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Eggers movies have been really interesting, if not good, and The Northman continues that tradition. I loved The witch and thought The Lighthouse was too weird and pointless while watching but it grew on me. With The Northman we finally have a director with a good eye for cinematography and attention to detail tackling the video game movie genre. Seeing him transport us to the world of Skyrim and make us actually believe the "nords" could have existed in this world is just a marvel.
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Apr 25, 2022 03:06
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As someone who liked the witch and loved the lighthouse, this one kind of left me cold. Its like someone read all the bad reviews for The Green Knight saying it needed more action, and made a much weaker film overall. Pretty visuals, but less behind them and a fairly threadbare plot
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Apr 25, 2022 07:37
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In defense of RobbZombae’s posts earlier I can definitely see how someone could suspect that the film makers might be trying to tell some kind of right wing fantasy. I read this earlier and it’s sounds like Egger’s thought a lot of the same things:quote:I didn't have a ton of knowledge 'cause originally I wasn't interested in Vikings. I didn't like the macho stuff, and the right wing misappropriation of Viking culture put me off even more. But when I took a trip to Iceland, the landscapes were so brutal and inspiring and epic that it made me pick up some Viking sagas and learn about them. I also get not digging it because the plot is simplistic, I mean it’s literally Hamlet but more pared down. The visuals, the choreography and all the screaming really carried it for me. Really liked the screaming valkyrie, the screaming berserkers and when Taylor-Joy’s character summons the wind (by screaming).
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Apr 25, 2022 14:35
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Drunkboxer posted:I also get not digging it because the plot is simplistic, I mean it’s literally Hamlet but more pared down. The visuals, the choreography and all the screaming really carried it for me. Really liked the screaming valkyrie, the screaming berserkers and when Taylor-Joy’s character summons the wind (by screaming). Same for me. It's a very simple story (I mean, it's probably more the Amleth legend than Hamlet right?), but that is all I needed when I got that setting, visuals and classic eggers scenes in between.
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Apr 25, 2022 15:52
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Eggers states the simplicity is intentional. He assumes most people know the basics of a revenge story and hamlet, and in this way people could just absorb the weird mysticism and viking setting.
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Apr 25, 2022 17:53
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checkplease posted:Eggers states the simplicity is intentional. He assumes most people know the basics of a revenge story and hamlet, and in this way people could just absorb the weird mysticism and viking setting. Oh yeah I mean it works for me, I was just saying I get someone not liking it because the plot’s simple.
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Apr 25, 2022 18:12
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Drunkboxer posted:In defense of RobbZombae’s posts earlier I can definitely see how someone could suspect that the film makers might be trying to tell some kind of right wing fantasy. I read this earlier and it’s sounds like Egger’s thought a lot of the same things: Regardless of his intent this movie is still going to be very popular with the alt right/racist crowd just based on subject matter. That's not his fault and overall I really enjoyed the movie and am looking forward to a rewatch.
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Apr 25, 2022 19:29
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Mae posted:As someone who liked the witch and loved the lighthouse, this one kind of left me cold. Word. I just had no emotional connection to the movie whatsoever. Witch and Lighthouse both had moments that grabbed me, creeped me out, made me laugh out loud, made me *feel* something and generally speaking, this one didn't have any moments that really surprised or moved me. Gleiberman wrote a pretty scathing review of it, saying it was basically just the movie that Conan wanted to be 40 years ago, and says that while Eggers is a great talent, there's just not enough *weird* here. I went in with high hopes, but agree that it's the least of his movies, by a pretty long shot, where I'm concerned. My wife and friend asked me if I'd want to see this movie again and I said that I'd maybe want to refresh my thoughts on it in 5 or 10 years, whereas I'd happily watch either of the other two in the next month or two.
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Apr 25, 2022 19:37
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I read that Gleiberman article and I definitely didn’t get a feeling of “extreme video game awe” from the village massacre. It’s a slick sequence but I felt (and I think you’re supposed to feel this way) shocked by our hero butchering a village of innocents. He also says that in an “authentic viking saga” the hero shouldn’t be “indomitable like mighty Thor” or something and idk where he’s going with that one of course he should be. That’s what those legendary sagas are.
