I Didn't Like The Northman Very Much

Happy Leif Erikson Day! This year, I'm reviewing the Robert Eggers Viking epic The Northman.
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[@philkelly704]

I think what you’re missing here is exactly how phenomenal Alexander Skarsgard looks with his shirt off, thus negating the need for a plot.

[@nataschavisser573]

Yes, his torso is carrying a lot of weight in this movie.

[@philkelly704]

@@nataschavisser573 It looks like a very firm, load-bearing Torso.

[@klisterklister2367]

You make a great argument

[@philkelly704]

@@nataschavisser573 It’s a firm, load-bearing torso.

[@potatopotatow]

Well said.

[@renaigh]

Vinland Saga should've been a slice-of-life anime

[@toadsprout]

vinland saga but 2/3 of it is the farm arc

[@8xottox8]

Farm arc best arc.

[@zainmudassir2964]

It has same manga author as Planetes which is sci Fi about space exploration

[@slyskyes590]

It is tho 😏

[@spenceramey406]

Those who criticize the Farm Arc. Trust me, if you hang on and gotten through the "Farm Arc". You will definitely like the "Baltic Sea Arc" coming up. Vinland Saga is truly a slept on series. Season 1 was so good, it made me read the manga.

[@somnambulist83]

I'll vouch for you--the guy from Jurassic World's name is Owen Thunderguns and his submissive lady-friend's name is Submissive Lady-Friend.

[@theprimo100]

Does he hang dong?

[@MadIvano]

One of Mike’s finest lines. Every time I think of Chris Pratt I think of Owen Thunderguns.

[@chrisowens4550]

Huh, I thought her name was Girlboss stereotype.

[@Sgt_Joker]

Sarah Harding was a far better character than PR Manager Lady and friggin Donald Gennaro was far more compelling than Badass Navy SEAL Man. The JW trilogy is an insult to the first trilogy.

[@frog8220]

Nah that's "Heels"

[@duckheadbob]

Its not really a viking story and more of a viking-themed hamlet, and it WILDLY succeeds at that imo

[@Mr.McMuffin]

1000% agree with that

[@Daniel_Plainview_1911]

This is based on the original story of Amleth, which William Shakespeare turned into Hamlet

[@merrittanimation7721]

Hamlet if we saw his college days before the plot started, but with murder instead of books.

[@sweatygarbage6969]

Idk man if you listen to Andy's points, the characters aren't really as interesting or layered as Hamlets' are, Hamlet himself having the layers of madness, existential questions around death and suicide, and different mechanisms and means of revenge. Amleth is, as the video says, basically Angry Revenge Man without really questioning or engaging with revenge as a concept or theme

[@M.JWitteveen]

I mean I disagree with that as well though. Northman is the only Viking related content that I've seen that used actual period-accurate weapons and armour (except for the naked berserkers)

[@TheAxlSnaks]

Spoiler Warning: One of the most intense scenes in cinema is in the tiny ass room toward the end, when he has killed his brother and his mother, and the man he has been hunting quietly enters the doorway, lifts his dead wife and son, and they stare intensely at one another No music. Barely any sound. Two shots. Gave me fucking goosebumps, that

[@brianjohnson4082]

I like how tired and so over it Aleth is. He can't even muster up any big response when his uncle brings up his father.

[@SubliminaIMessages]

yep that was my favorite scene too. his uncle didn't even have a response to what he did, he was emotionally checked out at this point and wanted to get it over with

[@TihetrisWeathersby]

Leif Erikson was a man that liked to live life on the edge, in the fast lane. He was a man that lived like Larry.

[@Sableagle]

He knew all the right people; he took all the right pills. He threw outrageous parties; he paid heavenly bills.

[@SnausageKing]

Ben Larry Kenobi?

[@wavetactics13]

One thing I feel you may have overlooked is Amleth's pursuit of revenge is portrayed in a self-destructive light. The events of his childhood have produced an extremely unlikable person. One who readily throws away his current life just to get a chance at revenge after learning his target is more vulnerable than he believed. Its only after he sees his uncle and mother again that he starts to learn the view he's had of them since his childhood is deeply flawed, and a large part of his motivation since then was a lie. That is, in my opinion, one of the pivotal points of the film since it directly undermines his entire character up until this point and recontextualizes almost everything before that scene.

[@frankknudsen8803]

That aspect is for sure interesting, but they could have done so much more with that

[@OctavioMovies]

15:18 I think what's funniest is that there's some real Uralo-Finnic people named the Chuds (or Chudes) who had a fair bit of interaction with Scandinavian peoples. I remember reading somewhere that the Sami tell stories to their children about how the Chudes will come and kidnap them if they misbehave.

