The Northman Review: A Blood-Soaked, Beautifully Captured tale of Revenge

Robert Eggers‘ latest film, The Northman, is a brutish tale of vengeance that’s sonically breathtaking and beautifully captured.

Alexander Skarsgård and Anya Taylor-Joy are exceptional in The Northman. Skarsgård gives his best performance as Amleth. Every muscular limb, facial contraction and thought coursing through him is geared toward vengeance. Few actresses are as magnetic as Taylor-Joy. In The Northman, she takes what could have been a pretty rote love interest as Olga and turns it into a thrilling study of fate. Olga’s cunning and Amleth’s braun are perfect matches.

Amleth seeks revenge for the death of his father played by Ethan Hawke and the capture of his mother played by Nicole Kidman. Eggers and Sjón‘s story is predictable from the opening frame. The twists are telegraphed and Amleth’s path to vengeance is too easy. Perhaps that’s the point.

Eggers includes plenty of superfluous scenes not unlike last year’s otherwise stellar The Green Knight. There are around a handful of scenes featuring chanting and dancing that go on too long. These scenes, as gorgeously shot as they’re by Eggers and cinematographer Jarin Blaschke, confuse rather than ensnare.

Amleth is as much a beast as he’s a man. He’s not a hero or really any better than the man who killed his father. Amleth has no problem pillaging a village or watching women and children die in said village. However, through Olga’s eyes, you get a glimpse, just a glimpse, at something more.

Those minor issues aside, the scale Eggers is working with is impressive. Every scene is gorgeous. The action sequences are visceral. Adding to the brutality is the percussive sound of Vessel and Robin Carolan‘s score, which would make Hans Zimmer blush. While the story is familiar, the dialogue concocted by Eggers and Sjón is brilliant. Every line has poetic quality with deep subtext.

The Northman is the first truly great film of 2022.

With the overview out of the way, let’s dive deeper into the elements that stood out in The Northman. There may be some minor spoilers.

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The Origin of The Northman

Young Amleth’s life is harsh but there’s a glimpse of love from his father and mother. His father is overjoyed to see him after returning from a battle that left him wounded. Queen Gudrún, Amleth’s mother has a couple of odd moments that indicate she’s not the benevolent mother she’s trying to portray.

Amleth’s life is turned upside down without much warning. After a surreal initiation where Amleth promises to avenge his father should anything happen to him, King Aurvandil War-Raven is struck down. Amleth is able to escape but vows to avenge his father and save his mother.

The Northman jumps forward in time to show Amleth as an adult. A muscular, towering presence of a man with the temperament of a beast. He joins forces with another tribe. Amleth aids in the pillaging of a town. He kills men but stands by as his companions kill men, women and children. He gets a tip about his father’s killer and heads out to sea in search of him.

The opening scenes of The Northmen are quick and to the point. Just like Amleth, the audience isn’t given much time to comprehend young Amleth’s stature. Meanwhile, adult Amleth’s lack of morality makes it difficult to care much for his desire for vengeance. Luckily, meeting Olga gives us a character to root for and Amleth something to kill for.

Olga of the Birch Forest

From the moment Amleth and Olga meet on the slave boat, sparks fly. Amleth isn’t interested in working with Olga at first but eventually relents to her proposal. Olga will use her cunning to ensnare their captors’ minds and break spirits. Amleth will break their bodies in his unrepentant quest for vengeance.

Olga’s presence offers a different perspective for Amleth. The only issue is there isn’t a lot of backstory on Olga. She’s more interesting and has more depth than Amleth but her story mostly revolves around being a love interest. She’s subservient to Amleth’s desire for vengeance which will allow her to escape.

The best scene in The Northman is a showcase of Olga’s fury. As furious as Amleth is throughout the film, there’s nothing as terrifying as the roar Olga unleashes after Amleth makes a decision that has dire consequences for the life she wants with Amleth.

The Yin-Yang of Vengeance and Hope

Amleth is presented with a path. One that’s based on love rather than violence. Up to this point, he’s only known his thirst for vengeance.

The Northman‘s best dialogue deals with Amleth choosing when he will enact his revenge. At one point, Amleth mentions seeing his father’s killer being something of a nightmare. Olga counters by saying “it’s time to wake up.”

Amleth makes an interesting choice. Late in the film, he’s presented with a hopeful and vengeful path. His path goes down the predictable, violent route, but has a different purpose. He chooses vengeance to carve out a path of hope for the future that will live beyond the berserker he’s been up to this point.

The Northman Final Thoughts

A few pacing issues and a predictable story hold back The Northman from being a masterpiece.

However, under Eggers’ watchful eye, Skarsgård’s unhinged performance and Taylor-Joy’s cunning add new layers to pretty common archetypes. Add in wonderful cinematography, a brilliant score and visceral action sequences and The Northman is sure to be one of the most memorable films of the year.

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