THE NORTHMAN (2022) ¢ ¢ ¢ 1/2
D: Robert Eggers
Alexander Skarsgård, Nicole Kidman, Ethan Hawke,
Anya Taylor-Joy, Gustav Lindh, Claes Bang, Björk,
Elliott Rose, Olwen Fouéré, Willem Dafoe, Eldar Skar
Wild men of the North pillage their way through a blood-and-guts variation on "Hamlet", with Alexander Skarsgård as the conflicted prince, Nicole Kidman as his mom, Anya Taylor-Joy as his girlfriend and Ethan Hawke as the murdered king. Plus Björk as a blind oracle, as strange and otherworldly as only Björk can be. It risks being silly at times. When the sweaty, bare-chested warriors bust out their synchronized dance moves, you half expect to see Terry Gilliam in the ensemble somewhere. But it looks and sounds great, the actors play it for all it's worth, and unlike most Hollywood movies about Vikings, it's a believably harsh depiction of life in the 10th century. Be glad you weren't living back then, that's all I've got to say.
