), which publishes the South Sydney Herald, March 30 marked the closure of ministry for the Rev. Andrew Collis.

‘Johnny Mac’ – connection and understanding

Eleven years after his passing, Bishop John McIntyre’s legacy continues to inspire community action and faithful presence.

Chau Chak Wing Museum returns human remains to Papua New Guinea

The University of Sydney’s Chau Chak Wing Museum has repatriated 16 human crania to Papua New Guinea.

Coming soon – new space for Aboriginal culture and creatives

The City of Sydney has approved a new Aboriginal cultural space to be created in Redfern.

Consistently good coffee, food and service

Andres, the manager at Coffee Tea & Me at 93b Redfern Street, thrives in the fast-paced environment of the café, embracing the morning rush.