The Northman
The Northman is a 2022 American epic period action drama film directed by Robert Eggers, who the screenplay with Sjón. Based on the legend of Amleth from Gesta Danorum by Saxo Grammaticus, the film follows Amleth, an exiled Viking prince who sets out on a quest to avenge the murder of his father at the hands of his uncle at the height of the Viking Age. It features an ensemble cast of Alexander Skarsgård, Nicole Kidman, Claes Bang, Anya Taylor-Joy, Gustav Lindh, Ethan Hawke, Björk, and Willem Dafoe.
Eggers and Skarsgård, who both also produced, had met to discuss possible collaborations; Eggers decided to make the film his third project after meeting with Skarsgård, who had wanted to make a Viking film for several years. Much of the cast joined in October 2019 and filming took place in locations throughout Iceland, the Republic of Ireland, and Northern Ireland from August to December 2020. The film is heavily influenced by Norse mythology.
The Northman premiered at TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles on April 18, 2022, though it had already been released theatrically in some European and South American countries beginning on April 13. It was released in the United States on April 22. It received widespread critical acclaim but underperformed at the box office, grossing either $75.8 or $69.6 million on a net budget of $70 million. It later found an unexpected amount of financial success on VOD and home media, allowing it to recoup a large portion of its box office losses.
Plot
In AD 895, in the North Atlantic, King Aurvandill "War-Raven" returns to the island of Hrafnsey, reuniting with his wife, Queen Gudrún, and his heir, Prince Amleth. To prepare Amleth for his eventual accession to the throne, the father and son participate in a ceremony overseen by Aurvandill's jester, Heimir. Heimir tells Amleth that his destiny is fixed and cannot be escaped, and Amleth vows to avenge his father if Aurvandill is ever slain, rather than live his life in shame. The next morning, Amleth's bastard uncle Fjölnir stages a palace coup, beheads Aurvandill, sacks the hillfort and carries away Gudrún. Amleth narrowly escapes Fjölnir's assassins and flees by boat, swearing vengeance.Several years later, an adult Amleth is a type of berserker, known as an ulfhéðinn, within a band of Vikings. After attacking a village in Garðaríki, he encounters a Seeress in the temple of Svetovit; the Seeress orders Amleth to remember his oath of vengeance and tells him that his fate is intertwined with that of a Maiden-King. Soon after, he learns that "Fjölnir the Brotherless" has lost his throne to Harald of Norway and now lives as a sheep farmer in Iceland. Branding himself as a thrall, a slave, Amleth sneaks aboard a ship taking them to Iceland. He encounters an enslaved Slavic woman named Olga, who claims to be a sorceress. They are taken to Fjölnir's farm, where Amleth learns his mother married Fjölnir and bore him a son named Gunnar.
One night, Amleth follows a vixen and encounters a he-witch, who facilitates a seance between Amleth and the skull of Heimir, whom Fjölnir has also murdered. Heimir tells Amleth about Draugr, a magical sword that can be drawn only at night or at the Gates of Hel. Amleth enters a barrow and obtains the blade from its owner, the undead Mound Dweller. He hides the sword upon his return to the farm. The next day, Amleth is selected to compete in a game of knattleikr against another farm. The game turns violent when the leader of the opposing team brutalizes the competition until only he and Amleth are left. Gunnar, is almost killed in trying to draw away the opposing player; but Amleth saves him, furiously beating his opponent to death. As a reward, Fjölnir's adult son, Thórir, grants him overseer duties and allows him to choose a woman.
During the evening celebrations, Amleth and Olga make love; they promise to overcome Fjölnir together. Over several nights Amleth kills prominent members of Fjölnir's estate in unnatural ways, arranging their impaled body parts into the shape of a horse in a gruesome display. This makes Fjölnir and the entire estate believe they are under attack from an evil spirit. Christian slaves are believed by Thórir to be responsible. Olga mixes the food supply with fly agaric, a potent hallucinogen. This allows Amleth to enter Fjölnir's house. Amleth reveals his identity to Gudrún, who replies that she was Aurvandill's slave and that Amleth was conceived by rape. Gudrún also reveals that she masterminded Fjölnir's coup because she wanted both Aurvandill and Amleth dead; she tries to seduce Amleth, who, after a moment, rejects her. Enraged, Amleth kills Thórir, and cuts out his heart.
