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Director Nicolas Winding Refn ('Pusher', 'Bronson') helms this Viking adventure. Mads Mikkelsen stars as One-Eye, a mute warrior with supernatural strength who has been held prisoner for years by the chieftain Barde (Alexander Morton). Along with a boy, Are (Maarten Stevenson), he manages to kill his captor and escape on a Viking longship. The vessel becomes engulfed by an impenetrable fog that eventually disperses to reveal the shores of a strange and unknown land. As the new land reveals its terrible secrets, One-Eye is brought face to face with his true self.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful
By Tommy D
TOP 100 REVIEWER
Format:DVD
As others have commented this has been mis-sold by the promoters. It has Viking hordes on the front cover, but not in the US version, as they are not allowed to get away with such blatant false hoods.
It is an unusual film a sort of Ingmar Bergman meets Derek Jarman only with a better camera. It is supposed to be a fantasy and as such it is hard to work out what the actual plot is. Starring Mads Mikkelsen as a one eyed sort of prize fighter, he is treated like an animal; only being let out of his cage for fights to the death. He apparently is owned by Barde(I got that from the cover), who is a wealthy Scotsman who obtained him for his fighting skills. If he is such a lethal fighting machine, how was he ever caught?
Any way he escapes; killing everyone except a young lad who comes along and appears to be able to understand the mute `One Eye'. I thought it was going to be a Christian versus Pagan type thing as Christianity is a thread throughout the film. The old sort of Christianity mind, crusading and killing; not the modern sort of caring and turning the other cheek etc. They meet up with some would be crusaders and then go off on a strange voyage to either the Holy Land or to establish a New Jerusalem.
This is a slow, often claustrophobic, stylish and atmospheric film. Writer and director Nicholas Winding Refn clearly knew what he wanted to create; the studio I think had different ideas. He uses music and imagery to drive the narrative forward and whilst it works, the swift and violent changes in pace -there are snippets of violent flash backs and/or premonitions- actually break your concentration. It is like being hooked and somehow getting off the line.... Read more ›
It is an unusual film a sort of Ingmar Bergman meets Derek Jarman only with a better camera. It is supposed to be a fantasy and as such it is hard to work out what the actual plot is. Starring Mads Mikkelsen as a one eyed sort of prize fighter, he is treated like an animal; only being let out of his cage for fights to the death. He apparently is owned by Barde(I got that from the cover), who is a wealthy Scotsman who obtained him for his fighting skills. If he is such a lethal fighting machine, how was he ever caught?
Any way he escapes; killing everyone except a young lad who comes along and appears to be able to understand the mute `One Eye'. I thought it was going to be a Christian versus Pagan type thing as Christianity is a thread throughout the film. The old sort of Christianity mind, crusading and killing; not the modern sort of caring and turning the other cheek etc. They meet up with some would be crusaders and then go off on a strange voyage to either the Holy Land or to establish a New Jerusalem.
This is a slow, often claustrophobic, stylish and atmospheric film. Writer and director Nicholas Winding Refn clearly knew what he wanted to create; the studio I think had different ideas. He uses music and imagery to drive the narrative forward and whilst it works, the swift and violent changes in pace -there are snippets of violent flash backs and/or premonitions- actually break your concentration. It is like being hooked and somehow getting off the line.... Read more ›
11 of 13 people found the following review helpful
By S. Lake
Format:Blu-ray
I have to admit that I bought this because of the half naked buffed-up Mads Mikkelsen on the cover and to be fair you do get to see a fair amount of Mads being muscly. Unfortunately there seems to be very little plot to speak of and not nearly enough action. There is one fantastically visceral fight scene near the beginning but that's about it as far as blood & guts are concerned.
It's a desolate film with minimal dialogue and an awful lot of shots of men looking grimly into the distance. It seems to be going in a promising direction at one point but then it just sort of wanders off course. The only positive thing I can say about it is that the scenery is beautifully shot. Having said that, I might just be a very shallow person and if I'd realised this was an art film I might have approached it differently. The title and cover are very misleading, as others have said.
