The first sign that not everyone in Robert
Eggers’ 10th-century Viking revenge tale “The
Northman” has their priorities entirely straight
comes early in the film, when the Viking king
Aurvandil (Ethan Hawke) returns home to the
North Atlantic kingdom of Hrafnsey after a year
of fighting overseas.
After trudging up on horseback to the snowy
cliffside village, Aurvandil’s queen, Gudrún
(Nicole Kidman), greets him warmly and, after a
hug for their son, Amleth (Oscar Novak), urges
him to bed with her. Aurvandil, though, says
he has something more pressing to attend
to. Rather than join his wife, he takes Amleth
to scurry around a fiery cave on all fours, half-
naked and barking, while chanting manly oaths
of honor with the court fool (Willem Dafoe).
maropa
(Maropa)
#1