IR Film Review: THE NORTHMAN [Focus]

"The Northman" revolves in a texture of revenge but also of perception. Alexander Skarsgard stars as Amleth, the son of a Nordic king that is dealt a trauma as a child that informs his entire life even as he struggles to deal with the notion of his existence. The movie is by no means an intellectual experience in the story it tells but it speaks to those bigger themes. This is director Robert Eggers' most accessible movie by far and you can see what he can do with a budget. The film is grungy and beautiful and yet poetic in many ways. Written by Eggers and Sjon (a writer whom he met through Bjork who also cameos in the film), the film floats between dreamlike and brutality. It is not obtuse and yet it is visceral. It is lyrical and yet it doesn't overstep the line.

The characters are who they are, even if their reality isn't revealed until later. Eggers doesn't pull his punches but he doesn't make it explicit. The rituals are the thing. In the very beginning, Ethan Hawke is barely recognizable and that aspect is due to Eggers who pulls one of the better performances from Hawke in years because he disappears. The camera floats gracefully but never focuses per se or pulls away. The attack on a fort is brutal but it doesn't lay morality or remorse at its feet, only a sense of purpose while also being a beautifully technical set piece. Wonderfully enough the two best moments in the film belong to Nicole Kidman as Queen Gudrun later in the film in a jagged movement that upends the narrative in many ways. The other is with Anna Taylor Joy as Olga later in the film as well when she takes control of what she can of her character's existence.

Skarsgard is very good but he is the vessel for rage and the audience's viewpoint despite his intelligence and that idea is central to the film. Is he fated to his path or does he have a choice? Does his perception of beauty or reality blind him to what is happening? Eggers uses the geography, especially that of Iceland to wonderous aspects and effect,with a little bit of enhancement while still keeping as practical as he can. The essence of the night and the sound are key in the entire mileau. The audio mix this reviewer saw it in was completely surround with only the dialogue confined to the front of the screen which might have been Eggers' intent.

"The Lighthouse" reveled in its oddness and obtuse references and "The Witch" moved more to the reveal. "The Northman" is more linear but still puzzle-like in its own way because it is about fitting together what certain things mean to certain characters even when they might be wrong. Again ritual and what it signifies to certain sects is extremely important as well as what it means to "live". "The Northman" is the next step in the idea of perspective in Eggers' oeuvre. He is still finding his grounding and voice with a sure hand understanding his originality but also paying tribute without pandering to those that came before him. He also coaxes great performances out of those willing to play in his sandbox which might not be the easiest yet likely is elementally gratifying. A-

By Tim Wassberg