[@AB-gk8cs]

There is an old film, called "The Pathfinder", which focus on the Chudes (Tschuden?) and their raids against the Samis. I found this film old-fashioned but beautiful - far better than that abomination, they filmed in 2007 under the same name: in this, they transfered the story to America, with horny wikings (yes, i think they realy have horned helmes) as the bad guy and the protagonist as a raised-by-natives viking orphan, who of course become the white savior. Because the american natives of course can not get their sh*t together against some vikings, while at least according to the sagas they killed quiet a number and forced them to leave "Vinland"...😉

[@cyancat5451]

I don't necessarily agree that there had to be a major kingdom to fight over or that the main character had to abandon his revenge at the end. It's to show he's bound by a vendetta he can't bring himself to abandon. The tragedy of the unending nature of the vendetta is a recurring theme in several sagas. I do agree that him saying 'I choose both' and the bombastic nature of the fight and the weird royal bloodline scene at the end is a cop-out. The movie should have committed to the final fight being tragic and pointless, rather than being epic despite how pointless it still is in context. The point that even complete revenge with his uncle's entire family and his mother dead can't make him whole could have been a more thoughtful conclusion, but since he dies in the fight and there's a scene showing the glorious destiny of his bloodline at the end, we do very much get the impression that he somehow still died fulfilled.

[@connorsedlacek4635]

The bloodline vision at the end does undercut the anti-revenge point you describe, which I agree is what the movie seems to be saying. My take is that it is just a dying, unreliable "dream sequence" like the two (?) others in the movie. I understand that can be a bit hard to swallow, though.

[@patron8597]

​I would argue that while it could be seen as a pointless death he could have avoided if let go of his desire for revenge, for the character, it really wasn't. The supernatural elements might be all in his head, there's certainly enough room for that. But according to his world view, he died avenging his father's death and he died in battle. It wasn't a tragic end to him at all.

[@DesignatedMember]

@@patron8597 Yeah I think people are missing how anthropological this film is. In Amaleth's warrior-aristocrat culture gaining revenge is something to be celebrated. Its honor-culture bullshit. It only seems like a folly because we see the events from our cultural lens. Amaleth ended the film by gaining revenge and securing more progeny. That's... that's the stuff warriors in honor-cultures want!

[@TheGreatBerserker]

When the narration and camera swoop started my thoughts were "this better be for a dog"

[@maddg7471]

The opening part of this video traumatized me to my core. The look in the viking dogs eyes was pure malice.

[@Sableagle]

Have you met _Meles meles_ at all? A _hund_ would have to be crazy or desperate to go after one of those, so the _Dachshund_ was bred to be both.

[@ElderScold]

A devil dog he be.

[@marSLaZZ66]

Fear thee Berserk Hound of Hell ! 🥰

[@timswabb]

I loved The Northman. I was so glad I saw it in the theater. I think it made a big difference.

[@mboatrightED300]

As a female viewer, I actually did relate to Gertrude, ‘cause yeah if I was kidnapped and forced into a marriage to a man I hated I would also plot his murder and feel very little remorse over it. But the movie just isn’t interested in her story even though it’s way better than Amleth’s.

[@minutemansam1214]

The story is literally based on the original Amleth, and Amleth is the POV character. We see most things from his perspective.

[@euansmith3699]

The thing that struck me about the bits of the sagas that I read is that so much of the action seemed to revolve around court cases. Maybe we need a Norse version of "A Few Good Men". "Viltu sannleikann?! Þú getur ekki höndlað sannleikann!"

[@charlesparr1611]

With Mads Mikkelson as Bengt Matlokson, hero of the allthing.

[@splatoon99]

This movie has two main messages, in my opinion. 1. The past is a different country, and our ancestors believed in things we can't really comprehend, to the point that they might as well be an alien culture. No matter how much someone might like to LARP as a viking, they can never really make themselves believe Valhalla is real. 2. Mothers are evil and will betray you.

[@ContentsMayDiffer]

"He mortally wounded him" is usually how the sagas tell it. Short and sweet.

[@ethanbaker137]

I think like most of eggers work the northman has a somewhat weak story going on but its vibes are purely immaculate straight up

[@GeeBarone]

I dunno I think The VVitch has a banger narrative, but I also studied 17th century Witchcraft accounts at university so I maybe get more out of it than most. I agree with the sentiment

[@nyxshadowhawk]

I know a lot more about Germanic culture now than I did when I first watched this film and... yeah. You hit the nail on the head. I REALLY hope that Nosferatu is good.

[@EriktheRed2023]

Thanks for letting me listen in on this conversation between people who are really into film.

[@prestobizmal]

The clips that exist of the film before they removed all the color look awesome

[@pdxcorgidad]

Underrated comment.

[@prestobizmal]

@@pdxcorgidad underrated username pdxbostonterrierdad here

[@ClayAlmighty]

Honestly, seeing what was filmed in the behind the scenes footage and photos vs. what we saw. I firmly believe the film we got is NOT what Eggers wanted. I remember reading leaks about test audiences not understanding the ending and it needed changes. But like, that's kind of the point of Eggers movies? In a first viewing, you probably won't get the ending. It's the beauty of his films. You see it again, paying attention to the deeper themes and the ending hits. This... doesn't really exist in The Northman, and with how Eggers sounds in the directors cut, he's clearly not happy with the changes he was likely forced to make to get this movie to theaters against test audiences.

