In Scandinavian mythology, Valhalla is a vast hall in which great warriors, the chosen dead are sent. In Nicolas Winding Refn’s latest film a great Scandinavian warrior has risen from Valhalla. This is the story of One-Eye, a mute prisoner of a Scottish clan, forced to fight while tied to a rope. This doesn’t stop One-Eye from brutally killing anyone who is put before him. With the threat of conquering Christian extremists, another clan offers money for One-Eye. Money that can be used to ward off a Christian massacre. One-Eye escapes his new captors, adopts a young boy and becomes a member of a band of Christian warriors on their way to Jerusalem to defend the Holy Land. This is Valhalla Rising.
Not deemed marketable enough to get a UK theatrical release, Valhalla Rising went straight to DVD. Not a sign of poor quality. Summer is a crowded marketplace and a small, violent film with a mute protagonist would struggle to find a profitable audience. Yet, there is always an audience to be found. It seems however that the powers that be behind Valhalla Rising decided that a deceptive DVD cover would offer the better chance of an audience and a profit. Hopefully this will be the case as there is much to admire in Refn’s symbolic film.
The story is minimal and characters are defined through the beautifully shot and savage landscape. As for One-Eye we are told, “He is driven by hate. It’s how he survives. It’s why he never loses” and this is enough. Mads Mikkelsen’s performance as One-Eye combined with the brevity of his back story creates a memorable character. One-Eye’s looks of disinterest at the Christian preaching and his protection of the boy give him recognisable traits even if his motives and conclusion are never clear. Symbolism takes centre stage over narration and while this may prove frustrating for some viewers, sticking with Refn’s film is a strangely satisfying experience.
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