It's a desolate film with minimal dialogue and an awful lot of shots of men looking grimly into the distance. It seems to be going in a promising direction at one point but then it just sort of wanders off course. The only positive thing I can say about it is that the scenery is beautifully shot. Having said that, I might just be a very shallow person and if I'd realised this was an art film I might have approached it differently. The title and cover are very misleading, as others have said.
54 of 66 people found the following review helpful
Format:Blu-ray
Don't judge a book by its cover and the same can be said for DVDs.
I have to agree with some reviews on here, that the cover is a bit of a missrepresentation but that doesn't make it a bad film. It's not a viking blood fest at all, it's a lot deeper than that. The writer/director's previous work include the film Bronson, and this offering is equaly as arty being well shot and asking you to engage, watch, think and use your mind. In fact I could completely understand and even agree with someone giving this either the 5 star and 1 star review. It will certainly split opinion and without doubt many people will hate it.
I, myself didn't mind it... that much. The story is slightly 2001 space oddysy-esque, revolving around the main character 1eye; a human monolyth who guides you to your fate. Set around a goup of christian missionary vikings, after breaking free from captivity he guides this small group of men to a what they think are the Holy Lands. I must say all this went over my head and I only learnt this when I watched it back with the director commentary - but it made sense instantly and the film is a pleasent watch even without this knowledge.
Only once or twice did I find my attention drifting in this film, which is quite an achievment when you consider the lack of both dialogue and action. Well shot, well directed with some beautiful scenery, and some excellent acting (again considering there are very few lines) the film offers something different. One to watch if you're really into film, at film school or fancy something different, but perhaps one to avoid if you don't want to work for your cinematic releif.
I feel the main problem with this film is not the film itself - but the name and the way it was presented to the people who bought it.... Read more ›
I have to agree with some reviews on here, that the cover is a bit of a missrepresentation but that doesn't make it a bad film. It's not a viking blood fest at all, it's a lot deeper than that. The writer/director's previous work include the film Bronson, and this offering is equaly as arty being well shot and asking you to engage, watch, think and use your mind. In fact I could completely understand and even agree with someone giving this either the 5 star and 1 star review. It will certainly split opinion and without doubt many people will hate it.
I, myself didn't mind it... that much. The story is slightly 2001 space oddysy-esque, revolving around the main character 1eye; a human monolyth who guides you to your fate. Set around a goup of christian missionary vikings, after breaking free from captivity he guides this small group of men to a what they think are the Holy Lands. I must say all this went over my head and I only learnt this when I watched it back with the director commentary - but it made sense instantly and the film is a pleasent watch even without this knowledge.
Only once or twice did I find my attention drifting in this film, which is quite an achievment when you consider the lack of both dialogue and action. Well shot, well directed with some beautiful scenery, and some excellent acting (again considering there are very few lines) the film offers something different. One to watch if you're really into film, at film school or fancy something different, but perhaps one to avoid if you don't want to work for your cinematic releif.
I feel the main problem with this film is not the film itself - but the name and the way it was presented to the people who bought it.... Read more ›
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By James
Format:DVD
A really interesting film although I think it's marketing was a bit off. The trailer and front cover seem to appeal to the teenager blood and guts crowd while the film itself offers so much more. Imagine David Lynch directing the more trippy scenes and Peter Jackson back in his Braindead days directing the gore with Herzog on camera. The film offers a very bleak view on a more savage time in mans history. Defiantly one to watch if you appreciate well crafted films verging on arthouse. One to miss if your after epic battles, blood soaked heroes and a happy ending. Very interesting cinema though.
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
By Arch Stanton
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
A viking chief's pet escapes his cage and goes travelling with a band of viking~christian warmongers, attempting to storm the promised land, only to realise they've actually drifted off course, into a nightmare world of existential self discovery, with the ultimate destination being their own heart of darkness...
Got this expecting a cheap, action filled gore~fest and ended up watching it on a sunday afternoon! Doh! Major mistake, I should've saved this one until about 1am before starting it, intoxicated...Surreal, violent and well shot, with hardly any talking and packed with sumptuous scenery, with only some fake looking cgi blood squirts slightly spoiling the impact.