[@friendsquadzulu]

my letterboxd review is just a quote about the film: "Eggers and the studio worked together to find the most entertaining cut of the film."

[@connorsedlacek4635]

I've definitely heard about this too. I do think the final cut works as-is. But this is definitely a case where something was compromised. Hopefully we'll learn more about what that first cut was in the future.

[@patron8597]

I wouldn't doubt that. I watched the RLM review and they complained about all characters looking too clean and too neatly dressed. Sometimes us history fans forget that most people actually still believe all those Victorian myths.

[@leochillrud6255]

15:16 my bad dude. Didn’t know you were filming and I needed a break

[@KK-fi6ms]

I am tired of the Vikings continuously depicted as savages on movies and TV. Like even the critically acclaimed The Last Kingdom, the original author went into excruciating detail describing the chainmail armor used by the Danes, their highly organized combat tactics, the artistry of their house and ships, how they groomed themselves a lot more than saxons.... somehow all of that was lost in the adaptation.

[@minutemansam1214]

I mean, all vikings WERE savages. To go on a viking means to go on a raid. Viking originally just meant pirate. So if you were a viking you were a savage. Most norsemen weren't vikings, but vikings, by definition, must be savages.

[@zackc3767]

This movie had some really cool scenes stitched together by a meh main plot. The ball game scene and the berserker attack particularly were amazing.

[@TheAxlSnaks]

12:30 Man, I really do love you. I do. But I absolutely despise this take. Firstly let's start with a simple criticism I have of modern movies: there are too many cuts! Every single line of dialogue has a cut to the person speaking, every single movement of the character on-screen has a cut to the people around them, or to them themselves to show their face. It's tiresome. We need to start letting scenes B R E A T H E. One of the modern hallmarks of modern cinematography was that excellent battle scene in The Revenant, the giant minimally edited one-shot that everyone touts because, especially when it happened, it was a breath of fresh air for an action sequence. Secondly, what does this minimally edited, well-choreographed shot achieve? That this is a shark wading through water, Noah splitting the Red Sea, a stable sort of insanity in the chaos of battle. A common theme that people who have major PTSD are known to have is what during stressful situations? Calmness. And even though our protagonist is fueled by rage, earning his keep among the Slavs as a butcher - his clearheaded murderous nature during this scene highlights truly how much of a broken man he really is. A fact highlighted by the premonition he receives soon after that leads him toward the man he was wanted dead since he was a boy. This theme comes full circle at the end when he "chooses both" revenge and love - it's because it's a lie. He chose revenge. But he knows it's the wrong choice. He is the strongest most capable warrior in all of Vineland, arguably, but not strong enough to tell the love of his life that revenge drives him more than her heart. Anyways, I feel like the emotional nature of the scenes feels more grounded specifically because the camera work isn't jumping around the battle like a fuckin' Michael Bay movie.

[@patron8597]

Agreed. One of the worst areas of action cinema was around the 2010's, when everyone over used quick-cut, shaky cam close-ups for action. This can work when shooting a chaotic, close pitched battle in which two armies clash, but it shouldn't be the go to for every action scene. Especially here. It shows that killing and death has become second nature to the man we last saw as a crying little boy.

[@DesignatedMember]

"The theme comes full circle at the end when he "choses both" revenge and love - it's because its a lie. He choses revenge. But he know its the wrong choice" I disagree with this take. Comming from a warrior-aristocrat ethos, which placed enormous importance on "lineage", but little on the humanity of women (Olga and Gudrun both being captives), I suspect that Amaleth genuinelly considers impregnating her as "love". Remember how afterwards we see the vision-tree again which notes how Amaleth's line has continued with progeny? That's important. That shows what Amaleth (and the culture he represents) cares about. He doesn't "genuinely" care about Olga. He cares about progeny and revenge -- in true warrior-aristocrat honor-culture fashion.

[@robbieshand6139]

Exactly. A well-crafted oner is more thrilling than any ADHD quick-cut, shaky-cam action scene precisely because of how much craft it requires. I for one am really glad that the 2000s predilection for rapid-fire cuts is being thrown out in favour of longer takes that let you actually see what is going on and allow the viewer to look for smaller details. Also, the side-by-side comparison with Shaun of the Dead was a bit lame. It made for an amusing line in Atun's script but what is the side-by-side comparison that follows meant to illustrate exactly? That both films have long shots? Throwing together two shots from wildly different films that have a surface-level similarity is a visual straw-man and a weak one too.

[@TheAxlSnaks]

@@DesignatedMember i don't disagree with your assessment, i would only suggest that it isn't farfetched to think that his broken relationship with women, and his championing of the warrior-aristocrat ethos, is a direct result of a) is mom serving that role as lineage purveyor and nothing else in his life, and b) him coming from royalty. his entire sense of what love is is fucked, hence the why the woman he loves does not agree with his actions in the end

[@bipolarminddroppings]

I wish more movies reviews could be summed up with "This movie wasn't for me". I feel like half the critics on youtube need to learn that phrase instead of getting angry about the fact they've gotten old and movies aren't being made for them anymore...

