Young Prince Amleth is on the cusp of becoming a man when his father is brutally murdered by his uncle, who kidnaps the boy’s mother. Fleeing his island kingdom by boat, the child vows revenge. Two decades later, Amleth is a Viking berserker raiding Slavic villages, where a seeress reminds him of his vow: avenge his father, save his mother, kill his uncle. Traveling on a slave ship to Iceland, Amleth infiltrates his uncle’s farm with the help of Olga, an enslaved Slavic woman — and sets out to honor his vow.
For in-depth thoughts on The Northman, please see my colleague Dom Fisher’s review from its original theatrical release here.
Video Quality
The 4K UHD Blu-Ray of The Northman offers a solid uptick in quality over the already strong accompanying Blu-Ray, carefully capturing the distinct aesthetic intended by director Robert Eggers and cinematographer Jarin Blaschke. Especially considering the look of the film, the most obvious improvements are in the black levels that make up a large portion of this feature. Scenes taking place at night or in shadow retain much more pleasing depth that actually allows you to make out fine detail thanks to its deep, inky presentation. The highlights in the film are likewise more crisply defined with whites pure and balanced with no instances of blooming to be found.
The increased nuance of the color spectrum is quite a feat to behold as the Dolby Vision and HDR captures this world in a way that executes Eggers’ vision flawlessly. This is a very dour, overcast film much of the time which means you are not going to have candy-colored hues radiating off the screen. Yet, this presentation allows the colors that are on the screen to present as more considered and natural to the world, and the radiance of the fire provides at least some dazzling moments. Skin tones appear even more natural with a precise amount of crisp detail apparent on faces such as the blood and grime that covers many of these characters as the story progresses. This 4K UHD presentation really delivers the full package. Universal has knocked it out of the park with this disc.
Audio Quality
This disc comes equipped with a tremendous Dolby Atmos presentation that fully immerses you into this world. While some audiences may find this title to be a bit too “talky” for their liking, there remains some thrilling set pieces that give you your money’s worth. The notable, violent raid in the film delivers an expansive experience with yells and weapons clanging from every direction. The chaotic confrontation and clashes provide an all-encompassing soundscape that makes you feel as if you are in the thick of the battle. The low end provides some heft to the proceedings so you can feel every thud deep in your core.
Sounds are naturally rendered with precise directionality from the action scenes to the numerous interpersonal moments of dialogue. Dialogue is presented perfectly clear without ever being overwhelmed by any of the competing sonic elements. Ambient details are key to this experience and are quite satisfying in the rear and overhead channels. The overhead channels complement the other channels well which adds a nice sense of space and immediacy to the mix. The bombastic score set the tone for the proceedings quite capably. The audio presentation delivers everything you could possibly want from it.
Special Features
- Audio Commentary: Director Robert Eggers delivers a rich commentary track that is packed with great behind-the-scenes information as he discusses working with experts and historians on bringing this rich world to life as accurately as possibly, intricacies of the production design and costumes, how they extrapolated certain designs based on what they knew from the period, his motivation behind certain choices and much more. Eggers is such a purposeful director, and your appreciation for this one will grow even further after hearing him speak at length.
- Deleted and Extended Scenes: Nine unused scenes totaling almost 13 minutes are provided here featuring more scenes of Fjölnir, extended bits of dancing and storytelling, the opening of Hel’s Gate and more.
- An Ageless Epic: An 11-minute featurette in which the cast and creative team discuss the drive to create the most accurate viking story possible by drawing on stories that inspired one of the most famous texts around, drawing upon the mythology of the culture to create something more that “jacked guys messing each other up”, the difficulties of shooting in spaces that were period accurate, the care that went the costumes, what they want the audience to take away from the film and more.
- The Faces Of Vikings: A nearly 11-minute piece in which the cast and crew discuss their passion behind bringing this story to life, the dynamics of their characters, their experiences working with one another, and more.
- Amleth’s Journey To Manhood: A four-minute look at the depiction of the ritual that takes Amleth from a boy to a man and all the mysteries surrounding it including how they realized it on screen.
- Shooting The Raid: A four-minute exploration of how the cast and crew worked together to create one of the most exciting sequences in the film and the harsh realities behind it.
- Knattleikr Game: A three-minute featurette which takes a look at this historical game, how it was shot and what it means for the narrative in a larger sense.
- A Norse Landscape: A nearly five-minute look at how the team took Northern Ireland and used its natural wonders to stand in for Iceland, along with all of the challenges that came with shooting in this location.
Final Thoughts
The Northman finds Robert Eggers playing in a bigger sandbox while never betraying the qualities that have made him an arthouse darling with his first two films. While this is very exciting for those who love his creative eye and determination towards honoring history, this may leave some audiences wanting a bit more. There are plenty of thrilling moments filled with unflinching brutality, but filmmaking today has left people inpatient with their storytelling. Still, an epic viking tale filled with towering performances and thrilling dramatic turns should be enough to engage even the most superficial viewers. Universal Pictures Home Entertainment has released a 4K UHD Blu-Ray which features a tremendous A/V presentation and a solid assortment of special features. Recommended
The Northman is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray, Blu-Ray, DVD and Digital.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Universal Pictures Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.