A great film, and loads better than it should have any right to be going off the cover, for me, I just wish I'd be surprised by more films in this way, but, usually it's the reverse.
Yes it probably is pretentious and up its own back end. So what! I thought it was different and I liked where the director was coming from when I listened to his commentary (which he does along with Dale Winton as part of the extras!), whilst drinking absinthe from a monkey's skull!
If you are a prospective buyer of this movie and you have an open mind and like all genres of cinema, I say go for it! And I wouldn't blame you if you brought some drugs to the table when watching it (not that I promote that kind of thing)! If on the other hand you enjoy more conventional, consumerist, popular cinema, stay clear, because you will no doubt hate it!
4.5/5.
Got this expecting a cheap, action filled gore~fest and ended up watching it on a sunday afternoon! Doh! Major mistake, I should've saved this one until about 1am before starting it, intoxicated...Surreal, violent and well shot, with hardly any talking and packed with sumptuous scenery, with only some fake looking cgi blood squirts slightly spoiling the impact.
A great film, and loads better than it should have any right to be going off the cover, for me, I just wish I'd be surprised by more films in this way, but, usually it's the reverse.
Yes it probably is pretentious and up its own back end. So what! I thought it was different and I liked where the director was coming from when I listened to his commentary (which he does along with Dale Winton as part of the extras!), whilst drinking absinthe from a monkey's skull!
If you are a prospective buyer of this movie and you have an open mind and like all genres of cinema, I say go for it! And I wouldn't blame you if you brought some drugs to the table when watching it (not that I promote that kind of thing)! If on the other hand you enjoy more conventional, consumerist, popular cinema, stay clear, because you will no doubt hate it!
4.5/5.
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3.3 out of 5 stars
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
Something works... Not sure what!
The film is shot through with a latent sense of foreboding doom, relieved by grittily expressive camerawork and post production. Read more
Published 1 day ago by peteb
1.0 out of 5 stars
one eye - still too many
what a load of ...... started mute and slow. worked itself up to a standstill. finally broke into a sleep. painful to watch and a waste of 1 1/2 hours.
Published 2 days ago by deano
4.0 out of 5 stars
For Herzog and Tarkovsky fans, not lads' night
This film has suffered dreadfully from the fact that the cover designer for the DVD appears not to have seen it. Read more
Published 2 days ago by hjd
2.0 out of 5 stars
Valhala Rising! Why so flat?
Purchased on a whim despite reading the mixed but mostly poor reviews below.
First impressions 15 minutes in, the main character is awsome! Read more
First impressions 15 minutes in, the main character is awsome! Read more
Published 3 months ago by Sam Stevenson
3.0 out of 5 stars
SOMETIMES STUNNING,MOSTLY DULL
This one of those movies some will view as genius and others will view as dull and pointless,it did bore me,but i appreciated it. Read more
Published 8 months ago by BAZ316
1.0 out of 5 stars
The worst film I have ever seen...
This DVD was bought for me recently as a birthday present. I like ancient epics, Vikings, Warriors, Knights... that sort of thing... I knew nothing about this tosh... Read more
Published 10 months ago by Carl Denham
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Misjudged Masterpiece
Of course, everyone has there own preferences, but this film has received alot of negative criticism on Amazon simply because it wasn't the brainless action film the reviewers were... Read more
Published 12 months ago by Tetsuo
4.0 out of 5 stars
Don't judge a book by it's cover. Literally.
I will be the first to admit I don't buy DVDs because of their front cover, I usually check out the trailer and the summary first, otherwise you will run into the same problem many... Read more
Published 14 months ago by M. N. Coleman
3.0 out of 5 stars
valhalla rising
Valhalla rising
Nicolas Winding Refn is a amazing director he has done some really top notch films and is very talented he did Bronson which was his best film and is a little... Read more
Nicolas Winding Refn is a amazing director he has done some really top notch films and is very talented he did Bronson which was his best film and is a little... Read more
Published 14 months ago by A. Holyoake
1.0 out of 5 stars
An utter rubbish
I am sorry to say, I got cajoled into buying this "movie" by the product-review which says "They say he came from hell ... Read more
Published 15 months ago by Modred
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