[@ElderScold]

On the other hand, some movie makers like to use the phrase "not meant for you" to excuse away any criticism. Granted, there are indeed movies not made for me. Barbie for instance. Such movies are usually well crafted enough though to attract who they are meant for. Other movies on the other hand, look like they were just meant to please the director and his/her immediate family. They usually fail on cinematic levels too numerous to mention.

[@toadsprout]

i really just needed him to stop pulling back the cool supernatural shit. literally every time the movie threatened to get interesting or actually cool in a non-superficial way it was a trick

[@Emelia39]

I think ever since the success of shutter island I see a lot of film makers doing the “it was just their imagination or that they’re crazy” thing and I need for directors to understand that it’s the thriller equivalent to “it was all a dream.”

[@daqueda1577]

I think it's relevant that the co-writer of The Northman is Icelandic, and The Northman is more an adaptation of Ambale, the Icelandic version of Amleth, which only dates back to the romanticist period. The film is meant to be that version, an EPIC, so I don't think it's sensible to compare it to The VVitch or The Lighthouse, because they weren't aiming for that. Overall, I loved The Northman and given Andy's taste I'm not surprised he does not, but you know what Andy? I'm gonna start loving it even more now!

[@SamuraiMujuru]

Yeah, I understand the comparisons to Hamlet, since Hamlet and The Northman are drinking from the same well, but focusing so much on them really misses the point.

[@KroiAlbanoiArbanon]

The volcano fight reminds of Simba fighting his uncle.

[@comradetrashpanda8777]

Another adaptation of Hamlet albeit a poor one lol. Scar did nothing wrong!

[@minutemansam1214]

@@comradetrashpanda8777 The Lion King is not an adaptation of Hamlet, it's influence by Hamlet as well as other Shakespeare works, and of course Scar did something wrong. He murdered his brother, tried to murder his nephew, and created an ecological catastrophe by having hyenas and lions cooperate instead of compete for resources, as nature intended. Can't have two top level predators in the same ecosystem unless theirs competition to limit their numbers.

[@michaelgrabner8977]

to overlay the village pillage with the tone of Monty Phyton´s Lancelot´s rage made my day.

[@stewhv94]

I really have to disagree. Not every film needs a complex plot or characters. The Northman takes a simple story about revenge and executes that masterfully. This is like watching an old Norse folk tale come to life.

[@lucasjudson7859]

Nice opinion you got there. Shame its WRONG

[@eliahelfenbein4731]

Love it

[@SquatsAndOats2plate]

yeah, I just checked the based opinion database - his opinion wasn't found there, 0 entries, so its either in the wrong or cringe database. Gonna look there later.

[@pdxcorgidad]

Yeah well that's just your opinion.

[@EriktheRed2023]

You're reminding me just how awesome the soundtrack to MPatHG is. And just how straight it was played, adding to the hilarity, of course.

[@nicotrex6690]

I didn't think this movie as realistic viking portrait. I watched It as new version of Hamlet. Like the Richard III movie of 1995. Hamlet Is an angry revenge Man.

[@brenatevi]

Didn't expect an Esoterica reference.

[@nextabe1]

Literally just rewatched The VVitch last night, will definitely check out The Sudbury Devil!

[@megafire7]

I remember thinking it was rather fitting that the uncle had already lost his kingdom and was essentially exiled to Iceland, because it made the idea of enacting revenge against this guy... pathetic. The fact that it lowered the stakes made me more interested in how the desire for revenge ruined our angry shouty man. The movie, ah, did not really deliver on this view of mine.

[@EdBurke37]

Have you read Vinland Saga? Cause I think you'd like Vinland Saga.

[@EGULL97]

Really liked Jackson Crawford's take. Very like a saga, except that the protagonist is extremely lacking in Soliloquy.

[@EGULL97]

And before anyone beats me up that is a very paraphrased statement. He had real criticisms himself, and I don't speak for the guy.

[@Banished-rx4ol]

I was hoping for more leif eriksson facts

[@theshenpartei]

Now it makes me wonder would you do a review on the Viking series next year.

[@5Amigos32]

​@@DerMannDerSeineMutterwar the first 4 seasons are pretty good

[@thomaswillard6267]

​@@DerMannDerSeineMutterwarbro, you can be a thoraboo all you want, but lying just makes you look childish

[@DesignatedMember]

