I don't want to be the "ackchually" guy but they weren't exactly depicted as berserkers. They were ulfhednar. Viking Seal Team 6. They were more akin to wolf pack and were the elite fighters of the day.

quote:

Originally posted by Ryanp225:
I don't want to be the "ackchually" guy but they weren't exactly depicted as berserkers. They were ulfhednar. Viking Seal Team 6. They were more akin to wolf pack and were the elite fighters of the day.

Yup, looked it up and sure enough, they were ulfhednar...however not too different than berserkers, same concept, different animal.

quote:

Originally posted by JohnCourage:
I also thought it was interesting how the King's burial scene was similar to the burial scene in 13th warrior.

"Lo, there do I see my mother, and my sisters, and my brothers. Lo, there do I see the line of my people, Back to the beginning Lo, they do call to me. They bid me take my place among them, In the halls of Valhalla, Where the brave may live forever!"

That prayer is taken verbatim (well, translated) from Arab historian/writer/traveler Ahmad ibn Fadlan's 10th century account of a Rus death rite. The Rus were 9th-10th century Vikings who settled and raided along the Volga River in what is now Russia (which literally means 'Land of the Rus').

In fact, in The Northman, Amleth flees from his homeland of Hrafnsey, Iceland and travels to Russia, where he joins just such a band of Rus, fighting as an Ulfhednar.

Alongside the legend of Beowulf, ibn Fadlan's writings served as the other half of Michael Crichton's inspiration for the book The 13th Warrior, which was adapted into the film you're referencing... Like the 13th Warrior, ibn Fadlan was an Arab Muslim travelling/living with Vikings. So it makes sense that the prayer would be included in that movie.

And it's one of the few (maybe only?) concrete accounts available today of Viking funeral rites, so it makes sense that The Northman would draw from it as well, considering they were striving for strict adherence to historical accuracy.

Ok, it's now streaming free on Prime. The debate in this thread was on my mind as I watched it, and I side with Rogue, Ryan P225, Corsair, and a few others. This film is excellent. I can't add much more to what's been said by the proponents so far, but damn did they nail this. This, along with Valhalla Rising, and Beowulf & Grendel (2005) are probably the best, most realistic feeling films of Norse culture. If you like this one and you haven't seen those, you need to. I read some random "X-Ray" show notes for it as I went along, and a few times they mentioned that the cut that got released was the one the creator felt was most entertaining, but essentially that he didn't get to show it the way he wanted. I would love to see a director's cut of this. As far as story telling goes, it's all there - You have a solid start, compelling characters that are fully rounded and not flat, the plot develops and arcs in a believable and logical manner, and it resolves quite neatly with no plot holes. Throughout the entire film, each scene is meaningful, each line of dialog important. There's zero fluff or fat in this one, which after a month and a half of Rings of Power episodes, is such an amazingly stark contrast. This is a damn good movie, and I'll definitely be watching it multiple times.

quote:

Originally posted by TannerBoyl:
I haven’t seen Valhalla Rising.

Well, you should watch it, because you'd probably like it.
https://tubitv.com/movies/6820...la-rising?start=true

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Originally posted by Anubismp:
I've seen Northman several times since and enjoy it as well but I'm weird and like BladeRunner 2049 too.

I love Blade Runner 2049. Yes, this has a similar feel to it.

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Originally posted by pedropcola:
We all like what we like. That wolf, man, and child, coming of age scene at the beginning might be historically accurate but what the actual fuck? Weird ass scene.

The show notes mention that one scene as the only one in the film that was pure guesswork based on what we know of other similar cultures and their rites of manhood.

quote:

Originally posted by JohnCourage:
I also thought it was interesting how the King's burial scene was similar to the burial scene in 13th warrior.

Rogue already explained it, but in the show notes, it was confirmed that they essentially lifted that scene from the book/film specifically for the reasons Rogue stated.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: P220 Smudge,

I liked it, very well done. One of the best of 2022 so far. I can see where it might not be for everyone.

I just watched it last night and I liked it. I like a movie with character development and this had plenty of it. I didn't find it slow and I thought the action was evenly paced and spaced throughout the film.

I don't think that Ethan Hawke had the physique that a Nordic king would have had at that time. I mean, he was supposed to be a king that fights alongside his men and who is capable of killing and defending himself against enemy soldiers. I'd imagine everyone who fought back then would have trained often and would have had more muscle mass, even at an older age.

Seeing him shirtless didn't lead me to believe he would have been able to swing a sword in battle effectively or for very long, let alone carry a shield as well. He had the face for the part though. I wonder if he could have bulked up a little at his age.

Tony.