The Northman: Were Amleth's Visions Real?
Warning: Spoilers for The Northman!
Visionary director Robert Eggers’ latest film The Northman is an otherworldly Viking tale wherein its protagonist Amleth experiences mystical visions that guide him on his quest for vengeance. As a direct inspiration for William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the legend of Amleth is by no means a new tale, but the way Eggers chooses to frame this particular retelling of it is certainly original. The film acts as a powerful cocktail of ultra-realism and the supernatural, and one of the questions that its story leaves viewers with is whether Amleth’s visions are in fact real or not.
Considering Eggers’ previous stellar work, it’s no surprise that reviews for The Northman have been so positive. Much of the praise has been directed at the use of Norse mythology and the aforementioned supernatural, but there are no easy answers to be gained from the film regarding its departures from reality. However, those lingering questions seem to be intentional.
Related: Why The Northman's Story Is So Familiar
Amleth’s visions and otherworldly encounters throughout The Northman are left mostly ambiguous – yet Eggers does leave some interesting clues regarding what is real and what isn’t. His first real encounter with the supernatural comes in the form of the Seeress at the temple of Svetovit. Played rather appropriately by Björk, the Seeress imparts her knowledge of Amleth’s path to him and reveals that he is bound to take revenge on Fjölnir soon. However, the Seeress vanishes from the temple afterward, and both Amleth and the viewer are left wondering whether the entire interaction took place at all or if Amleth merely imagined meeting a Seeress of Norse myth due to his Viking upbringing. Eggers cleverly plays
Read more on screenrant.com