Drunkboxer fucked around with this message at 21:04 on Apr 25, 2022 |
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Apr 25, 2022 21:01
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conan is a great movie though
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Apr 25, 2022 21:23
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During that sequence I kept an eye out for what foes Amleth engaged and he didn't go for any "innocents", he seemed to seek out armed men to kill. And when the other raiders were participating in various atrocities, Amleth stood apart and I got the impression that he had a degree of self awareness / loathing about being a part of it. I think that's a pretty interesting way to handle it because it allows the audience to draw their own conclusions about how sullied Amleth's soul is by killing the guards but distancing himself from the real carnage. Is there any real difference?
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Apr 25, 2022 21:26
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In ancient mythology Gods and Heroes and such were not pure and were actually pretty hosed up and making and getting into hosed up situations. It’s very easy to see this is not a glorification but a harsh telling of what went on with Vikings and raiding and pillaging and whatnot. I didn’t relate to the hero as gently caress yeah but we see he’s caught up in his times and is complicit in evil and kind of bought into propaganda/superstition of either his own or of his “tribe” or father.
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Apr 25, 2022 21:43
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Right - one of the things I liked about the film was that it shows the viking culture is supremely hosed up and that it was basically a glorification of mass murder, rape, and theft. These weren't "good" people and their concept of honor was pretty awful. I see a lot of dipshits in the armed forces, police, etc. identify with vikings and the more we're collectively confronted with the harsh realities of that way of life, the better. These weren't heroes protecting their people or whatever. They were thieves and pirates who largely avoided battle to steal from peaceful people who posed no threat to them. Not really something to be glorified and the film doesn't really shy away from that.
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Apr 25, 2022 22:03
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Drunkboxer posted:I read that Gleiberman article and I definitely didn’t get a feeling of “extreme video game awe” from the village massacre. It’s a slick sequence but I felt (and I think you’re supposed to feel this way) shocked by our hero butchering a village of innocents. He also says that in an “authentic viking saga” the hero shouldn’t be “indomitable like mighty Thor” or something and idk where he’s going with that one of course he should be. That’s what those legendary sagas are. Yeah, I don't buy into the Gleiberman article wholeheartedly, but I did agree with him that it just isn't up to Eggers' other work. I did feel like the village scene was a weird choice of action because the movie goes REAL slow for a while after that scene and, frankly, never rises to the same heights in terms of the action itself, at least for me. It's an interesting choice, but not one that really worked for me. I also disagree with Gleiberman in that I think Conan's the better movie, but that's just me. ;-)
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Apr 25, 2022 22:04
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Memnaelar posted:While the life they had wasn't great, they're all almost certain to be killed by starvation, animals, or other slaveholders. So, even that minimal good is questionable but, hey, agency. We see the former slaves burning the long house and cheering indicating a successful rebellion. I guess you could assume they died, but that’s like assuming that somehow they cannot survive without their rulers.
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Apr 25, 2022 23:32
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checkplease posted:We see the former slaves burning the long house and cheering indicating a successful rebellion. I guess you could assume they died, but that’s like assuming that somehow they cannot survive without their rulers. The movie goes to great lengths to describe Iceland as a barren place and I believe there's even a line in the movie where one of the guards comments on the futility of running away in that climate, although admittedly he has every reason to try and keep the slaves docile. I think it's a pretty long shot to assume many of them will survive a year in that environment, but hey, at least they have a shot, I suppose. I think the movie's pretty ambivalent about anything that happens to a slave that isn't one of our leads otherwise, hence why I hesitate to call this a "good" Amleth perpetuates. Like most of the rest of the film, it leaves us to draw our own conclusions, I guess. Spartacus, it ain't.
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Apr 25, 2022 23:55
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I mostly agree there. People do seem to suffer brutal ends over and over. I guess just that and some of the other scenes ,like viking ball do show Amleth has some potential for a “good” path, but he believes too strongly in fate.
