The Northman

[Holy Slapper]

Watched this last night and...I was very underwhelmed. 7/10. Far too boring and very predictable. Felt like a season of Vikings wrapped into one 2+ hour movie. Somethings also just came off unintentionally funny to me, especially in the beginning. I also can't really stand Alexander Skarsgård. True Blood wore me out on him.

 

[Deck Rickard]

Watched this last night and...I was very underwhelmed. 7/10. Far too boring and very predictable. Felt like a season of Vikings wrapped into one 2+ hour movie. Somethings also just came off unintentionally funny to me, especially in the beginning. I also can't really stand Alexander Skarsgård. True Blood wore me out on him.

Can’t say I agree with you but hey, no movie is going to please everyone. I hated The Lighthouse and The Green Knight, and I know I’m in the minority there.

 

[AVEITWITHJAMON]

I do think the movie had some boring parts myself. I think a tighter movie with 10-15 cut would have been much better but can't fault Eggers for putting what he wanted in.

 

[-Arya-]

The runtime wasn’t the problem. The script just didn’t dive too deep into Amleth as a person. I didn’t really sympathize with his thirst for revenge. In fact, by the end I felt bad for Fjolnir. We should’ve have gotten more character building stuff instead of Viking Hockey games.

Or if not that then maybe one or two more Berserker scenes to at least improve the pacing and add more excitement.

 

[Kane52630]

His revenge is pretty simple which is why the turn in the 3rd act works really well. It kinda reminds me of I Saw the Devil where at the end of the day, revenge is a black hole and nobody is happy.

But I get it if some people didn't want some slow-paced art drama in their revenge. It's his most accessible film but it's still not for everyone.

 

[shauner111]

I had no problem with the pacing, was never bored. It’s my least favourite film from Eggers but I’d still rate it a solid 4 out of 5 stars. Loved the cinematography. Skarsgard and Bang were the MVP’s. But here’s the thing...

It is absolutely predictable (if it wasn’t for Eggers bringing in the surrealistic visuals every now and then...it would just be a meat and potatoes revenge flick). So, good on Eggers for bringing his style to the table. Of course you want to see Amleth rage because he’s a badass but you’re not emotionally invested because they didn’t really spend much time with him as a kid. And his first big scene as an adult is Amleth being a part of something truly disgusting. So I always felt like a spectator, not really IN the world (the opposite of The Witch).

Kidman did really well with the accent. Did not even sound like her. But Ethan Hawke was kinda...bad?

I’m much more excited to see Eggers go back to creating original ideas instead of adapting stories that have been told for decades/centuries over.

 

[Deck Rickard]

Can’t say I felt bad for Fjolner at the end at all. Like yeah, Amleth’s dad was a piece of **** but so was Fjolner. Everything awful that happened to him and his family was on him.

 

[Prison Mike]

Was Amleth’s dad really a piece of ****? I thought his mom was making up lies when she said all those things.

 

[-Arya-]

It didn’t feel like she was lying.

 

[Deck Rickard]

Was Amleth’s dad really a piece of ****? I thought his mom was making up lies when she said all those things.

Spoiler

I guess she could have been; it’s not crystal clear. Perhaps she made herself believe those things so she could live with her new situation.

But we did clearly see Amleth’s dad’s army bringing enslaved women back with them. So it’s very likely that he was a rapist or at the very least had no problem with it, even if he didn’t actually rape the mother. He also didn’t appear very affectionate toward her even after being gone for months; all he seemed concerned with was Amleth and preparing his son for the future. That kind of behavior was common in powerful men back then who treated women like property whose only purpose is to bear them an heir.

 

[Marvolo]

She came across as a spiteful, vain, and extremely selfish woman who only cared about staying alive and getting what she wanted anyway she could. When Amleth's uncle killed her husband she complied and was willing to sacrifice Amleth to stay alive and wife to a king. Then when Amleth returned she was again willing to sacrifice her second husband and children and be Amleth's queen if he would let her live. Or she could have planned to kill Amleth then and there if he let his guard down. I dont think there were limits to how far she would go to live, and no man was truly safe around her.

 

[TheVileOne]

IMHO she wasn't lying, but she wasn't exactly a saint either. Honestly, Fjölnir came off as the more honorable guy in the story, but he wasn't a "good" man either. I did genuinely feel the most sympathy for Fjölnir, while that admittedly could be misguided.

At the same time, the Queen was likely forcibly taken from her own and forced to marry the King and live as his queen for years. I can see how that could've warped her mind and driven her insane.

