The Northman

[ztejas 43524]

On 5/21/2022 at 10:14 AM, Fud said:

Yeah if you don’t love The Witch, then we aren’t going to agree on this 

That's fine man. I think we pretty demonstrably disagree on this film. I respect your opinion. I'd hope you respect mine. 

[Fud 9552]

5 hours ago, ztejas said:

That's fine man. I think we pretty demonstrably disagree on this film. I respect your opinion. I'd hope you respect mine. 

It’s definitely a movie that isn’t for everyone, I get that 

[futureman 22510]

7 hours ago, ztejas said:

That's fine man. I think we pretty demonstrably disagree on this film. I respect your opinion. I'd hope you respect mine. 

did you watch Lone Star yet

[ztejas 43524]

1 minute ago, futureman said:

did you watch Lone Star yet

God dammit no I'll watch it.

[Captain Ron 12887]

15 hours ago, Porterhouse said:

Yeah I got all that. It still has many many plot holes. 

I guess? To me that is pretty straight forward

Spoiler

She was having an affair with the brother, it was easy because clearly the king traveled for long periods. I would guess the brother didn't always go with him. It made that transition work.

Do all films have holes? Sure, I don't see how this is could produce many.

After reflecting on the film a little more:
 

Spoiler

Here is my quick take on things:

My suspension of disbelief only can go so far. This might be my biggest pick with the film. Amleth clearly became a big character/force in his tribe in the land of Rus. Once he knew where to find his Uncle, he could have go to the tribe, said I want to kill Fjolnir because he wronged me, and his tribe would have gone and conquered them pretty quick. He could have fought Fjolnir one on one and that was that. The whole hide as a slave thing seemed unnecessary.

But if you get past then I have two follow ups:

1. I think Eggers missed an opportunity to make a bond between the half brother Gunnar and Amleth, which was hinted when Amleth saves him during the brutal quidditch game, but then forgotten. It could have made Amleth having to kill him have a little more depth or something. Maybe Amleth has to think about it before blindly doing it.

2. Someone else called this a straight revenge film and once we get the twist of the Queen orchestrating a lot of this, it does. Amleth kills the Fjolnir's eldest son, then rescues Olga, they escape and are about to leave, but then swims back when she realizes she's pregnant and finishes his revenge, dying in the process.

But my big issue is that his death didn't feel noble or necessary. He says he's doing it to protect his children, but again see what I said about going and gathering his forces to kick Fjolnir's butt. Sure it fulfills the prophecy, but again, it's feels really forced. Yes, it works, but it just feels super forced. ESPECIALLY when he slaps you in the face with the part about "WAIT, remember 2 hours ago the crazy man said one line about how I will pick family OR revenge!" and how you almost literally see his lightbulb turn on when Olga reveals the pregnancy.

Instead I think you make the audience feel the tension.

Amleth returns with the heart and saves Olga and they get away chased by Fjolnir's men. Amleth kills them, they escape. But then Amleth (and the audience too) knows they can't run, Fjolnir will hunt them. So he says he will go back to finish the job, Olga begs him to stay, reveals she's pregnant, but he must go to protect them all. He returns, has to make an active choice to kill his mother and Gunnar. Then fights Fjolnir and they both die.

I enjoyed the film, I was entertained, the end just felt a touch flat to me. A tweak here or there and that's fixed. My $0.02.

[futureman 22510]

1 hour ago, ztejas said:

God dammit no I'll watch it.

you damn well better

[CooterBrown 18016]

59 minutes ago, Captain Ron said:

  Hide contents

The whole hide as a slave thing seemed unnecessary.

A bit to Eggers' detriment is his obsession with adhering to the accuracy of the original story. In the original story, he didn't escape as a child but had a head injury and he pretended to be mentally disabled for 20 years until he killed his uncle.  He probably picked what he thought was the best solution to fit within the original story's structure.

[Captain Ron 12887]

Plus if he did it that way, he would have been hit with plagerism as that was the plot of the only good episode of "Just Shoot Me"

 

[Guest]

5 hours ago, Captain Ron said:

I guess? To me that is pretty straight forward

  Reveal hidden contents

She was having an affair with the brother, it was easy because clearly the king traveled for long periods. I would guess the brother didn't always go with him. It made that transition work.

Do all films have holes? Sure, I don't see how this is could produce many.