You know which character bothers me in this story? Fjölnir (evil uncle wife-stealer). Hear me out. Fjölnir display several traits that would seem quizzical to Viking society. Aurvandill calls him a half-breed (hinting at a foregin ancestory similar to Gudrun’s). He’s willing to do slave-work to the chagrin of his son. And he uses statements such as “Evil begets evil,” which seems a strange thing to say in a might-makes-right culture. Not to mention his frequent icy stares and cool composure which contrasts heavily with Amleth’s berserker inhumanity. Unlike Amleth... this guy really doesn't seem like a Viking (as the movie conceptualizes them). He's an "outsider" to this culture. Having noticed this trend, I was expecting some sort of outsider-vs-Viking dynamic at the core of the Northman's theme. Remember Gudrun's backstory of going from captive-to-slave-to-concubine-to-wife? That plays into this trend as well. She's a enslaved concubine. Fjölnir is most likely the son of a enslaved concubine. Amleth’s and Aurvandill’s warrior-aristocrat ethos gives them a brutes simpleminded understanding of the world. Might makes right -- we are the mighty. A ideology which ruins the lives of Gudrun and Fjölnir. Yet of course Gudrun and Fjölnir has also assimilated into this society (to some extent) being part of Viking culture while also victims of it. So we have an elite vs counter-elite dynamic going, with the counter-elite representing an sort of infiltration of Viking-society from outside forces, who both perpetuate it due to their trauma, yet also tries to subtly change its ethos (represented by Fjölnir’s un-Northman-like ethos). A sort of commentary on the consequences of Viking rapine. Which Amleth -- ever the viking -- truly fucks up. I fully expected that as the movie went on, Olga would be roped into this would-be dynamic as well, representing another “Outsider” who eventually clashes with Amleth’s aristocrat-mayhem as well. They build towards such a conflict when Amleth refuses to run away with her at the end. Yet instead of blossoming this thread seemed to dissipate whence the movie hit its final reels in favor of what we got, which left me feeling a bit lacking. Maybe this theme was some leftovers from an earlier script? That was to much thinking for my taste. Let's all agree that what the Norseman REALLY lacked as a Viking film was a knife-throwing Irish ninja ala The Raven Flies, amirite!?

[@SerxhioGjata]

The idea of the ending is that the cycle of violence would not end until Amleth died and him running for love would be just him running away from his actions. In Fjolnir, he created a carbon-copy of himself, a man with nothing left to lose. Him fighting Fjolnir is not him getting his revenge, but him fighting himself and dying alongside his revenge. The vision with his daughter becoming (most probably) Olga of Kiev is not meant to show his revenge beared fruit, but that his family could prosper only with him dead and out of the picture not bringing his bagged with him. His redemption was him essentially denying himself of the please of living his life, so the violence would stop at him

[@__RD14533]

Didn’t you make an entire video about how history nerds are weird for demanding that movies be 100% historically accurate?

[@EriktheRed2023]

Sort of. Also one retracting that, and agreeing with Brandon.

[@MyUsualComment]

@@EriktheRed2023 Yup, he changed his opinion. He and Brandon are now friends.

[@fruitygarlic3601]

Yes, and that it is frustrating when miscnceptions about history, that shape modern thought, are reaffirmed. (I am barely paraphrasing his and Brandon F's understanding: kzbin.info/www/bejne/hZPRoYGMl7-FjJI)

[@minutemansam1214]

@@EriktheRed2023 I mean, it's true that a historical fiction doesn't need to be 100% historically accurate. That's an unrealistic goal.

[@8xottox8]

Best damn day of the year. I did fail to procure the authentic traditional flavored vodka or drink mix though. A simple beer will have to suffice.

[@sodawater7822]

Checkmate Eggerites.

[@hooloovoo4066]

Eggheads seething

[@commanderneyo]

Have you ever considered reviewing the anime Vinland Saga at all? I finished season 2 and would love to hear what you think of it so far (there is a Manga but thats a lot of reading I don't want to make you do)

[@stepheng3985]

I love stories with complicated characters that act, look, and feel like real people, but not all films need to be like that. For me, the spectacle of this film, the way it transports you to this world of the vikings (at least as depicted by the dubious historicity of the sagas), the cinematography, and sorta operatic vibe of the story were enough for me to love this film. As an alternative example, I'm a huge christopher nolan fan, and he's directed some of my favorite films. Nevertheless, while a lot of his characters may be facinating and compelling, I would say that most of them are characters at their core, are often a little one dimensional, and don't come off as entirely authentic/realistic human beings. But that's never stopped me from absolutely loving his work.

[@Kurzula5150]

0:47 "Be not afeared - I am become hound again."

[@connorsedlacek4635]

Rob, if you're reading this, don't listen to this guy. He doesn't grasp your true vision for the Northman. Oh, and Happy Leif Erikson Day. The Northman is actually my favorite of your films-- it's a viscerally realistic nightmare that reveals the Victorian/Hollywood Viking hero-cult as the true horror-show that it is. What Mr. Shei here doesn't seem to understand is that the battle scene establishing adult Amleth is not supposed to be a fun action sequence, but a war-journalist's documentary of an ancient scene of needless brutality. Hence the oner. You had no interest in portraying Norse culture positively. You were focusing on its violent aspects, a violence that is seeded in Amleth even by the father that he avenges. When given the chance to choose a different kind of life with Anya's character, of choosing between love and revenge, he chooses "both:" i.e. he chooses revenge, because revenge is (tragically) inseparable from love for him. That his uncle lives in remote Iceland as a mere sheep-farmer underlines the fact that he would not be a threat to Amleth and his future family in any way. His revenge is unnecessary and freely chosen. And pursuing it leads to dark revelations about nature of the family that he was raised in. Rather than break out of the cycle, he embraces it. That's why the final battle at Mt. Doom is strangely unsatisfying: it's an ugly descent into the darkness of toxic male-on-male rage. So have a nice mead on Leif Erikson Day, Rob. Don't let this silly KZbin man get you down.

