Customer Reviews

Vikings [VHS]

5 star:		(65)
4 star:		(29)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Historically, 'The Vikings' is largely nonsensical, from its title sequence misapprhension of the centuries-later Bayeux Tapestry to its hash of the succession to the throne of Northumberland. But this film is great good fun! - a superior swashbuckler with a sound plot, breathtaking art direction, costuming, sets, & cinemaphotography, & solid acting & direction.

Kirk Douglas gives a menacing yet humane portrayal of the Viking prince Einar whose falcon-disfigured milky eye inspires fear & loathing. Tony Curtis is, as far as looks go, perhaps a bit miscast but his energetic, seething performance amply redeems his presence. Ernest Borginine's Ragnar is fabulous - and one should keep in mind that Borgnine gave Ragnar life long before this sort of Borgnine role later turned him into a caricature of himself; Ragnar gives the film terrific heart & vitality. Janet Leigh is just...beautiful, despite the script's relegation of her female lead role into what is chiefly a plot device to motivate the action scenes. James Donald succeeds at fleshing out his character, but some of his lines are the only clichés in the script & yet he manages to rise above them with his careful elocution. And the ever-malevolent, narrow-eyed Frank Thring (Pontius Pilate in 'Ben-Hur', & a creep in 'Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome') does yeoman service as the conniving, spineless pretender to the throne. Alexander Knox's small role as the priest isn't much dramatically, but it's pivotal in the plot development, & his diction is at its customary excellence. Also memorable is the rune-reading Viking woman saga-teller whose moonlit face & sepulchral voice in the tidal crab-nibbling scene give the plot & its Norsemen their spiritual anchor.

The DVD's special features are interesting, informative, & enjoyable.

The supporting cast of Norwegian unknowns, all of them hulking & sweaty & masculine & lusty, lends a muscular depth to the action sequences & even, suprisingly, to the dramatic ones. Norwegian fjords & their sparkling waters & towering precipices provide a majestic setting for the action. And the dénouement at the English castle is one of the finest mediaeval assault & swordplay sequences on film, rarely rivalled, as for example, by those in the Charlton Heston film 'The Warlord'.

Most of all, who can forget the long ships? Painstakingly recreated from the best archaelogical evidence available at the time of filming, these rakish craft are in themselves stars of 'The Vikings' & they give ample evidence to why the Norsemen dominated the seas. The 'walking of the oars' sequence is not only unique, but it's one of the most enjoyable bits of all of cinema's swashbucklers.

'The Vikings' isn't history, but it sure is top-shelf entertainment chock full of style & panache. Kids & grown-ups will all enjoy its scenic majesty & full-blooded characerizations.

Ah, a personal wish fulfilled is the re-issuing of this film onto the DVD format. Although I have long had the older VHS version of this classic fifties romantic sword and sorcery trendsetter, I was recently amused to find it now listed in the DVD catalogue. Odin be praised! This was a formative film in my childhood, a monstrously popular box office hit that had all of us pre-adolescents entertaining ourselves for months clashing in back yards using make-shift stick swords and purloined garbage-can covers for shields as we fought out our own imagined action sequences. Indeed, everything about this film is attractive and appealing; the wonderfully photographed sequences along the fjords, the jaunty and majestic music, and the quite authentic long ships and settings.

The cast adds to the fun with a star-packed line-up. Kirk Douglas looks appropriately Nordic (neat trick for the son of Russian Jewish immigrants), and more than acts out the part of the Viking prince, Einar, the eldest son and heir to the barbarian legacy of his outrageously roguish father, Ragnar, played masterfully by a full-bearded Ernest Borgnine. Tony Curtis adds a little blue-eyed soul to the cast as the star-crossed illegitimate heir to the English throne, and the quite lovely Janet Leigh (who at the time was Mrs. Tony Curtis) is the prized after English princess both the male principals have the urge to merge with. The scenes inside the Viking lodges are hilarious; the sequences in which a drunken Douglas has to successfully cut off a lover's braids from twenty yards with a battle axe without decapitating the lady in question to prove she wasn't unfaithful is spell-binding to experience. Terrific vicarious excitement for all of us overgrown kids in the audience.