After reflecting on the film a little more:
 

  Reveal hidden contents

Here is my quick take on things:

My suspension of disbelief only can go so far. This might be my biggest pick with the film. Amleth clearly became a big character/force in his tribe in the land of Rus. Once he knew where to find his Uncle, he could have go to the tribe, said I want to kill Fjolnir because he wronged me, and his tribe would have gone and conquered them pretty quick. He could have fought Fjolnir one on one and that was that. The whole hide as a slave thing seemed unnecessary.

But if you get past then I have two follow ups:

1. I think Eggers missed an opportunity to make a bond between the half brother Gunnar and Amleth, which was hinted when Amleth saves him during the brutal quidditch game, but then forgotten. It could have made Amleth having to kill him have a little more depth or something. Maybe Amleth has to think about it before blindly doing it.

2. Someone else called this a straight revenge film and once we get the twist of the Queen orchestrating a lot of this, it does. Amleth kills the Fjolnir's eldest son, then rescues Olga, they escape and are about to leave, but then swims back when she realizes she's pregnant and finishes his revenge, dying in the process.

But my big issue is that his death didn't feel noble or necessary. He says he's doing it to protect his children, but again see what I said about going and gathering his forces to kick Fjolnir's butt. Sure it fulfills the prophecy, but again, it's feels really forced. Yes, it works, but it just feels super forced. ESPECIALLY when he slaps you in the face with the part about "WAIT, remember 2 hours ago the crazy man said one line about how I will pick family OR revenge!" and how you almost literally see his lightbulb turn on when Olga reveals the pregnancy.

Instead I think you make the audience feel the tension.

Amleth returns with the heart and saves Olga and they get away chased by Fjolnir's men. Amleth kills them, they escape. But then Amleth (and the audience too) knows they can't run, Fjolnir will hunt them. So he says he will go back to finish the job, Olga begs him to stay, reveals she's pregnant, but he must go to protect them all. He returns, has to make an active choice to kill his mother and Gunnar. Then fights Fjolnir and they both die.

I enjoyed the film, I was entertained, the end just felt a touch flat to me. A tweak here or there and that's fixed. My $0.02.

It is straight forward but not believable. First, she wanted to kill her husband, who elevated her status tremendously, because he did what every king since the dawn of time had done?  Second, she ordered the killing of her own son?

Totally unbelievable. This was an incredibly shit movie with terrible fucking dialogue and terrible action scenes and all-over-place Viking religious bullshit that was totally fabricated. 

[Reynolds Woodcock 4788]

18 minutes ago, Porterhouse said:

It is straight forward but not believable. First, she wanted to kill her husband, who elevated her status tremendously, because he did what every king since the dawn of time had done?  Second, she ordered the killing of her own son?

Totally unbelievable. This was an incredibly shit movie with terrible fucking dialogue and terrible action scenes and all-over-place Viking religious bullshit that was totally fabricated. 

Your position is that it's totally unbelievable that an enslaved person would want to kill their capture because he "elevated her status tremendously", and that a rape victim might bear ill will toward the product of said rape? All in 10th century Iceland? That's...an interesting take.  

[Guest]

Just now, Reynolds Woodcock said:

Your position is that it's totally unbelievable that an enslaved person would want to kill their capture because he "elevated her status tremendously", and that a rape victim might bear ill will toward the product of said rape? All in 10th century Iceland? That's...an interesting take.  

Forgive me. I was unaware concubines 1100 years ago were so enlightened, wielded so much power, and combined with their enlightenment would just dispatch of their progeny despite that enlightenment. 

It is utterly implausible. Terrible movie. 

[Reynolds Woodcock 4788]

Utterly implausible in a movie with a duel inside a volcano. But I get that it’s hard to see beyond the surface level for some folks, no shame in that. 

Edited May 24, 2022 by Reynolds Woodcock

[elfenix 34331]

On 5/23/2022 at 8:34 PM, Reynolds Woodcock said:

Utterly implausible in a movie with a duel inside a volcano. But I get that it’s hard to see beyond the surface level for some folks, no shame in that. 

the only thing i know about duels inside volcanoes is he with the high ground wins. 

[52-80 19205]

I can't believe a movie with ravens unlocking a dude from his bonds isn't really real.

But 1 real component of the Norse culture was the custom of revenge killing.  If a member of one family inflicts mortal harm to those of another, the other have a "right" (or obligation) to inflict it back. 

