The Northman - 2022
Updated: Jan 7, 2023
This review may contain spoilers.
It almost pains me to write this review. It eats at me the way it must have gnawed at Amleth, witnessing his father's cruel death at the hands of Fjolnir and his men. There are many elements of this film that tug and pull me in different directions. They threaten to tear me asunder like the blade Draugr did so many foolhardy Icelandic slaveowners. Alright. Enough stalling and circumnavigating the crux of the issue with cute Norse metaphors - time to get to the heart of it.
On paper, The Northman is a stone cold lock, a slam dunk for my year end best of list if there ever was one. It's birthed, after all, from the visionary mind of one Robert Eggers. I loved The Witch. I adored The Lighthouse. Now, we're taking his same idiosyncratic talents for historical mimicry which are second to none, his jaw-dropping facility with old vernacular language, and affixing them to a major studio production (read: WAY more available resources and green). This was SURE to be certifiable gold, akin to an odd, arthouse auteur directing Braveheart instead of that long-haired Aussie.
At first, things seemed to be in keeping with those predictions. The visuals in this film are absolutely stunning. The geographic landscape cinematography, the production and costume design, are just masterful. The score lands both as a tension builder and (seemingly) a perfect construal of the historical sounds of the day. Moreover, Eggers mise en scene is so intricately complex and detailed that you almost need multiple passes to catch everything in a shot. When I think of the man, the word integrity most readily comes to mind. He doesn’t just re-create historical epics, he Inception-style builds them right in front of your eyes and shoves you so elaborately into the past that you’ll become convinced it’s your present.
It will surprise no one that the writing in The Northman is as on point as ever as well. Certain shots and sequences, like the extended oner of Amleth’s warrior brood raiding a village, or the final battle sequence in the throes of a volcano, are just so sui generis yet effortless that we risk missing the kind of talent behind the lens. Thematically, this is a picture about fiery vengeance and cold brutality, and other scenes (looking at you Quidditch meets Rollerball game outside on the plains) really capture a sort of Norse ethos of violence, power, and revenge.
The acting only furthers the trend. It’s not just about the rhythms of the words on the page. Eggers also knows how to direct and cast folks who can render them so authentically. This is certainly the case with Mr. Trapezius himself, Alexander Skarsgard. ATJ is her usual stalwart self, and Nicole Kidman threatens to completely steal this picture out from under the protagonist’s nose in one shocking third act soliloquy.
Perhaps this is as good a point as any to turn to the other side of the coin. Besides being the yuckiest Big Little Lies reunion imaginable, I consider that scene between Amleth and Gudrun to be the very pinnacle of Egg doing Eggers things. (Kidman’s work there is so edgy and dialed up that all of my arm hair stood on end). In fact, there are several moments like it. A battle with a mound dweller which may or may not have occurred in the real world is another. So too is the wolf-like initiation ritual involving an ever-potent Willem Dafoe near the outset.
Still, ultimately what pains me the most about the picture is that it often feels like its strands are being pulled in two different directions at the same time. Some moments scream Eggers flying his freak flag. Others feel studio-noted to death. What you end up with is this rare thing that either needs to be even weirder (i.e. handing over the full reins to the jockey and not cutting off his horse’s head. Still with me?) or much, much more conventional and developed (read: basic characterization).
As it is, the result lies somewhere in the dreaded middle. All of the supernatural elements of the film, the he-witches, sorceresses, and valkyrie had me transfixed. Thus, the inception of the Olga and Amleth romance drew me into its orbit. But the conclusion felt noted into obscurity. If the film had been odder, I believe Eggers would have arrived at his own nuanced characterization. Because the studio intervened, however, things drifted into a trope-heavy haven of something far more vanilla. Several aspects of the third act left me scratching my head.
All in all, the prevailing feeling I had was that the picture LOOKED great, sounded incredible, and contained pretty rail thin characterization. It’s clear that the protagonist is out to “avenge father…save mother…and kill Fjolnir.” In other words, that hatred towards enemies, blind fury and revenge was his distinct guide. What is unclear is how a man who shows no signs of anything like mercy or even tenderness could discover something as elaborate and engrossing as love.
For an Eggers picture, this was brand new to me. His stories are generally so rooted in solid characters and layered storytelling that they are entirely immersive. This time around, however, I kept coming back to the descriptor “one note.” This may be well and good for a singular quest, but it’s hard for us to feel the connection and stakes of this journey towards battle-tinged glory if its barbarism is never palliated with light or beauty.
Finally, I’ll just say that the concept of heroism is not dissected in any kind of meaningful way here. Again, perhaps this was not Eggers intent. For that, you’d have to look towards my favorite picture of last year The Green Knight. Viewers milage will surely vary, but for my own part, not deconstructing this takes some of the stakes out of Amleth’s supposedly critical choice at the climax.
Yet, in conclusion, I want to remain clear. This is the work of an unparalleled visionary. It is not merely good but ASTOUNDING, in parts. When you can shoot a final mano y mano with that kind of panache and visceral heat, you have decidedly got the goods. I just wanted to feel a little more tension and “buy in” in the hero’s journey up to that explosive finale.
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