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Robert Eggers is known as a director of strange and metaphorical images. His “Lighthouse” (The Lighthouse) and “The Witch” (The VVitch: A New-England Folktale) impressed both audiences and critics and immediately created the image of the director as one of the most original filmmakers of our time. Therefore, the release of “Varangian” (The Northman) – a new picture by Eggers – was particularly eagerly awaited. The trailers promised us a dark epic that will not only be visually astonishing, but will keep us wondering for many days about what the author actually wanted to say. I have already watched the new film and I hasten to share my vision.
What is “Varyag”
Robert Eggers is a director, as they say, not for everyone. In his two films he pays much more attention to the characters’ inner experiences than to action and special effects. The trailers looked all the more unusual like “Varangian” – a straightforward, brutal and straightforward film about revenge, blood and battles. The videos skillfully mislead, hiding the main thing – the new picture is not a fantasy action film, but a psychodrama.
Of course there are fights, and they’re cool. However, it quickly becomes clear that this part of the film is not the main part. The director is more interested in exploring the characters’ personalities and pushing the atmosphere. Sometimes the narrative becomes snappy and abrupt, and other times the characters just stare at the camera for a while (hello new Batman). All of this is done intentionally and allows you to almost physically feel what is happening.
A seasoned viewer will feel something familiar in the plot from the first few minutes, and for good reason. The protagonist is Prince Amlet, who became the Icelandic prototype of the same Hamlet from the play by William Shakespeare (William Shakespeare). The director, of course, seriously reworked the original source, adding color and making the Varyag more dynamic, but the theatricality remained. The characters speak in old-fashioned and flowery phrases, and the action is divided into acts, each of which has a clear beginning, climax and finale.
Seeing something like this in 2022 is very unusual, but the more valuable Varyag is for the cinema. The film combines incompatible things, but remains understandable and accessible to both the general audience and connoisseurs.
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An important plus point is that the themes raised in the film about the dismantling of medieval Vikings are unexpectedly relevant and close to modern man – the choice of life priorities, the negative influence of parents, the inevitable responsibility for actions. Even if you have previously watched exclusively attraction films such as Sonic 2 at the Movies or Project Adam, Varyag will not leave you indifferent.
plot
The plot seems too simple at first. The king returns to the castle after another war. The people and soldiers celebrate, the queen is happy about her husband and the little prince is happy about the arrival of his father. After the feast, Vladyka confesses to his wife that he is seriously wounded, so it’s time to prepare his son as his successor.
The king takes an oath from Amlet – if anything happens to him, the prince must avenge his father. Almost immediately the ruler is killed by his own brother and the boy flees. He must gain strength and experience to take revenge, save his mother and kill the traitor.
The plot of “Varangian” is presented schematically, showing events only from the perspective of a child in trouble. Connoisseurs of Hamlet’s misadventures will see direct parallels with the classics, but further stories differ, so it will not work to fully predict the plot.
The drama turned out to be personal and even chamber – we will only see four locations and a small group of characters. However, there were some strange plot twists. For example, the whole arc with the search for a “special” sword looks illogical and too theatrical. In order to forgive the director for such decisions, one must regularly remember that “Varyag” is not a historical-realistic film, but a legendary epic.
Players will definitely remember Assassin’s Creed Valhalla – Ubisoft’s hit was criticized for being overly romanticized with Viking imagery. Always clean, noble and friendly pirates even went on raids carefully to avoid casualties among the civilian population.
There is nothing similar in Varyag. Before us lies a banal and brutal story with inglorious deaths and dirt. The parallels are reinforced when it is revealed that Amleth is called “The Wolf.” Eivor from Assassin’s Creed Valhalla has also been linked to this beast. It’s a shame, but we’ll probably never see a character as harsh as a young Varangian in Ubisoft games.
In general, the story develops logically. The characters make the right decisions and the ending is the natural result of a protracted conflict. Even local magic that adds mystery to events looks more like a visualization of medieval beliefs and a broken psyche than real witchcraft. The director repeatedly demonstrates to the audience how far blind trust in the divine plan, evil spirits and oaths can lead. This has now become an important part of people’s lives back then, which has a further positive effect on the atmosphere.
“Varangian” is that rare case where the simplicity of the story doesn’t equal failure. Many modern paintings are oversaturated with events and details. Meanwhile, the legends and myths of ancient times did not require a large number of characters and plot twists to evoke emotions in people. Robert Eggers reminds us of this masterfully.
Characters and actors
There are only a few main characters: Amlet, Olga, the Slav, Prince Fjolner’s uncle and the Queen Mother. Other characters flicker in the background, but their influence on the plot is insignificant and they only look like necessary decoration. Worth separately…