But the killings do not "net out" to zero.  Each killing resets the basis for another, and they keep going back and forth until 1 pays a weregild as monetary compensation.

In this example, because Fjolnir is still alive, there's still the risk of Amleth's family carrying that "debt".  It's only until Fjolnir's bloodline was ended that Amleth's progeny would be fully secure.  Amleth had to fight to Fjolnir to ensure that happens.

[Bateshorn 9928]

On 5/23/2022 at 1:43 PM, Captain Ron said:

Plus if he did it that way, he would have been hit with plagerism as that was the plot of the only good episode of "Just Shoot Me"

 

Slow Donnie is possibly the greatest character in sitcom history. Fight me.

Also, this thread took a deeply weird turn.  Which is probably apropos for an Eggers movie.

[Captain Ron 12887]

10 minutes ago, Bateshorn said:

Slow Donnie is possibly the greatest character in sitcom history. Fight me.

Also, this thread took a deeply weird turn.  Which is probably apropos for an Eggers movie.

TRUE.

CSB: Well into his time with Arrested Development I served David Cross coffee once (SXSW), it took every fiber of my being to not say "Chicken Pot, Chicken Pot, Chicken Pot Pieeeeee" to him.

That episode of Just Shoot me rate significantly higher than every other episode. As a series that show is hot garbage, on a good day, but that episode is freaking special.

 

[MissingInAction 25132]

On 5/11/2022 at 3:59 AM, ztejas said:

Aaaaaaaand I watched Braveheart for the umpteenth time because I'm a loser without a life.

The Northman doesn't touch it. That doesn't mean it isn't a great movie... but I will say I wouldn't call it an epic in the vein of Braveheart or others. The depth, scale, and emotion just isn't remotely the same. 

(That said I want to go see it again and I'll see if any of my opinions change) 

That's a great take. I never caught myself screaming, "Freedom!" during Northman.

[billfromlaketravis 11520]

Can Hollywood stop casting Nicole Kidman in movies where she’s she’s supposed to be 30? She looks every single bit of 54. 

[CooterBrown 18016]

Can Hollywood stop casting Nicole Kidman in movies where she’s she’s supposed to be 30? She looks every single bit of 54. 

Amleth is around 33 (13 + the 20 years that pass) so 54 is right in a modern sense at least. In 895, she would’ve had him in her teens instead of in her 20s.

[billfromlaketravis 11520]

Despite Nicole Kidman and Ethan Hawke as a Viking (dafuq?!) , I really enjoyed this film. All the cool Viking stuff we all love plus some supernatural elements. I give it an A. 

It's streaming on Peacock. If Xfinity is your internet provider, it's free. 

Edited June 5, 2022 by billfromlaketravis

[52-80 19205]

2 hours ago, billfromlaketravis said:

Despite Nicole Kidman and Ethan Hawke as a Viking (dafuq?!)

its hard to watch ethan hawke in that movie and not see this

[QuesoEspecial 255]

I watched it on peacock last night and was entertained but experienced horrible lag issues …had to start and stop multiple times to get the audio and visuals to sync …reminded me of Game of Thrones HBO streaming issues back in the day 😤

[achooloco 1072]

On 6/5/2022 at 8:50 AM, CooterBrown said:

Amleth is around 33 (13 + the 20 years that pass) so 54 is right in a modern sense at least. In 895, she would’ve had him in her teens instead of in her 20s.

Yeah, except the last show i saw them both in was the hbo series where they are husband and wife so seeing her be the mom here ... just threw me off from the get go.

Having watched Vikings, Last Kingdom, and read a fair amount on early English history, I expected something different from this. Caught it on peacock and couldn't get into it at all. Had to turn it off about 3/4s of the way through. 

Then I came back to this thread. Having read y'alls take, I probably still won't finish it but maybe if I'm bored to see what I missed. If I had to compare it, I'd say this is The Thin Red Line to the Vikings/Last Kingdom as SPR. Which doesn't mean it is bad, just completely different way to tell a familiar genre that suffers for me personally since I wanted more of the other method.

[kingkoopa6 8376]

The background of this movie is bad ass. I wanna hit up Iceland now. 
 Skargard a beast..

He didn’t have to do moms and lil bro like that…

lol did mom slip him tongue?

im a big fan of heirs to thrones that end up being a slave and working they way up.. 

I down for Northman2