The bottom line is that although none of it makes a whole lot of sense, just remember; we're talking serious action-adventure here! It is deliciously exciting fun and gives full disclosure of all the rowdy Viking boys having a rousing good time raiding, raping and pillaging, robbing and sinking other ships and finally storming a castle. And we find ourselves going along for the ride. Why not? The cinematography is superb, as is the musical score. Although not terribly accurate historically, the film does give us an intriguing look at primitive lifestyles in terms of different cultures cohabiting not so peacefully in the north Atlantic long ago, circa the fourteenth century or so. It is a great way to spend a couple of hours being entertained by some real Hollywood masters of the genre. Enjoy!

I've always had an admiration for this film, ever since catching it once or twice on the Saturday Afternoon TV Movie. Is it corny? Sure, but who cares? We see so much of the color and spectacle of Viking life, it's easy to forget that these are all actors living in the Viking village built above a fjord in Norway. Douglas and Borgnine are the perfect, living embodiment of Vikings, too! Borgnine's Ragnor is unforgettable in his over-the-top, fun portrayal of a man larger than life.

As others have mentioned, the art direction is beyond compare, with highly researched and accurate detailing wherever possible. Exteriors were all shot entirely on location in Norway, lending even more authenticity to the film by showcasing the beautiful mountains and waterways of the Viking homeland.

The great Mr. Welles narrates the opening segment, and it was a pity he did not leave us with extened remarks at the end of the film to tie everything together (a minor quibble from an acknowlegded Welles fan).

Included on the disc is a thirty minute restrospective by director Richard Fleischer, as he shows us rare still photographs, and explains what the cast and crew went through to film this Viking epic.

One shot in particular that I have always loved in this film is the man high atop the horn tower, signalling the return of the Viking king, as his boat sails the blue water far below. Another shot I like, at the end, the camera is on top of a castle pinnacle, and we see it pan around to follow the actors below on the walkway. Here, in two of the stills, we see how these shots were captured by Fleischer, and I was struck by the fact no director today would have the guts or imagination to try either.

Everything blazes off the screen in the perfect DVD transfer. After watching this epic on DVD, you'll feel the urge to cry out... "Odin LIVES!"

"The Vikings" is one of the most overlooked and underrated historical action flms of all time. Kirk Douglas, Tony Curtis, Janet Leigh and Ernest Borgnine star; Richard Fleischer ("Soylent Green", "10 Rillington Place", "The Boston Strangler", "Tora! Tora! Tora!", "Fantastic Voyage", "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea", "The Narrow Margin") directed; Jack Cardiff did the spectacularly breathtaking photography on location in Brittany and Norway; and there is an incredibly haunting score by Mario Nascimbene that I've never forgotten in the over 40 years since I first saw this film in a theater. And Orson Welles provides some astute narration to set the scene.

Ragnar (Borgnine) rapes British Queen Enid during a blood raid; she later gives birth to Eric, rightful heir to the throne. To protect Eric, Enid sends him away and he grows up to become a proud slave (Tony Curtis), and also the half brother of Einar (Douglas). Both fall for Princess Morgana (Leigh) and the inevitable climactic duel occurs atop a castle dizzingly staged and photographed by the aforementioned pros. But not before several bloody raids, gory battles and vulgar Viking rituals keep the action non-stop. Top this off with a heroic and moving Viking funeral and you've got everything an action fan could ask for.

... You are in for a real treat!

This is the greatest Saturday afternoon movie that was ever made (even though I saw it on a Saturday night in 1958 when I was nine years old). From the fascinating prologue narrated by Orson Welles to the climatic fight between Kirk Douglas and Tony Curtis, "The Vikings" will engage and entertain you. "The Vikings" was beautifully shot on location by Jack Cardiff who received an Academy Award in 2001 for life-time achievemnet in cinematography. The beautiful music score is heroic and elegiac. The acting is slightly over-the-top, but the wonderful cast (Ernest Borgnine, Frank Thring, James Donald, and Janet Leigh) makes it all fun. I have this film on VHS and still love it today.

This flick is good fun. There is a real sense of Viking spirit in the mood of the movie. The actors are lively, the dialog is sharp and the action is full-hearted and fierce. Pretty much everything you would want from a classic Viking epic.