Gudrún reveals Amleth's true identity to Fjölnir and calls for Amleth's death. Fjölnir decides to kill Olga, but Amleth offers to trade Olga's life for Thórir's heart. Amleth allows himself to be captured, and is tortured for the location of Thórir's heart. Amleth is released from his restraints by a flock of ravens sent by Odin and Olga rescues him. Amleth decides to abandon his quest for revenge, and the two decide to escape by boat to his kinsmen in the Orkney Islands. Aboard the vessel Amleth has a vision, and realizes that Olga is pregnant with twins, one of whom will be the Maiden-King prophesied by the Seeress. Realizing that Olga and their children will never be safe while Fjölnir lives, Amleth, despite Olga's pleas, jumps overboard and swims ashore reasoning that he cannot escape his fate.
Back at the farm, Amleth kills Fjölnir's remaining men and frees the slaves. While searching for Fjölnir, Amleth is attacked by Gudrún and Gunnar and kills them in self-defense after being wounded. Fjölnir, discovering his wife and son dead, coldly tells Amleth to meet him at the Gates of Hel: the crater of the volcano Hekla. Amleth and Fjölnir engage naked in a fierce Holmgang until Fjölnir is beheaded and Amleth is simultaneously stabbed. As he dies, Amleth has a vision of Olga embracing their two children, who she tells him are safe, before urging him to let go. A valkyrie carries Amleth through the gates of Valhöll.
Cast
Production
Development
Born to a Swedish family, Alexander Skarsgård had been fascinated with Viking history and mythology since childhood, and had long sought a Viking-themed project with the help of producer Lars Knudsen. In 2011, Skarsgård was attached to a Warner Bros. epic with the working title The Vanguard, which ultimately did not materialize. Robert Eggers became interested in making a Viking film following a 2016 trip to Iceland with his wife Alexandra Shaker, who is a fan of Old Norse sagas. During the trip, Eggers met Björk, who in turn introduced him to Sjón. In 2017, Skarsgård met Eggers to discuss future projects, and the discussion turned to a Viking Age–themed film. Eggers subsequently reached out to Sjón, and the two began researching and writing the screenplay.The story of The Northman was based primarily on the legend of Amleth as written by Danish historian Saxo Grammaticus, known as the direct inspiration for William Shakespeare's Hamlet. Eggers cited the Poetic Edda, the Prose Edda, Egil's Saga, Grettir's Saga, the Eyrbyggja saga and the Saga of Hrolfr Kraki as additional influences. Archaeologist Neil Price at Uppsala University, folklorist Terry Gunnell at the University of Iceland and Viking historian Jóhanna Katrín Friðriksdóttir served as historical consultants on the film. Eggers also acknowledged 1982's Conan the Barbarian as a source of inspiration.
In October 2019, it was announced that Eggers would direct an epic Viking revenge saga, which he would also co-write with Sjón. Skarsgård, Nicole Kidman, Anya Taylor-Joy, Bill Skarsgård and Willem Dafoe were in talks to join the film. They would all be confirmed in December, along with the addition of Claes Bang to the cast. The film was officially in preparation in December 2019, and would begin filming in Belfast in 2020. In August 2020, Björk, along with her daughter Ísadóra "Doa" Barney, Kate Dickie and Ethan Hawke joined the cast of the film. In September 2020, Bill Skarsgård announced he had dropped out of the film due to scheduling conflicts and was replaced with Gustav Lindh.
Filming
was to begin in March 2020, but it was halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Filming, most of which took place in Northern Ireland, started in August 2020 and wrapped early in December, lasting 87 days. King Aurvandill's village was constructed at Torr Head on the coast of County Antrim, while Fjölnir's farm was built at Knockdhu near Larne. The scenes in the Land of the Rus were filmed at Portglenone, the Clandeboye Estate, Shane's Castle and on the River Bann. The Hightown quarry outside Belfast stood for the volcano Hekla, where the film's climactic fight takes place. Brief sequences were filmed at Five Fingers Strand near Malin in Inishowen County Donegal, and in Iceland at the Svínafellsjökull glacier and the town of Akureyri.Post-production
The film, originally planned to cost around $65 million, ended up costing between $70–90 million to produce. Eggers found the editing process to be the most difficult of his career. Feedback from test screenings indicated that the film's first act was too slow. More feedback showed that audiences found the Old Norse dialogue difficult to understand, which resulted in most of it being replaced in ADR sessions. The final cut was eventually approved on November 3, 2021.Music
For the film's score, Eggers brought in former Tri Angle record label artists, Robin Carolan and Vessel, for composition and production. They researched extensively on the history of Viking music, including discussions with ethnographer Poul Høxbro, and used instruments based on Nordic folk music, such as tagelharpa, langspil, kravik lyre, and säckpipa. They further experimented with the instruments they had, to create that ethnic Nordic sound, which includes a 40-member string ensemble mimicking the sound of an archaic instrument called bullroarer.The score album was released by Back Lot Music on April 15, 2022, and featured 43 tracks. On July 1, Sacred Bones Records released the album in CD, vinyl and cassettes.