Here’s The Low Down On Robert Eggers New Viking Film, “The Northman”

American filmmaker Robert Eggers entered the scene with his first feature directorial debut, a period supernatural horror, The Witch, in 2015. He followed this with The Lighthouse, a black and white horror and psychological character study. The Northman is Eggers’ third feature film.

Okay, correct me if I’m wrong, but when someone asks you to recall the latest Marvel flick, you can easily do so, right? But it doesn’t feel that way with Viking films! If my research has served me well, it looks like The Northman is the biggest Viking film to land in theaters since 2009. The last big screen Viking adventure seems to be the Danish period adventure film, Valhalla Rising, which stars Mads Mikkelsen and premiered at the 66th Venice International Film Festival.

The film tells the story behind the historic Nordic tale from the Viking Age (c. 895 AD) in which berserker warrior Prince Amleth undertakes a quest to avenge the murder of his father, Aurvandill War-Raven. In conversation with the Smithsonian Magazine, Eggers confessed that many rituals in the film are based on either archaeological finds, saga texts, or first-hand accounts from the Viking age, along with the various artifacts seen throughout the film.

The Northman has its fair share of Norse mythology. In one scene, we see a form of Scandinavian Viking Age magic practiced by a Seeress, a witch-like woman who could foretell the future. The film also offers recurrent depictions of ravens, and eager researchers of Nordic myths will know that Vikings held ravens in high regard, viewing them as protectors (most notably, the story of the god, Odin, and his two ravens who acted as his eyes and ears).

Not surprisingly, Valhalla and Valkyries are also depicted in the film. Valhalla is the belief that upon death, warriors would be guided to the pearly gates by a Valkyrie, to spend their eternity in the glorious afterlife beside Odin.

In a statement, Eggers expressed that his “goal was to make the most historically accurate and grounded Viking film of all time.” He’d go on to work with “archaeologists and historians, trying to recreate the physical world, as well as the inner world of the Viking mind, from their beliefs, mythology, and ritual life.”

[Spoiler alert!]

Avenge, rescue, and murder. The three themes behind the film are not uncommon from Viking stories of the past. In The Northman, a young Prince Amleth witnesses the brutal murder of his father by none other than his uncle, Fjölnir. Somehow managing to escape the terror, Amleth also sees his home village massacred and his mother being taken away by Fjölnir. In that moment, the young boy flees and swears to (you guessed it) avenge his father, rescue his mother, and murder his uncle.

It is said that Shakespeare’s play, Hamlet, was inspired by the Nordic story of Prince Amleth, and there are some pretty strong similarities between the two stories to underpin this theory. Hamlet is set in Denmark and tells the story of Prince Hamlet and his revenge against his uncle, Claudius, who murdered Hamlet’s father in order to seize the throne and marry Hamlet’s mother. Cough cough, sounds pretty familiar, doesn’t it? I mean, the name Hamlet even sounds similar to Amleth, and that’s not forgetting that Hamlet also works out as an anagram of Amleth, too!

Viking films are often about showcasing brute strength as the male warriors battle their way through treacherous land and conquer new enemies. The fierce men are often depicted as rebellious characters who use their body rather than their mind, but in The Northman, our protagonist, Amleth, offers wit, trickery, and patience in order to reach his end goal. It’s an interesting take on such a macho movie and storyline, but it adds a whole level of depth to the film and makes Amleth’s character much more valued; in a pivotal scene, he’s not afraid to choose brains over brawn as he cleverly distracts and taunts his enemies to allow his love interest to escape from harm’s way.

Going into such a hyper-masculine film, I had low hopes for the female characters in The Northman, wondering if they’d be sidelined, regardless of their importance in the story. Personally, I’ve noticed this a few times, like how Helen of Troy was depicted in the 2004 film, Troy. The Northman, however, genuinely surprised me with its inclusion of complex female characters, particularly Queen Gudrún, Olga, the Seeress, and even the badass female Valkyrie. Now, I won’t go into too much detail and give away any spoilers, but all of these women play pivotal roles in Amleth’s destiny and impact his decision-making through his vengeful quest.

All of the women are mysterious and captivating in their own right; the Queen is more calculating than meets the eye, whilst Olga is sharp-witted and not afraid to defend herself. The mystical Seeress is full of enlightenment and guides Amleth, whilst the Valkyrie’s appearance (though brief) is one of the most electric of all. The armor-clad Valkyrie charges on horseback as she waves her flag and calls for the strongest warriors, all the while bearing the signs of a fierce, military leader.

In an interview with The Guardian, Eggers stated, “I’m shocked I made such a macho movie,” before expressing that he was never before really interested in Vikings and the macho stereotype of that culture.

Yup, you read that right. This news makes you wonder if The Northman might never have happened, had Eggers’ longing for remaking the 1922 German classic, Nosferatu, paid off. In a conversation with IndieWire, Eggers confirmed that the intended remake has fallen apart twice, and he’s been trying so hard to make it happen [for years].