 

[CaptainWagner]

It makes no sense for her NOT to be telling the truth. Amleth is there to rescue her. Playing along with the version of the story he believes is her best option to survive. Her saying those things directly endangers her and her younger son's lives. There's no reason to give that speech if it isn't true.

Fjölnir was definitely more sympathetic than you'd expect, but the scene with Olga shows that even though he certainly treats the Queen better than his brother did, he's still ALSO a rapist and unfaithful.

 

[TheVileOne]

It makes no sense for her NOT to be telling the truth. Amleth is there to rescue her. Playing along with the version of the story he believes is her best option to survive. Her saying those things directly endangers her and her younger son's lives. There's no reason to give that speech if it isn't true.

Fjölnir was definitely more sympathetic than you'd expect, but the scene with Olga shows that even though he certainly treats the Queen better than his brother did, he's still ALSO a rapist and unfaithful.

I wouldn't really call it unfaithful. In such times, the king was likely allowed such things. Remember these are not sanctimonious puritanical Christians.

Also, to be clear, I'm not excusing Fjölnir's actions. He was clearly willing to rape the female slaves, and he was trading in slaves as well. I'm simply saying for that time there was no law or rules against such things for their culture.

 

[Prison Mike]

I think I need to rewatch that scene. When she started kissing her own son, I was like yeah she’s crazy.

 

[Marvolo]

I think I need to rewatch that scene. When she started kissing her own son, I was like yeah she’s crazy.

Its hard to know how much of that was vanity, desperation, insanity, or weird viking culture.

 

[TheVileOne]

Its hard to know how much of that was vanity, desperation, insanity, or weird viking culture.

I think it was a combination of all those things.

 

[shauner111]

Bang played the most interesting character in the movie and man what a performance. I’m on a superhero forum so I don’t feel cringey trying to connect this to a Batman project, but yeah...I think he should play a Batman villain like Clayface, Mr Freeze, Scarecrow, Hugo Strange, Mad Monk idc who. It’s weird but I think he’d fit all of those characters.

 

[Asr]

Anya Taylor Joy needs to be in a movie with Aaron Taylor Johnson if for no other reason that the movie posters would be "ATJ vs ATJ". If Aaron ever played James Bond, she should play the villain.

Anya for more Eggers collaborations for sure though! There's definitely magic on film when they team up.

 

[Prison Mike]

I agree. The Witch is still my favorite ATJ and Eggers movie.

 

[Boom]

Bang played the most interesting character in the movie and man what a performance. I’m on a superhero forum so I don’t feel cringey trying to connect this to a Batman project, but yeah...I think he should play a Batman villain like Clayface, Mr Freeze, Scarecrow, Hugo Strange, Mad Monk idc who. It’s weird but I think he’d fit all of those characters.

He needs to be Dr. Doom.

 

[CaptainWagner]

He needs to be Dr. Doom.

I get Doom's behind a mask most of the time so they could always de-age him before the accident, but I still don't see them casting a 55-year-old in the role.

 

[Black Narcissus]

Was Amleth’s dad really a piece of ****? I thought his mom was making up lies when she said all those things.

That golden medallion that he gives to Amleth in the beginning belonged to a queen/princess, I forget which, but do you think they gave that up willingly? Heads rolled, bald man.

Also, I don't believe Amleth didn't partake in the taking of women against their will either, he just didn't do it or was too drunk and over it this time, but he did the same as the other wolf vikings in his clan.

I get Doom's behind a mask most of the time so they could always de-age him before the accident, but I still don't see them casting a 55-year-old in the role.

You say that till the right 56 year old comes in! Let the captain ego go, and know that your bald wagner heart knows this is perfect casting.

 

[MagnarTheGreat]

She came across as a spiteful, vain, and extremely selfish woman who only cared about staying alive and getting what she wanted anyway she could. When Amleth's uncle killed her husband she complied and was willing to sacrifice Amleth to stay alive and wife to a king. Then when Amleth returned she was again willing to sacrifice her second husband and children and be Amleth's queen if he would let her live. Or she could have planned to kill Amleth then and there if he let his guard down. I dont think there were limits to how far she would go to live, and no man was truly safe around her.

Yes she'd throw anybody under the bus to secure her position. If Amleth and Gudrún did get together she'd throw him under the bus (again) when the opportunity presented itself. On a certain level she (and likely so many other unseen women of the time) does what she feels she has to in order to survive in brutally male-dominated world.

 

[MagnarTheGreat]

On Peacock June 6:

The Northman (2022) Streaming on Peacock | Peacock