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Apr 26, 2022 00:03
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checkplease posted:We see the former slaves burning the long house and cheering indicating a successful rebellion. I guess you could assume they died, but that’s like assuming that somehow they cannot survive without their rulers. Oh, for sure they all died. They’re transplants to Iceland from Russia who, when told to do what they please, burn every last building in the settlement. This a movie about murder suicide at every level.
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Apr 26, 2022 02:38
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FLIPADELPHIA posted:During that sequence I kept an eye out for what foes Amleth engaged and he didn't go for any "innocents", he seemed to seek out armed men to kill. And when the other raiders were participating in various atrocities, Amleth stood apart and I got the impression that he had a degree of self awareness / loathing about being a part of it. I think that's a pretty interesting way to handle it because it allows the audience to draw their own conclusions about how sullied Amleth's soul is by killing the guards but distancing himself from the real carnage. Is there any real difference? I didn’t get the sense Amleth stood apart from the slaughter; he was simply acting as the perfect raider. Amleth took care, even in his drug-induced frenzy, not to harm the “chattel” (as his fellow raider described the village’s women and children). At any rate, the idea that Amleth could somehow “distance” himself from active participation in a slave raid is preposterous. Imo, the weakest parts of the movie are where Amleth is portrayed as somehow more moral than the bloodthirsty psychos that surround him. His line about not killing women is just preposterous. Why on earth would this raider and slaver not kill women? Where would he get the notion this was a bad thing to do? The Kingfish fucked around with this message at 03:05 on Apr 26, 2022 |
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Apr 26, 2022 03:01
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Perhaps Amleth didn’t like hurting women after seeing his mom kidnapped and his home quest to save him. There’s also this long Reddit thread on Vikings and killing women from their askhistorians subreddit. Take from it what you will. https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistori...utm_name=iossmf But nonetheless Amleth is never really a moral center like Disney tried to make Simba.
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Apr 26, 2022 03:44
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Someone upthread said that Amleth tried to rape Olga. I was day-drinking and had to take a couple bathroom breaks. Did I miss it?
The Kingfish fucked around with this message at 05:21 on Apr 26, 2022 |
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Apr 26, 2022 05:19
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The Kingfish posted:Someone upthread said that Amleth tried to rape Olga. I was day-drinking and had to take a couple bathroom breaks. Did I miss it? Every sexual encounter under the patriarchy is rape, my friend.
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Apr 26, 2022 05:28
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Movie isn't doing so hot financially. The article is...weirdly aggressive, but has actual numbers.quote:Focus Features mitigated the liability by co-producing and co-financing the film with New Regency. But “The Northman” needs to become a runaway sensation in foreign markets to avoid drowning either company in red ink. So far, “The Northman” has collected just $11.5 million from 41 international markets, taking its global tally to $23.5 million. The Kingfish posted:Someone upthread said that Amleth tried to rape Olga. I was day-drinking and had to take a couple bathroom breaks. Did I miss it? I didn't particularly care for the movie, but I would not characterize any encounter between the two of them as rape. If anything, I found it a little silly how quickly they become a couple.
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Apr 26, 2022 16:41
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The Kingfish posted:Someone upthread said that Amleth tried to rape Olga. I was day-drinking and had to take a couple bathroom breaks. Did I miss it? I believe that person was talking about Fjolnir's interest in doing so, not Amleth's.
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Apr 26, 2022 17:06
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I see no reason to assume the released slaves would all immediately die. Amleth had no issue wandering around Iceland at night, and he was no more a native of the island than the rest. Not to mention the random sorcerer? (not sure if that's the right title) living in the cave. I'd also assume that sheep and trade goods weren't their only sources of sustenance. If any amount of hunting and gathering was happening, it would have been the slaves doing that work, at least partially. Same with building. It's also possible Fjolnir had at least a few personal boats that the slaves could use to leave. That's just off the top of my head, and could be off, but if they were in danger of starvation or exposure it's not mentioned in the movie. That said, him releasing the slaves was just another part of hurting Fjolnir, in the same way killing his favorite son was. Any good that came of it was strictly incidental, and if they did happen to die soon after, Amleth wouldn't have cared.