Expect no realism here. The Vikings and the English speak with a variety of accents, mostly American with a smap of other's thrown in. While I have heard that the art direction is authentic, the battles themselves are heavy on the cheese, with rubber arrows and spears never quite hitting their targets, and mighty rocks flung from catapults bouncing merrily off of Viking heads and shields. The exception to this is the final duel between Einar and Eric, which is suspenseful and dangerous. A classic Hollywood duel.

However, suspend your disbelief, put aside your cynicism, and "The Vikings" is a good time to be had. Lively music, on-location scenery and a cast of actors having a good time. There are times when one is in the mood for a flick like this, a 50's popcorn epic with swords, ladies and brawling adventure. "The Vikings" will not disappoint.

This epic is worth watching for the spectacular cinematography of the Norwegian fjords alone, as well as to see the authenticity of how life from the time of the Vikings has been meticulously recreated, and it will enhance one's appreciation to watch the fascinating interview with director Richard Fleisher before viewing the film. It also shows the untamed and unruly nature of the people, who were daring and adventurous, and built beautiful ships to wander the seas and plunder and ravage distant lands.

The script is rather laden with grunts and growls, and the best lines go to the witchy woman Kitala who casts the runes (played well by Eileen Way) who says things like "love and hate are horns on the same goat".
Kirk Douglas is perfect as Einar, with his scarred face and daring stunts, in fine form as he "runs the oars" like an expert athlete, and fills his drinking horn from the enormous vat of frothing brew that is in the center of the raucous dining hall.
Others in the cast are a hairy and wild Ernest Borgnine as Ragnar, the king and father of Einar, Tony Curtis as Eric the slave, and Janet Leigh looking lovely as Morgana. Leigh and Curtis were married and the toast of Hollywood at the time, and their daughter Jamie Leigh Curtis was born in 1958, the same year this film was released.

The story is very operatic and uses as a plot device (like Verdi's "Il Trovatore" for instance) two enemies who are in love with the same woman, and do not realize they are actually half-brothers. Einar and Eric are both sons of Ragnar, and battle each other with a ferocity that makes for some good screen fights, including a marvelous sword duel.
Well-paced direction by Richard Fleisher, glorious cinematography by Jack Cardiff, a fine score by Mario Nascimbene and narration by Orson Welles, as well as many terrific performances make this film well worth viewing; total playing time is 116 minutes.

My wife and I both enjoyed this movie. If you like adventure sword fighting movies like Robin Hood or Braveheart you will probably have fun with it no matter what your age. It has Viking ships, rampaging norsemen, dangerous sea chases, sword fights, hungry wolfs, a nasty king, and a great siege of the castle battle. Considering this movie was made in 1958, the sets, costumes, and music were very well done. The transfer to DVD was done with loving care as it looks like it could have come fresh from the theater.

It was hard choosing between four and five stars, because while this isn't a perfect movie, it's absolutely perfect for what it is: a glorious Saturday matinee experience that's as much fun now as it was when it inspired all the neighborhood kids to play Vikings. It's a movie that feeds the imagination, whether you're a child imagining you're dancing on the oars, or an adult imagining... well, it's still a very sexy movie, from an era that didn't show all but definitely knew the meaning of the word "lusty." (Einar may not be politically correct, but... wow!) The characters are larger than life; the cinematography brilliant (capturing not just the gorgeous shots of the fjords, but the eery menace of Viking ships emerging from the fog, the moonlit tidal pool, and a funeral to die for); and the music so heart-stoppingly beautiful I have never forgotten it. And the silliness (not to mention Janet Leigh's bodice) is just part of the fun, so don't worry about the 13th-century castle. (What would that climactic duel have been atop a mere wooden palisade?) Just sit back and enjoy it to the hilt!

"The Vikings" is one of a handful of all-time favorite movies. It was a staple of the 10:30 Saturday night movies of the 1960s, and I never missed it! Finally, I have it on DVD, and it's magnificent.

The final conflict between the Kirk Douglas and Tony Curtis characters on the castle's stone flanks is one of the most memorable scenes in cinema. However, my favorite scene is the brief one in which Kirk Douglas jumps across the chasm to the raised drawbridge and climbs the battle axes that have been flung into its wood.

"The Vikings" is a visual masterpiece, and it's great fun to watch. It has jumped across the late night TV chasm from the big screen (1958) to DVD (2002), and I'm forever grateful!