[@MyUsualComment]

Differing opinions are good. They entice conversation. He should totally listen to him; that's the whole point of art.

[@connorsedlacek4635]

@@MyUsualComment You're absolutely right. I'm just being absurd. Point was just to share my take. Andy's critiques are very sensible but I have reasons why I like the choices Eggers made. I don't actually think Eggers is reading the comments (hopefully he gives the video a watch) but it would be nice 😅

[@CheckmateCaesarites]

I know it's not your style Andy, but I would love to listen to your rambling thoughts on The Last Kingdom for a few hours! (Preferably while drunk on mead of course!) ❤❤❤

[@ButTheCatCameBack]

The attempts by bad actors to use this film as an affirmation of their rwcist views really irked me after I saw this. One of the things I felt after seeing it in the theater was it was about Amleth's failure. He never seems to truly learn anything from others. His lover, the revelations from his mother even despite her own awful nature, etc. And that ultimately he threw away any good influence he could have had for his children and others in a single minded pursuit of a revenge that was in many ways based on false notions.

[@boarfaceswinejaw4516]

its ironic how well that describes racists. so hell-bent on pursuit of either revenge, lost glory or identity that they throw away any opportunity to make something for themselves.

[@wisdometricist880]

you're looking at the film from a modern lens instead of medieval

[@robertbreedlovecraft]

Did the racists *actually* claim the Northman? I remember pre-release people were like "oh brother, the worst people are gonna also enjoy this..." but the vibe I got is that movie ended up being way too weird and left of the dial for that crowd.

[@thomaswillard6267]

​@@wisdometricist880it is a modern film, not a saga, use your head

[@fruitygarlic3601]

​@@wisdometricist880 Ye sonnes of Amleth be fatherless, as is 'a.

[@Strauss-]

14:00 I still remember the QnA where he said he doesn't know what that means. I already didn't believe him then.

[@sml5634]

" Tim the Enchanter lady 😂😂

[@JazzyCee]

Hinga Dinga Durgen everybody! Happy Leif Erikson day! Always look forward to your uploads on this date, Andrew! I mean, I always look forward to them in general, but you know what I mean.

[@jseipp]

Oh man this is so unexpected and exciting!! I wanted to like this movie when I started into it and came out the other side thinking much the same as you. I really love your Ravenous videos and think you have a lot of fantastically insightful, thoughtful, and above all well-researched stuff to say about movies and would love to see more movie (constructive) critiques from your perspective. Also, your de-bunking yourself and crossover videos with youtubers you criticized in the past are incredibly heartwarming and make me feel better about humanity.

[@jtoegi]

crying myself to sleep now while watching this

[@BlueBerry2283]

You good?

[@rorycampbell7490]

I'd actually disagree with the supernatural elements being imaginary. Rather, they are executed in a way that allows the viewer to choose to see them as either imagination or reality.

[@patron8597]

Exactly! They represent the main character's world view, that's what matters.

[@robfryk6540]

like Eggers generally does. Its weird to me that he criticizes that element in The Northman, while its presented as possibly supernatural in all his movies. It seems to major theme of his.

[@zombiehampster1397]

The call backs to Holy Grail were a nice touch. Loved the audio of (I assume) Lancelots rampage through the swamp castle? lol either way, good shit and critique.

[@shaggythewriter8185]

The fact that he made one of the most intentionally uncomfortable and awesome movies gives Andy an edge over most film reviewers. If he makes an adaptation of The Eddas I'll literally give plasma for a ticket if I have to

[@DarkReflections86]

4:27 “Owen Thunderguns”? Oh, Andy. You hackfraud. :)

[@tastiGMmaster2099]

Gonna disagree regarding Amleth’s arc. My interpretation of it was that once he realized that Olga and his kids wouldn’t be safe, while yes he went through with the killing, his reasons for doing so changed. That instead of doing it for his selfish need for revenge, now he’s doing it out of love and to protect his family. Which is also in the name of breaking the cycle of violence so no one goes after his family out of revenge.

[@user-DeLorean-Dude2024]

If it makes you feel better Andy, there is a SpongeBob clip about Leif Erikson.

[@Bildgesmythe]

Best Viking movie ever is that dog!

[@Ray_Midge]

In the village raid scene, I feel like Eggers was taking the opportunity to remake/"pay homage" to the climax of "Come and See." I remember sitting in the theater thinking, "So, we're doing this, huh?"

