On third viewing, I realized this movie gets better every time I see it. New discoveries, new questions, and a constant sense of awe at Thomas' mastery of camera, design, tone and nuance. Hoffman is brilliant as always, and Phoenix is nothing less than astonishing.
A master class in filmmaking (no pun intended).
A savagely violent Viking revenge tale with flashes of the supernatural, THE NORTHMAN is expertly made and acted, and chock full of poetic and barbarous imagery. Its physicality is almost tactile (you can practically feel the wet and the cold) and the cinematography is magnificent in its utter absence of any sense that it was “lit.”
Eggers is immensely talented, but I'm not sure I'd call this a fun time at the movies. Danish actor Claes Bang (The Affair, Dracula) as the hero’s nemesis is a stand-out.