Eggers chose not to go at the huge Viking world alone, and instead co-wrote the epic adventure with the internationally acclaimed Icelandic poet, Sjón. According to IMDB, Sjón’s novels and poems have been translated into more than 40 languages, and he has won many awards and nominations, including the nomination for his lyrics in Lars von Trier’s Dancer in the Dark.

Serving up one hell of a cast, The Northman’s protagonist is portrayed by Alexander Skarsgård (Tarzan, True Blood), with Nicole Kidman (Moulin Rouge!) playing Queen Gudrún, and Anya Taylor-Joy (Queen’s Gambit) starring as Olga, the powerful witch and love interest of Amleth. There are also some pretty big names co-starring, with Ethan Hawke (The Purge) as King Aurvandill, Claes Bang (The Girl in the Spider’s Web) as Fjölnir, and Willem Dafoe (Spider-Man) as Heimir The Fool. It’s safe to say that the casting team got this one right!

Don’t you love it when stars who have worked together before team up again and play completely different roles? For The Northman, Alexander Skarsgård plays the son of Nicole Kidman, which is really quite twisted when you know that they have previously starred opposite each other as lovers in Big Little Lies!

As for other cast members, it’s clear Eggers may like teaming up with those he has previously worked with, as he already knows Anya Taylor-Joy from The Witch and Willem Dafoe from The Lighthouse. 

After a 22-year acting hiatus, Icelandic singer-songwriter Björk returned to the big-screen to star in The Northman. Björk’s last role was as the main character in the 2000 drama, Dancer in the Dark. Though she won Best Actress at the Cannes Festival for her performance, she found acting too painful and took a two-decade break.

At the beginning of the film, 12-year-old Oscar Novak is front and center as the young Prince Amleth. He delivers a stirring performance, and I’m interested to see if his appearance in The Northman will kick-start a budding career! You may also find that he feels familiar, and that’s because we caught a glimpse of the actor’s skills as he recently played the young Bruce Wayne in the latest superhero flick, The Batman.  

Alexander Skarsgård’s real life younger brother, Bill Skarsgård (IT, The Devil All the Time) signed onto The Northman in its early days, but sadly had to drop out due to scheduling conflicts as a result of COVID-19. I mean, if I’m bummed about it, imagine how Bill must feel!

The 45-year-old actor has apparently always dreamt of making a Viking movie. In an interview with Vanity Fair, Skarsgård expressed that he wanted to make a big, epic Viking movie based on an old Icelandic saga. It seems as though he has long had a fascination with the Viking era since being a child, as he recalls how his grandfather would take him around Öland, a Swedish Island, and teach him about the ancient rune stones and the Vikings. Luckily for Skarsgård (and us), his dreams came true with The Northman, and he can now tick this wish off his bucket list!

In order to look the part, Alexander Skarsgård put a whole lot of work into his body. If you hadn’t already noticed, he basically brought a whole new meaning to the word muscle, undertaking a complete transformation to fit the part of the epic Viking warrior. 

Apparently, his celebrity trainer and movement coach, Magnus Lygdback, helped Skarsgård achieve his look. In an interview with Variety, Lygdback recalls how he taught Skarsgård to “shape his body so that his trapezius muscles were bulging and defined” and that Skarsgård “gained 20 pounds of muscle…trained for one hour a day, six days a week [and] ate a diet of 3,700 calories a day.” If you’ve seen The Northman, you’ll know that Skarsgård’s efforts were well worth the trouble!

Cinematographer, Jarin Blaschke, has worked on all three of Eggers’ films. They collaborated for the first time on The Witch and clearly hit it off, having chosen to work together for Eggers’ subsequent films, The Lighthouse and The Northman. It’s no wonder that Eggers’ fans notice and appreciate the deep-rooted style of his films, which all share very similar tones. The cinematography throughout Eggers’ work is often hauntingly beautiful, featuring stunning landscapes, fiery and smoky shots, claustrophobic framing, and an overall moody vibe.

For his previous films, Eggers teamed up with the American independent entertainment company, A24. You’ve probably become acquainted with A24’s productions in recent years, as they’ve been the company behind Midsommar, Moonlight, Euphoria, and many more great watches! This time though, Eggers’ latest release was produced by Regency Enterprises, Perfect World Pictures, New Regency, and Square Peg.

When watching The Northman, I have to say that I got completely lost within the setting, and that was partly due to the costume designs. No longer was I in 2022, but I was transported to the Viking era, whereby many dressed to survive, or where you could easily identify a person’s status through their clothing. In an interview with Vogue, costumer designer Linda Muir talks about how she led a team of over 80 makers, and how there was “an extraordinary amount of hand-sewing and hand-embroidery in the film.” In the same interview, Muir describes how she found one-off textiles such as plant-dyed pieces, handwoven wools, and how she designed the Seeress to represent her character, using cowrie shells for fertility and bells to ward off evil spirits.

