Brutal. Uncompromising. Otherworldly. Transcendent. Pagan.
If you’re here you’re probably familiar with Eggers’ masterful vision among modern film auteurs. The way he communicates story through visual storytelling is next to no one currently working in the medium. His devotion to the simplicity, yet complexity that his stories contain (especially with subtext) is nothing short of brilliant.
If this doesn’t win best cinematography I’ll have lost all hope in the Oscars. Phenomenal, devoted performances combined with excessively blocked long takes immerse us in Eggers obsessive direction. The lengths they go is impressive. You will feel as uncomfortable as the victims, as angry as the lead, and as shaken by the message.
The thematic exploration of vengeance and the destruction it can wrought is thoughtful, and rightfully nihilistic. From a Christian worldview – the ending is pretty bleak but the commentary strong – on what happens when the sinful nature of wrath overtakes us. This absolute commitment to nihilism will be a hard pill to swallow for some. The pagan barbarism of the Norse world is on full display. Child murder, rape, human sacrifice, mutilation, incest and more. Be warned, this isn’t for the faint of heart. It’s shocking, yet never glorified. By the conclusion, it feel as if it’s a condemnation of rage in its purest sense. Vengeance is the Lord’s, as it will consume the heart of man to its natural end.
While “love story” portion of the film is sweet – somewhat surprising and provides some much needed levity to the heaviness surrounding it – it ultimately isn’t explored enough to be as believable as it should be when a big moment comes in the third act. It makes it more tragic, successfully, but also not as gratifying as it could be. There’s some needed runtime here to further flesh out the feelings of our characters that isn’t possible due to the dedication to the story. There’s another huge twist that’s a bit predictable but so dark, twisted and disgusting in execution that it just comes as gratuitous. That may have been the intention, but the result is that the emotional core of the film is often inconsistent.
That being said, Eggers delivers a new sand and sword revenge cautionary tale like no other. While it’s light on the epic war scenes it could’ve benefited more from, most in the genre would pale in comparison to the artistry on display. However, because the film often jumps between being surrealist fantasy melodrama and medieval revenge thriller. Those jumps work for me, but when the emotions come it doesn’t strike the chord it should due to everyone, everyone being so despicable. It’s hard to root for anyone. Maybe that’s the point.
Whatever the case, The Northman is a modern classic and absolutely one of the best films of the year.
4.5 out of 5 stars
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