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Apr 26, 2022 17:22
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It makes sense that even though the movie focuses on Fjolnir homestead, its not the only settlement on the whole island of Iceland. Im sure the slaves would be recaptured in the end by other vikings.
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Apr 26, 2022 17:31
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1stGear posted:Movie isn't doing so hot financially. The article is...weirdly aggressive, but has actual numbers. does arthouse now just mean a non franchise movie and some off kilter imagery?
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Apr 26, 2022 18:46
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Memnaelar posted:The movie goes to great lengths to describe Iceland as a barren place and I believe there's even a line in the movie where one of the guards comments on the futility of running away in that climate, although admittedly he has every reason to try and keep the slaves docile. I think it's a pretty long shot to assume many of them will survive a year in that environment, but hey, at least they have a shot, I suppose. I think the movie's pretty ambivalent about anything that happens to a slave that isn't one of our leads otherwise, hence why I hesitate to call this a "good" Amleth perpetuates. Like most of the rest of the film, it leaves us to draw our own conclusions, I guess. Spartacus, it ain't. uh, you do know what happens at the end of the servile war right
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Apr 26, 2022 19:13
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DeimosRising posted:uh, you do know what happens at the end of the servile war right Bud, if you can't see the difference between Amleth's intentions and Spartacus's, regardless of the result, I don't know what to tell you.
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Apr 26, 2022 19:24
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checkplease posted:I think the supernatural is reality for this movie. You could interpret the birds really just being Olga returning and freeing Amleth. But I see no reason to assume mean viking gods are not just messing with the lives of humans like Greek tales or the devil in the witch. There’s also that scene of Amleth and the fox (?) howling and making all the other dogs insane. I was having trouble searching for a takeaway from this movie until I read your post Immediately after Amleth witnesses his kingdom getting raped and pillaged we cut to Amleth and a bunch of Vikings…. Raping and pillaging a village The gods are real and they are helping Amleth along on his quest for revenge Amleth is at a crossroads where he could go gently caress off and be happy, build a family, etc. All the good and moral things by our modern sensibilities. But he wants to kill So my main takeaway is that the gods are assholes.
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Apr 27, 2022 00:28
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Memnaelar posted:Bud, if you can't see the difference between Amleth's intentions and Spartacus's, regardless of the result, I don't know what to tell you. I misunderstood what you wrote, I thought you were comparing the doomed slave escape to the servile rebellions not Amleth’s motivations and those of Spartacus. I certainly don’t think Amleth is any kind of revolutionary
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Apr 27, 2022 00:32
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Steve Yun posted:I was having trouble searching for a takeaway from this movie until I read your post Well, Odyn is at least, but that's very much in character
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Apr 27, 2022 00:41
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Odin literally shows up in this movie. Isn’t there a bearded figure with 2 crows by him?
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Apr 27, 2022 01:19
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Gatts posted:Odin literally shows up in this movie. Isn’t there a bearded figure with 2 crows by him? I think when Amleth escapes, there’s a cloaked figure with a spear and big hat left behind in the barn I assume was Odin
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Apr 27, 2022 01:30
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Odin wanted that night blade to feed. Yeah the gods seemed to love violence here, which I guess is a reflection on their believers.
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Apr 27, 2022 01:33
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Oh yeah I got a question Why did the sword unlock at the end even though it was day? Did Odin enjoy violence too much to be a rules lawyer
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Apr 27, 2022 02:55
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because it was at the gates of hell
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Apr 27, 2022 03:05
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Yeah that was the second condition. Atmosphere is really important for Odin when it comes to revenge duels.
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Apr 27, 2022 03:42
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The supernatural isn't real. The visuals are just an expression of how the people perceived the world. If it was real, then we we wouldn't have had the burial mound fight double scene.
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Apr 27, 2022 06:24
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 Me on my way to avenge my father’s death
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Apr 27, 2022 08:02
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