Valhalla Rising (Nicolas Winding Refn,2009)
Not a bad effort at all, but it's ultimately only interesting on a thematic and visual level. Refn successfully brings the "feel" of the viking age to life with gritty reality mixed with surrealism. Though Refn's visual style is striking, it does become a little overwhelming and distracting. Valhalla Rising also suffers from poor acting, aside from the protagonist. There are many interesting themes in the film about culture and identity -- and they are certainly subtle -- but the film never quite takes those themes far enough.
Not a bad effort at all, but it's ultimately only interesting on a thematic and visual level. Refn successfully brings the "feel" of the viking age to life with gritty reality mixed with surrealism. Though Refn's visual style is striking, it does become a little overwhelming and distracting. Valhalla Rising also suffers from poor acting, aside from the protagonist. There are many interesting themes in the film about culture and identity -- and they are certainly subtle -- but the film never quite takes those themes far enough.
Last edited by Justin; 08-25-10 at 11:04 AM.