The Vikings
by Richard Fleischer
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Ernest Borgnine, James Donald, Janet Leigh, Kirk Douglas, Tony CurtisDirector: Richard Fleischer
Brand: Sony
Cinematographer: Jack Cardiff
Producer: Jerry Bresler
Producer: Lee Katz
Writer: Calder Willingham
Writer: Dale Wasserman
Writer: Edison Marshall
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono; English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono; French (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono; Spanish (Dubbed), Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono
Format: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 2.35:1
Running Time: 116 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2002-05-07
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: MGM
Movie Reviews of The Vikings
Movie Review: A Masterpiece of Cinematic Art.
Summary: 5 Stars
Believe it or not, I didn't see "The Vikings" until December, 2004. I TRIED to watch it a couple of times before that but always gave up after about 25 minutes or so. Why? I suppose because I found the characters so unlikable.
When I finally watched it I found out that it took a good 45 minutes for the story to really grab ahold of you. By the end of the film I was TOTALLY BLOWN AWAY! Trust me, if you like adventure movies, especially historically rooted ones, you will get a big thrill out of this flick.
THE STORY: Einar (Kirk Douglas) and Eric (Tony Curtis) are -- unknowingly -- half-bothers, the sons of Ragnar (Earnest Borgnine), the Viking leader. Eric is a Viking slave (no one knows he is the son of the chief) and Einar despises him, especially since he causes him to lose an eye and get his face all scarred up. Both half-brothers are interested in an English princess (Janet Leigh); she despises Einar, but developes a great love for Eric. The story wraps up with a powerful viking raid on an English castle.
I'm thinking, this flick was made in 1958, so how good can it possibly be? Yet there's a 30-minute documentary on the dvd that details the great vision, research and hard work that went into creating such a powerful film. It took a year of preparation before filming even started (!). An actual Viking village was built on location in a Norwegian fiord; there's even a magnificent waterfall in the background. An actual castle was used for the ending castle raid scenes. Trust me, the film is worth watching just for the scenery alone.
An actual Viking ship was used as the blueprint for the three ships made for the film. Plus the Viking costumes, helmets and weapons are as authentic as possible. Viewing this picture is the next best thing to going back in time and seeing real Vikings.
Here are some Miscellaneous thoughts on the picture:
The film is very brutal: hands get chopped off, faces get mutilated, people are thrown into a pit of wolves, etc.
I never knew how beautiful Janet Leigh was until I saw this movie (she doesn't appear very attractive, for instance, in "Psycho").
Watch out for Kirk Douglas' "running of the oars" scene. It's great fun, and, I gather, something practiced by real Vikings.
Seeing the three Viking ships make their ominous trek to England is magnificent (the various depictions of the ships -- at dawn, in the mist, etc. -- are great).
The arrival in England and the taking of the castle is nothing short of breathtaking. The score during this scene is just a constant, primal drum. It's very fitting.
Speaking of the score, I hated the hokey Viking horn melody at first, but then it really grew on me, sorta like certain kinds of cheeses. It's dorky, trust me, but I now can't imagine the film without it.
If you like Vikings and heavy/epic music, be sure to pick up Bathory's "Hammerheart" on CD, you WILL NOT be disappointed. If interested, check out my detailed review of this musical masterpiece at Amazon.
FINAL ANALYSIS: "The Vikings" is cinematic art at its finest. If you like authentic historical adventure, you won't be disappointed. I'm so thankful I gave it another chance. "The Vikings" now ranks up their with my all-time favorite flicks.
Summary of The Vikings
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