[@charlesparr1611]

There is a comedy series based on the viking era, with a lot of Scandinavian actors and very high production values that you would likely greatly enjoy, But I can't seem to find a link to it. Its quite recent, might even still be in production. Damn. The viewpoint characters are two captives, one of whom is some sort of failed theatre kid, and the son of the chief who is gay and submissive rather than being a great warrior and into raping and senseless violence, and is drawn to the theatre guys plans to create a theatre in the village. The whole thing is fractally weird, and wonderful. .It's kind of like Mel Brooks on a longship, in many ways.

[@willywonka7812]

A friend recommended that show. Think it's called Norsemen

[@GRAFFDEMON]

I loved it. Conan the Barbarian is like my favourite film ever and it was hitting alot of the same notes.

[@patron8597]

Fun fact: That drauger fight was actually his tribute to the scene in which Conan finds the Atlantian sword. That scene originally was supposed to have an undead too, but that wasn't possible with their budget.

[@thelastclone6435]

HE LEARNED WHAT ANARCHO-SYNDICALISM IS

[@Hylonomus]

I think this movie was a celebration of Viking fiction and "vibes." The whole movie was just fantastic vibes and really drew me in. I don't care if it was trying to be faithful to the sagas or Hamlet or history, it was trying to do all of it at once as this loveletter to Viking mythos and cinema. I am a big fan of yours, and I am a big fan of history in general. I'm also a bleeding heart pinko commie who's marched with BLM and sparred with terminally online chuds, and I never felt like this movie was intentionally being Nazi propaganda. I hate to compare it to Zack Snyder's 300, because it is a considerably better film that wasn't based on a story written by an arguable fascist. However both films seem to be misunderstood by history and film buffs alike. A movie can run on vibes alone and still be enjoyable. It can have intentional inaccuracies and larger than life scenes because that was the vibe they were going for. The movie was just metal as fuck. It had adventure, enjoyable violence, horror, larger than life emotions and stakes, it just hit this epic vibe while telling a rather small, personal story. The fact that it was masterfully shot and edited only helps cement the epic, brutal vibes that drench every shot of this film. I loved it. I'm still a big fan of yours and I see where you are coming from, but I feel like your criticisms are nitpicky at best.

[@choronos]

Looking forward to watching this one! I also did not like The Northman. It was a huge disappointment for me because I love Eggers' other movies, and the trailer made it look so good. I very much enjoy having my opinions validated by my peers!

[@suddenwall]

First off- your intro is hilarious. Always great to see another video from you! As for the criticism -You approached The Northman expecting a Viking-Age version of The Witch. I honestly think that's the wrong approach. IMO, The Northman is Eggers' version of Conan The Barbarian (1982). The Northman is not meant to be historically accurate, it is an operatic sword-and-sorcery epic whose marketing overemphasized historical accuracy to appeal to Eggers' fans. "What's he known for? Historical accuracy? Yeah, lean into that!" During The Northman press tour, Eggers openly spoke in interviews about his love for the '82 Conan, and even said that he avoided re-watching the movie while he was writing the Northman to avoid outright copying it. When the voiceover started, the drums kicked in, all to a visual of powerful light in the darkness, it immediately clicked for me "Oh snap, he's doing Conan." It's hardly an original observation, you'll find plenty of articles online that go into detail about the similarities between The Northman and Conan that go beyond the usual Campbellian story beats and Amleth/Hamlet allusions. Don't think of it as a period-accurate historical piece, think of it as a melodramatic fantasy wrapped up in Eggers' style.

[@forevermarked5826]

dude he said he chose both but he chose revenge...he don't go back and have a happy ending.. ah man I like a lot of your stuff but I'm not with you on this one bro

[@potatopotatow]

Funny that Alexander Skarsgard also played a character called “Eric Northman”

[@seculartapes]

As others noted I read the point of the film as the tragedy of Amleth having an alternative to revenge in his grasp and then letting it slip away because he can’t let go of his need for vengeance. The zombie sword fight is just giving us what we ~should~ have got in the Atlantean Sword scene in Conan The Barbarian.

[@TSZatoichi]

That overdub at the end is chefskiss perfection.

[@TihetrisWeathersby]

Hollywood really wanted to milk the Viking stuff for as long as they could

[@theshenpartei]

Also the gaming industry look at ac Valhalla

[@thrillhouse4151]

Reminds me when all those “urban” video games popped up after GTA Sam Andreas.

[@euansmith3699]

Have we hit Peak Viking yet? I guess that'll be "Vikings vs Zombies".

[@theshenpartei]

@@thrillhouse4151or saints row don’t forget that one. Heck even cod and world war 2 look at how many FPS games have world war 2 in them.

[@ToyMachine1o1]

Totally understandable; have a great day ✌️

[@WillyShankspeare]

Love the little clip of Skyrim music. I just wanted to say, you used a piece of Empire Total War music in your video about the history of battle scenes in film, which is one of my all time favourite videos of yours, and it took me forever to figure out where I'd heard the piece initially. I had put 300 hours into Empire Total War but it was a long time before I saw that video so I was both extremely familiar with the song but also extremely forgetful. When I realized what it was, it was a huge relief as it had agonized me for a year or so. This made me reflect on the power of video game music in a way few things have and I wanted to thank you for that experience.