The Northman offers a fantastic array of costumes, whether it’s the Beserker skin (made to look like wolf and bear), the excessive and rich layers worn by Queen Gudrún, or Olga’s distressed tunic over-piece that represented her poorer status.

In an interview with Collider, Anya Taylor-Joy says that she feels The Northman team will be presenting the world with something it genuinely hasn’t seen before. Joy also expressed that she was over the moon to work with Eggers again.

If you’re a fan of Eggers already, you’d probably expect that The Northman won’t fall short of depicting bleak brutality. Well, you aren’t wrong! Eggers’ latest flick is an action-packed and savage display of violence. There’s streets strewn with bloody dead bodies, the most bizarre and eerie ceremony with a violent depiction of a singing girl being stabbed to death whilst a horse is slaughtered, and plenty of man-to-man fighting. Prepare yourself to see swords striking through someone’s nose, men’s bodies being strung up to form the shape of a galloping horse, and a fiery fight to the death on top of a volcano.

Safe to say, The Northman is not for the faint-hearted. 

[Spoilers ahead!]

Okay, don’t judge me for this, but at times, I felt like The Northman bordered on being a horror movie. Honestly, there’s a scene toward the beginning where Prince Amleth and his father perform a ritual in a cave, and it’s really dark and creepy. The men are half-naked; Amleth is forced to put his fingers in the King’s bloody wound (gross!), and their behavior is incredibly primal as they mirror the echoes of wild animals. There’s a later cult-like scene in which a girl is being stabbed to death whilst continuing to sing (if that’s not weird and creepy, what is?!), and there’s a séance which involves Dafoe’s decapitated head come back to life to talk to Amleth.

Not only is this real trippy stuff, but it was scary enough to feel quite displaced from the epic action-adventure genre that I was expecting.

If the cast wasn’t enough to make you wonder how much The Northman cost, then wait until you see the costume design, landscaping, and all of the incredible fight scenes that occur. 

In short, The Northman had a whopping budget of $70 million. Let me put that into perspective for you. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring had a budget of $93 million (I mean, do you remember the scale of that?!). Oh, and The Northman’s budget is over 22 times the amount that Eggers’ budget was for The Witch (which was $4 million, by the way).

Ah, a Viking epic, it’s going to be filmed only in the Nordic regions, right?

Wrong! Whilst Iceland is the primary location within The Northman’s story, the majority of filming actually took place in Northern Ireland, United Kingdom. According to ScreenRant, the film was shot in various locations in Northern Ireland, including the Clandeboyne Estate located in Bangor, Torr Head, the River Bann, County Antrim, Mourne Mountains, and Hightown Quarry.

Apparently, one of the only filming locations in Iceland was the Svínafellsjökull, an outer glacier of the Vatnajökull ice cap. The location is already famous, having appeared in the likes of Game of Thrones and Interstellar.

When talking about The Northman, various interviews with the cast all share one key theme; filming The Northman was challenging.

In an IMDB fan Q&A, Alexander Skarsgård said that not only were the long fight scenes shot in one continuous take, making them really challenging, but that his recollection of what filming was like was a “bloody, muddy haze.” In conversation with JOE, Anya Taylor-Joy said filming was difficult and all of the cast were struggling, with Skarsgård echoing this by sharing how the shoot demanded a lot from everyone.

Due to the filming locations, both Taylor-Joy and Skarsgård have said in an interview with HeyUGuys that the set was very realistic thanks to real harsh winds and rain, and Taylor-Joy found it challenging to pretend that she wasn’t cold.

It seems like filming The Northman was really as harsh as it looks on-screen, so hats off to the cast and crew!

The Northman’s production was delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic. When speaking with JOE, Eggers confirmed that the film was shut down due to lockdown, and the cast had to self-quarantine in Belfast, Ireland. Eggers also explains that the plan was to shoot on-location in Iceland more than what they could, and this was, again, due to the impact of COVID-19. 

Strikingly, for the film’s composers, Sebastian Gainsborough and Robin Carolan, The Northman is the first feature film they have both composed music for. What a film to start with! The talented duo dished up a brilliant but intentionally nightmarish score, and it does a stellar job of carrying the troubling story along.

The production team behind the epic action-filled flick won an award for Production Team of the Year, which was presented by the Production Guild.

It’ll be great to see over the coming months if The Northman will receive any accolades for its stunning visuals and incredible design!

Honestly, I know I mentioned them before but if you couldn’t get enough of Vikings, Vikings: Valhalla, and The Last Kingdom, then you have to check out The Northman because I think it’ll be right up your street! And, I can’t help but think that if you enjoyed Thor, that you should give it a try too…I know they are very different, but come on, there’s mythology, action, and some great fighting scenes in both!