The Northman
Year: 2022
Director: Roger Eggers
Starring: Claes Bang, Ethan Hawke, Nicole Kidman, Alexander Skarsgard & Anya Taylor-Joy
Runtime: 137 mins
BBFC: 15
Published: 18/05/22
Director: Roger Eggers
Starring: Claes Bang, Ethan Hawke, Nicole Kidman, Alexander Skarsgard & Anya Taylor-Joy
Runtime: 137 mins
BBFC: 15
Published: 18/05/22
I hate listening to critics sometimes. The Northman has had an incredible response from critics with many labelling it as one of the best films of the year so far. I was desperate to see it but struggled for weeks to find a showtime that was reasonable at a cinema near me. Now in the film’s final week or so before it leaves the big screen, I found a showing and buckled up for what I was expecting to be a contender for my best film of the year…only to leave feeling underwhelmed and disappointed.
Following the murder of his father, King Aurvandill (Ethan Hawke), the capture of his mother, Queen Gudrún (Nicole Kidman), and the massacre of his village by his uncle Fjölnir (Claes Bang), Amleth (Alexander Skarsgård) spends his life training to exact revenge upon his uncle and reclaim his rightful place on the throne.
The Northman is basically an ancient Norse version of Hamlet. Obviously, Hamlet was based on various ancient legends which The Northman sticks much closer to than Shakespeare’s comparatively modern version, but throughout much of the runtime I just kept thinking to myself that I’d rather be watching The Lion King.
The opening act of the film where we see a young Amelth (Oscar Novak) and the tragedy that befell his village is compelling and sets the stage for a grand tale of revenge. But it’s not until quite a lot later than things become interesting again, and by that point I’d already checked out with the character motivations and keeping up with the smaller story details. I knew how it was going to end, and whilst I can’t deny that the finale was definitely epic, it was narratively extremely safe and predictable.
Following the murder of his father, King Aurvandill (Ethan Hawke), the capture of his mother, Queen Gudrún (Nicole Kidman), and the massacre of his village by his uncle Fjölnir (Claes Bang), Amleth (Alexander Skarsgård) spends his life training to exact revenge upon his uncle and reclaim his rightful place on the throne.
The Northman is basically an ancient Norse version of Hamlet. Obviously, Hamlet was based on various ancient legends which The Northman sticks much closer to than Shakespeare’s comparatively modern version, but throughout much of the runtime I just kept thinking to myself that I’d rather be watching The Lion King.
The opening act of the film where we see a young Amelth (Oscar Novak) and the tragedy that befell his village is compelling and sets the stage for a grand tale of revenge. But it’s not until quite a lot later than things become interesting again, and by that point I’d already checked out with the character motivations and keeping up with the smaller story details. I knew how it was going to end, and whilst I can’t deny that the finale was definitely epic, it was narratively extremely safe and predictable.
The performances are something that critics were simply gushing over, and you know what…they’re fine. Not a single person here delivers a performance I would consider above par for their considerable talents, and some like Hawke are I feel wasted in such small roles. Nicole Kidman was arguably the only truly memorable performer in the whole film and ever she fell below her usual high-quality watermark. I’m also a huge Anya Taylor-Joy fan so I was excited to see what she brought to the film but honestly it wasn’t much.
Where The Northman almost lives up to expectations is in its presentation. Some of the shots in this film are gorgeous. But even this is held back by the muted colour palette. Everything is always so grey and lifeless, and whilst that works for the film tonally, it does mean that the stunning landscapes get kind of samey. Referring to the film’s climax again, that had such visual pop to it because it took place in a completely different kind of environment to what the rest of the film happened in.
I can imagine that this film is going to be a nightmare to watch at home because of how dark it is. Even in a cinema I was having a tough time working out what was happening in some of the darker scenes, so I imagine that the film has been shot with Dolby Vision HDR in mind, but considering I was sat in a cinema (which should be an ideal viewing experience even if it's not a premium screen) and I couldn’t always make out the finer details in the background that’s kind of concerning.
When you can see what’s happening the film often looks great, but the lifeless colour palette and samey environments can get tiresome after a while and the darker scenes are perhaps just a tad too dark.
The Northman was fine. I wouldn’t watch it again but if you’re after an epic revenge tale then I’m sure you’ll get some enjoyment out of it. To me it feels like a typical Oscar bait film that the critics adore despite its lack of substance. It’s never outright bad any areas, but it does feel distinctly underwhelming in all of them. If you’re ever in the need for Hamlet, then I’d just recommend The Lion King instead.
Where The Northman almost lives up to expectations is in its presentation. Some of the shots in this film are gorgeous. But even this is held back by the muted colour palette. Everything is always so grey and lifeless, and whilst that works for the film tonally, it does mean that the stunning landscapes get kind of samey. Referring to the film’s climax again, that had such visual pop to it because it took place in a completely different kind of environment to what the rest of the film happened in.
I can imagine that this film is going to be a nightmare to watch at home because of how dark it is. Even in a cinema I was having a tough time working out what was happening in some of the darker scenes, so I imagine that the film has been shot with Dolby Vision HDR in mind, but considering I was sat in a cinema (which should be an ideal viewing experience even if it's not a premium screen) and I couldn’t always make out the finer details in the background that’s kind of concerning.
When you can see what’s happening the film often looks great, but the lifeless colour palette and samey environments can get tiresome after a while and the darker scenes are perhaps just a tad too dark.
The Northman was fine. I wouldn’t watch it again but if you’re after an epic revenge tale then I’m sure you’ll get some enjoyment out of it. To me it feels like a typical Oscar bait film that the critics adore despite its lack of substance. It’s never outright bad any areas, but it does feel distinctly underwhelming in all of them. If you’re ever in the need for Hamlet, then I’d just recommend The Lion King instead.