The Northman (2022)

[bulbous]

In case you're wondering about whether to go see this movie, be advised that there is a scene that mirrors a Lin Carter Conan pastiche. I was grinning like an idiot watching it. I would be happy as can be if Eggers wanted to do a Conan movie after watching this film.

[Jason Aiken]

Apr 23, 2022 8:42:55 GMT -5 bulbous said:

In case you're wondering about whether to go see this movie, be advised that there is a scene that mirrors a Lin Carter Conan pastiche. I was grinning like an idiot watching it. I would be happy as can be if Eggers wanted to do a Conan movie after watching this film.

I haven't seen it and have never read a Carter pastiche but I've heard good things about this movie.

If this film is a success, I think studios will realize they can make their own "Conan" movies without having to deal with the IP Holding Company.

Was I alone in squinting/imagining Frontier as a Conan in the Pictish Wilderness tv show?

[Deleted]

I've not seen the movie, but there seems to be a scene like the CtB movie that is similar to the Thing in the Crypt in this movie.

[bulbous]

Yes. The scene comes from the Grettir the Strong Saga that Carter used as a basis to write The Thing in the Crypt. That was the only story of his for the Conan series that I liked, probably because he used such a strong source material instead of his own imagination. When it started in the film, I immediately thought of the Conan story. Fantastic staging.

[monolith]

The Northman was good. Very inspired by Milius Conan. Amleth's father killed by a warlord, his future revealed by a witch, Amleth "crucified", takes a magnificent runed sword from the hands of a mummified
warrior in his tomb, he even beheads his foe in the climax. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

[johnnypt]

Alexander was just the grand marshall at the NASCAR race at Talladega so they’re certainly promoting it.

[Von K]

I've not seen the movie yet but is it possible that scene was based on the Grettir's saga original mentioned by bulbous? Eggers strove for period accuracy in this movie, he mentioned the sagas in an interview and has no doubt devoured the major ones.

In the saga Grettir breaks into the grave howe of Kar the Old, slugs it out with Kar, who has become a draugr, defeats Kar and leaves with a big stash of loot, including the sword Karsnaut, which is later gifted to Grettir, which he renames Grettirsnaut.

Not that I want to downplay the influence of Millius' Conan classic, which Eggers has no doubt seen. I do agree that Eggers would be a great choice to direct a Conan movie - if he could handle the supernatural elements.

[Von K]

OK, Eggers himself confirms a big influence from Milius' Conan:

There is, however, one popular genre film Eggers wholeheartedly embraces as an influence on The Northman: the 1982 sword and sorcery classic Conan the Barbarian.

“There’s probably too many nods to Conan [in The Northman] because I watched it so much as a kid. It was a seminal film for Sjón as well,” Eggers said. “I've definitely joked that it's like Conan the Barbarian meets Andrei Rublev, and I think neither Milius nor Tarkovsky would've liked this movie.”

Robert Eggers

www.ign.com/articles/the-northman-trailer-breakdown-robert-eggers-hamlet

Forty years ago, Conan the Barbarian slashed his way into movie theaters, blowing the minds of an entire generation of kids in the process. One of those kids was Robert Eggers, who was born the year after John Milius and Arnold Schwarzenegger's 1982 career-defining collaboration premiered, but grew up watching the film over and over at home. "I watched Conan a billion times when I was a kid," says the filmmaker behind cult favorites like The Witch and The Lighthouse. "It felt like a living, breathing world, and at that age, that's awesome."

Flash-forward four decades, and Eggers has made a swords-and-sorcery epic that stands toe-to-toe with Conan. His new film, The Northman,

But he doesn't seem too interested in directing an actual Conan movie:

A stickler for historical accuracy, Eggers worked closely with top Viking experts to ensure an authentic immersive experience in that long-lost culture. But as in his previous movies, he also leaves the door open to the spirit world, blending grounded action and drama with fantastical sights and sounds straight out of the myths of that time. It's a potent combination that Eggers has no plans to abandon anytime soon.

That's also the reason he cites for why he'd never direct an actual Conan movie — including the legendary King Conan project that Milius and Schwarzenegger have wanted to make for years. (Milius suffered a debilitating stroke in 2010.) "It's just not for me," he says when asked if he'd accept Conan's Crown of Iron if Schwarzenegger signed off. "I couldn't use my approach: I'd have to invent things, which I don't like to do."

uk.news.yahoo.com/the-northman-robert-eggers-conan-the-barbarian-viking-143639568.html

[bulbous]

Cool, Von K! Thanks for the quotes. That's too bad he's not interested in directing a Conan movie. Maybe a Bran Mak Morn, Turlogh, or Shadow of the Vulture...

[monolith]

I can definitely envision a Bran Mac Morn film directed by Robert Eggers.

[Jason Aiken]

Old Norse Specialist Jackson Crawford discusses Amleth, which Hamlet is supposedly based on,and it appears the Northman is inspired by.

[Von K]

Thanks for the background vid Jason.

bulbous and monolith, I agree that Robert Egger's filmmaking sensibilities would probably work great for BMM and Cormac. He definitely prefers strongly historically grounded material to work with like historical fantasy over pure swords and sorcery. He does however seem to be a bit wary of working as a director for hire for specific IPs, if I'm reading his reply here correctly:

Having gone through this experience, how do you relate to the potential of big-budget filmmaking when it comes to preexisting IP?



Yeah, I mean I’ve only done self-generated work. I understand how fortunate I am to be in that situation. People have come to me with stuff. Even though I didn’t have final cut, we went into this knowing it was a Robert Eggers movie, and all of what that’s going to be. I don’t see how that could be beneficial on a movie where I’m a director for hire. Everything I’m at doing is antithetical to making a Marvel movie.

www.indiewire.com/2022/04/the-northman-robert-eggers-interview-1234717336/

[johnnypt]

It certainly seems to be making an impression we've been talking about: you just can't make a movie like this anymore. The world does need these kind of pictures to balance things out. You can have your navel gazing pictures, they just need to be balanced out.

Let's face it, it's a good old fashioned barbaric epic, but it ain't Hamlet..........oh wait.......

[Jason Aiken]

A preview of Dr. Jackson Crawford's thoughts on the Northman, a bit about the runes.

[mindboggled]

The first thirty minutes are great, but besides a couple of interesting moments it went down hill for me after Amleth sets out on his quest of revenge. Still, to actually watch a Sword and sorcery film that is not outright crap, is nice. I seem to be an odd man out on this, as it seems most people who have watched love it. Maybe a few too many scenes of Viking rituals for me, needed a bit a editing.