Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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31 of 34 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
the most realistic movie on vikings to date!, June 22, 2000
As a historical student on the viking age, I found this movie very close to what I studied. It has very few flaws and I must admit that seing the movie makes you crave for a trip to Iceland as the scenery is beautiful. Of course this is a low budget movie, so the chieftains'army isn't as big as it should but the costumes are quite adequate to the place and period(good research). The saga itself is wonderfully woven dispite the (I must admit...) average (very average...) acting by a couple of actors but some of them I would like to see in another movie as they reached me for their excellent "role-play". I have not seen any anachronism as to the weapons, armor, use of iceland ponies, clothing, buildings, social values and demeanour. A must see for every viking enthousiast, viking age student and re-enactors!!!
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19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great movie that captures the sagas very well, June 9, 2005
If you are interested in the sagas and want to see them as a movie, this is an excellent 5 star attempt at it, and you won't be disappointed. Ok maybe 4.5 stars, but it is very good if you have more than a passing interest in the sagas.
If you are after a more "popular" movie though, perhaps an action movie somewhat related to vikings, then you might only give this 3.5 stars, and call it a B grade movie. Even then you may find it entertaining, but it is not super-fantastic.
The story is interesting, the behaviour of the people realistic, the settings are excellent and authentic (I've been to all those locations and in reality they are even more beautiful) ... they've even used Icelandic horses (with their unique gait) which was good to see.
Very enjoyable, especially if interested in the sagas. Wish they would make more movies of them.
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17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Not enough Viking movies!, October 22, 2006
I do not know why there are not more movies based on great historical events or eras. I speak of films on par with Braveheart, or Rob Roy, for example. There are very few movies based on the Viking age, or having anything to do with Scandinavia for that matter. Unfortunately, most Viking movies seem to be grade "B" affairs, and this is a huge injustice to the complex nature of the Sagas. In the "plot summary" for this site, a stupid reviewer describes it as "a time when conflicts weren't solved with intellect, but with swords". That reviewer obviously has never read a Nordic Saga, and has no understanding of Scandinavian culture. In fact, negotiation and diplomacy were often as highly esteemed as prowess in battle. The differance is, Men of that age were not afraid to stand up to their enemies in combat. In our time, a loud mouth is the only acceptable "weapon".
If literate people were running the production studios in Hollywood, perhaps we would see a lot more films based on the sagas of Scandinavia. The potential for great historical drama is enormous!
This film is loosely based on the Laxardal Saga from Iceland. I found it to be quite enjoyable, and the Icelandic scenery is a major feature. It could have been more than what it is, however, being somewhat of an action-movie, to a degree. It portays the Laxardal Saga characters Kjartan and Gudrun, but does not really portray the story as it is written in the saga.
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