It's DARK. | The Northman's Heavy Premise | SPOILER Discussion
It's DARK. | The Northman's Heavy Premise | SPOILER Discussion
Robert Eggers' The Northman is a film with complex meaning. Jay Sherer and Josh Taylor discuss the meaning and message of The Northman! Contains spoilers!
Full Show: • The Northman: Brutally Beautiful Storytelling
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Timeslingers (YA serial adventure story): https://www.amazon.com/Timeslingers/d...
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Robert Eggers was inspired by the same story that inspired Shakespeare when he wrote Hamlet.
Welcome to The Story Geeks Show! On today's show, we'll be digging deeper into the storytelling driving The Northman, one of the best films of 2022 thus far.
We'll start out with a brief review, and then give a spoiler warning before we get into details.
I'm Jay Sherer, co-writer of Death of a Bounty Hunter and Timeslingers. The full cast audiobook of Death of a Bounty Hunter is now available via our website, on Audiobooks.com, and on Apple Books. Support the show by purchasing a copy! Links are in the description.
Joining me on today's show, a huge Robert Eggers fan… Josh Taylor!
THE NORTHMAN STORYTELLING DISCUSSION
GIVE SPOILER WARNING
Q2: One thing Robert Eggers has said in interviews is that he's very interested in spirituality and mythology, and that shows in his films. What do you think The Northman has to say to its audience?
MY TAKE:
I love what it has to say… and I kind of hate what it has to say.
If I were going to write out a premise for the film:
Vengeance, even when satisfying to the person who wants revenge, is ultimately cold comfort and damaging to relationships.
The art of this premise is that each character has a different perspective on it.
Amleth dies thinking he did the right thing. Not only that he was justified as a person who was wronged, but he ALSO believes he's spiritually justified.
But the mother of his child believes that he's wrong, and not only that but that he might be spiritually wrong!
If you break it down, each character thinks they're right, but only one character gets what they want:
Amleth's uncle believes he's right. He dies after his family has been murdered.
Amleth's mother–in one of the biggest twists in the film–informs him that his father was awful and his uncle is great. She dies after seeing her child murdered.
Amleth's girlfriend believes that his children are his destiny and he should give up his pursuit. He ignores and abandons her.
Only Amleth gets what he wants.
Why I love this premise: It does speak to human truth. The protagonist who believes that he or she is justified in his or her pursuit.
Why I hate this premise: I think many people will think it justifies vengeance, which I don't think it does, but it almost seems to because Amleth seems to feel fulfilled after he has completed his mission.