[@OgYokYok]

Can you please watch the first season of Spartacus? It’s so horny and a lot better than it ever should have been.

[@acerock013]

I enjoyed it. It didn't see it as a viking movie per se. it is the story that Shakespeare used to write Hamlet. I really liked that there was a lot of authentic details as to how Norse/Dane/Rus peoples dressed and behaved. There was a lot to value there and I found it enjoyable and i even liked that there is an homage to Conan the Barbarian in there too.

[@friedipar]

The village raid with the Lancelot at the wedding sounds is a match made in hell. And i love it

[@99Stutz]

I don't have a remotely sophisticated review of this film, I just didn't find it enjoyable because I didn't care what happened to anyone. It was hard to follow and I didn't connect with anyone's motivations.

[@biogopher]

"youre probably not going to solve racism witha Norse mythology film" you keep cuttin deep Andy

[@prey556]

Happy Lief Erikson day Andy! A hinga-dinga-durgen

[@BecomingBoundless]

I specifically avoided seeing this in theatres to avoid being in the presence of Not sees.

[@TyroneBruinsmaFilms]

Oh no...I can hear a particular subset of this movie's fans coming to strike. I liked the film but understand why anyone would find it less than good

[@patron8597]

Let the chuds fight with Andy-fanatics, the rest of us can have a civil discussion.

[@3choblast3r4]

idk man, I feel like angry revenge guy is really what I needed in a movie and it did feel very relatable. Esp in a time where almost all male characters are feminized and de-masculinizied it was nice seeing a movie just be 90% testosterone. Plus it had some fantastic twists and turns, finding out your whole revenge arc was based on you misunderstanding what happened. Looking for your mother for years only to find out she voluntarily left with the other guy while leaving you for dead.. Also, it's been a long time but wasn't the whole theme of VVitch the girl's sexuality. And how uncomfortable her family got with her turning into a beautiful woman. Like they imply her beauty is corrupting the boy or something. Basically her sexuality, her turning into an attractive woman is evil because it creates lust. And then at the end she becomes a self fulfilling prophecy and joins satan. (It's been a very long time, I was high and I'm suffering from chinese batsoup flue rn)

[@arthurbriand2175]

Why would he repent Amleth? That's the entire point of the character to choose revenge instead of love.

[@leighfoulkes7297]

Just watched "Wild Strawberries" and I must say that is for me the greatest film I've ever seen. I was crying like a baby at the end of it but at the same time, I've never felt so happy. So frustrating that we are only stuck with these silly action movies with nothing original coming out (besides Atun-Shei Films anyway).

[@thanatonyxmoura]

The Skyrim music made this even better.

[@zadtheinhaler]

Oh man, you totally got me with "that Terrence McKenna shit", well done bru! edited to add: "Blink twice if your captor is also shooting Nosferatu" Dude, you're *gold*.

[@hagbardceline7118]

From what I've gathered, this being Egger's first and now probably only big budget studio movie and he has a not great time with it and had to cave to a lotnof demands, it's by a wide margin hisnworst movie. But as far as dumb movies go, it's a really really good dumb movie. If taken in the same frame as say 300 or Troy, it's the highest tier pseudo historical yelling guy action movie. It's not up to Egger'a previous standard and that's dissapointing but in the genre that it's in, it's damn good

[@maxschreck9988]

This was the best werewolf film of 2022.

[@dustinmichel7608]

It was a good retelling of Hamlet

[@timswabb]

Hamlet was a good retelling of the original. The movie attempts to stay true to the original.

[@dustinmichel7608]

@@timswabb but became a better retelling of Hamlet.

[@carlox1266]

Prince of Jutland was imo a better retelling , Christian Bale was a better Amlad and the story stayed closer to the saga .

[@danielcreamer9669]

I think this film really effectively escalated Hamlet into like pseudo-Norse mythology. That did sacrifice some of the humanity though and it can come across Wagnerian. The film doesn't condone the violence persay - I thought the long oner was showing the detachment he was feeling from his life and his actions. However, you can show something brutal and sadistic intending for that to condemn those actions only to have Nazis watch it and applaud the brutality and the sadism. It's not my favorite film by any means, but I think Atun-Shei just wants a different Norse movie than this one. To which I say, make that movie Atun Shei I would pay for it! I would love to see that legend of the Viking Woman who escaped to Iceland and freed her slaves...

[@tonywords6713]

Idk why but the accents in this movie annoyed the ever living shit out of me

[@mr.narwhal547]

Esoterica mention?

[@Irishman2122]

Leif Eriksson content on my birthday? Yes please

[@definatelynotsomeguyyouknow]

If you look over there, you'll see two naked guys fighting in a volcano.

[@Sableagle]

If those fight scenes were any less convincing they'd be a Jiu Jitsu club demonstration at the University's Open Day.

[@davidkarm2]

i wonder if he will ever watch vinland saga