The Vikings (1958)
Review by Doc Ezra
Film:
DVD:

Written by Calder Willingham, based on the novel by Edison Marshall
Directed by Richard Fleischer
Starring Kirk Douglas, Janet Leigh, Tony Curtis, and Ernest Borgnine

Features:

• Featurette with Director Richard Fleischer
  
• Original Theatrical Trailer
  
• English, French, and Spanish language tracks
  
• English, French, and Spanish subtitles
  

Rating: NR

Anamorphic: Yes.

My Advice: Own it.

Set in the 9th century, The Vikings relates the tale of Viking king Ragnar (Borgnine), his son Einar (Douglas), and their scheme to kidnap an English princess (Leigh). Their plot is both aided and later complicated by a Viking slave named Eric (Curtis), who happens to be the bastard offspring of Ragnar and the English queen, unbeknownst to his Viking captors and himself. When the princess is in the clutches of the Vikings, Eric and Einar both find themselves entranced by her beauty, and their already-fierce rivalry escalates.

But placing aside their difficulties, they join together to seek vengeance on the English for Eric's disfigurement and the death of Ragnar at the hands of English captors, and thus the stage is set for a titanic battle that will determine the fate of two nations, both Viking and English. Using Eric's cunning, the Vikings launch a daring assault on the English coast, and catch their foe unprepared. With surprise and sheer ferocity on the side of the Vikings, the English defenders must hastily attempt to assemble enough force to repel these barbarian invaders before the throne of England falls into their hands.

Thus runs the story of The Vikings, full of all the classic elements that make for a fantastic historical epic - revenge, betrayal, ascension, love, and all-out warfare, with the future of entire kingdoms hanging in the balance. Director Fleischer paints a picture of 9th century Scandinavian life that is as realistic and historically accurate as has been filmed to date, and spins an incredibly engaging (not to mention entertaining) tale in the process. Shot primarily on location in the fjords of Norway, the crew assembled an entire Viking village, designed according to extensive historical research, and complete with a trio of Viking longships. The attention to detail in the early stages of production carries through to the finished product, including the memorable "running of the oars" ritual that Douglas performs when his crew returns home from a successful raid to kidnap the princess.

On top of the pre-production attention to detail and extensive research, the cast just happens to be composed of some of the more enormous talents of the late 50s silver screen. Douglas and Borgnine are fantastic Vikings, and the pain that Douglas must have endured to wear the full-orb contact necessary for Prince Einar's disfigured eye is a testament to his dedication to the part and his craft. Curtis and Leigh, utilizing their real-life love to fuel their performances, make the romance of Prince Eric and Princess Morgana seem perfectly natural and believable, and convey true passion and concern for each other.

The DVD presents the picture in a beautiful anamorphic transfer, maintaining all the amazing beauty of the sea and the fjords that Fleischer meticulously worked into his cinematography. Also included is an extensive featurette with the director, where he discusses his initial historical research, the peculiar trials of the 8-month shoot in Norway (the cast and crew were housed in a dormitory boat in tiny little cabins for the duration), the difficulties with filming the various scenes involving their reproduction longships, and some entertaining personal anecdotes about the filming. Accompanying his discussion are photos from his personal collection taken from the time of his initial research trips to Norway all the way through to the final shooting on a London soundstage. It's a great look at the film-making process under extremely difficult conditions, and gives modern viewers a solid appreciation for what making such films was like in an age before digital photography and computer-generated sets and special effects.

Overall, The Vikings deserves a place among Hollywood's classic historical epics. It's beautiful, well-acted, well-made, has a solid story, and does all of these things on a scale so large that over 4,000 extras, technicians, and craftsmen were necessary to make the picture. Add it to your DVD collection at first opportunity. You won't be disappointed.