Valhalla Rising (2009)

Director:

Nicolas Winding Refn

Writers:

Nicolas Winding Refn (written by)
Roy Jacobsen (written by)
(more)

Release Date:

10 March 2010 (France)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Drama | Fantasy

Plot:

1000 AD, for years, One Eye, a mute warrior of supernatural strength, has been held prisoner by the Norse chieftain Barde...

Plot Keywords:

Viking | New World | Ship | Escape | Warrior

Awards:

4 wins & 9 nominations

Cast

Mads Mikkelsen	...	One Eye
Alexander Morton	...	Barde - Pagan
Stewart Porter	...	Kenneth - Pagan
Maarten Stevenson	...	The Boy - Pagan
Mathew Zajac	...	Malkolm - Pagan
Gordon Brown	...	Hagen - Christian Viking
Gary McCormack	...	Hauk - Christian Viking
Andrew Flanagan	...	Gudmond - Christian Viking
James Ramsey	...	Gudmund - Christian Viking
Gary Lewis	...	Kare - Christian Viking
Jamie Sives	...	Gorm - Christian Viking
Ewan Stewart	...	Eirik - Christian Viking
Rony Bridges	...	Magnus - Christian Viking
Robert Harrison	...	Roger - Christian Viking
Andy Nicolson	...	Christian Viking
Douglas Russell	...	Olaf - Christian Viking
Garry Sweeney	...	Christian Viking
Tashi Tsering	...	Indian
Lhasam Gedun	...	Indian
Palden Tsering	...	Indian
Pasang Manor	...	Indian
Wangdu Dorjee	...	Indian
Dawa Norbu	...	Indian
Lhabhum Sershi	...	Indian
Tsultrim Gyatso	...	Indian
Tsewang Phuntsok	...	Indian
Tsering Dorjee	...	Indian
Lobsang Griffiths-Golba	...	Indian
Pasang Dorjee	...	Indian
Tenzin Jigdal	...	Indian
Phurbu Rinzin	...	Indian
Lobsang Palden	...	Indian
Jamyang Chophel	...	Indian
Nagwang Kunchok	...	Indian
Tashi Dhondup	...	Indian
Nawang Anja-Tsang	...	Indian
Tashi Sangpo Murik	...	Indian
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
James Embree	...	Viking Fighter (uncredited)
P.B. McBeath	...	Man with pike (uncredited)
Callum Mitchell	...	Pagan Viking Guard (uncredited)

Directed by
Nicolas Winding Refn

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Roy Jacobsen		written by
Matthew Read		additional writing
Nicolas Winding Refn		written by

Produced by
Christine Alderson	....	executive producer
Johnny Andersen	....	producer
Lene Børglum	....	executive producer
Yves Chevalier	....	executive producer
Henrik Danstrup	....	producer
Bo Ehrhardt	....	producer
Eva Jakobsen	....	assistant producer: Nimbus
Linda James	....	executive producer
Mads Peter Ole Olsen	....	executive producer
Carole Sheridan	....	executive producer
Sigurjon Sighvatsson	....	executive producer (as Joni Sighvatsson)
Thor Sigurjonsson	....	executive producer (as Thorir Sigurjónsson)
Karen Smyth	....	co-producer

Original Music by
Peter Kyed
Peter Peter		(as Peterpeter)

Cinematography by
Morten Søborg		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Matthew Newman		(as Mat Newman)

Casting by
Des Hamilton

Production Design by
Laurel Wear

Art Direction by
Natalie Astridge
Allie Milligan

Costume Design by
Gill Horn

Makeup Department
Hollie Armstrong	....	hair stylist: dailies
Hollie Armstrong	....	makeup artist: dailies
Lily Beckett	....	hair stylist: dailies
Lily Beckett	....	makeup artist: dailies
Jim Bones	....	prosthetics: moulding
Maria Cork	....	prosthetics
Jessica Cruickshank	....	hair stylist assistant
Jessica Cruickshank	....	makeup artist assistant
Maxine Dallas	....	hair stylist
Maxine Dallas	....	makeup artist
Barbara Findlay	....	hair stylist: dailies
Barbara Findlay	....	makeup artist: dailies
Chris Fitzpatrick	....	prosthetics
Fiona Harvey	....	hair stylist: dailies
Fiona Harvey	....	makeup artist: dailies
Ashley Higgins	....	hair stylist trainee
Ashley Higgins	....	makeup artist trainee
Duncan Jarman	....	prosthetics
Niamh Morrison	....	makeup designer
Aileen Mullen	....	hair stylist trainee
Aileen Mullen	....	makeup artist trainee
Stephen Murphy	....	prosthetics make up artist
Natalie Pacini	....	hair stylist trainee (as Natalie Pancini)
Natalie Pacini	....	makeup artist trainee (as Natalie Pancini)
Nicole Stafford	....	hair stylist: dailies
Nicole Stafford	....	makeup artist: dailies
Tristan Versluis	....	prosthetics

Production Management
Jeanette Haley	....	post-production supervisor
Matt Jones	....	unit manager
Suzanne Reid	....	production manager
Emma Zee	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Marissa Carrera	....	third assistant director (as Marissa Carrara)
Will Cummins	....	third assistant director
Alison Goring	....	second assistant director
Ronaldo Nacionales	....	first assistant director
Nickie Sault	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Bob Barclay	....	construction: B Scenic Construction
Frank Boyd	....	art department assistant
Wendy Cairns	....	art department assistant
Wendy Cairns	....	production buyer
Berengere Chabanis	....	prop maker
Kenny Daniel	....	prop maker (as Kenneth Daniel)
Mark Di Meo	....	art department assistant
Lydia Farrell	....	art department trainee
Christian Fenwicke-Clennell	....	construction: B Scenic Construction
Ufuk Gueray	....	prop maker
Conor Kelly	....	prop maker
Maria Ledinskaya	....	prop maker
Daniel MacDonell	....	assistant stand-by props (as Dan MacDonell)
Colin MacInnes	....	stand-by construction
Suzanne McAleer	....	prop maker
Daniel McConnell	....	prop maker
Russell McGovern	....	art department runner
Aoife McKim	....	prop maker
Robert Mitchell	....	prop maker
Dave More	....	construction: B Scenic Construction
Pauline O'Donnell	....	prop maker
John Patterson	....	art department assistant
David Ramsay	....	stand-by props
Federico Redaelli	....	prop maker
Alan Reid	....	prop maker
Kate Robertson	....	prop maker
James Tannock	....	art department assistant
Wendy Cairns	....	prop maker (uncredited)
Jake Drummond	....	carpenter (uncredited)
Daniel MacDonell	....	dressing props (uncredited)

Sound Department
Iain Anderson	....	foley recordist
Iain Anderson	....	sound re-recording mixer
Colin Gregory	....	sound maintenance
Tom Griffiths	....	assistant sound editor
Howard Halsall	....	dialogue editor
Kahl Henderson	....	adr recordist
Giles Lamb	....	sound designer
Douglas MacDougall	....	sound designer
Micheal MacKinnon	....	foley
Cameron Mercer	....	sound recordist
Chris Sinclair	....	sound re-recording mixer
Andrew Walsh	....	sound trainee
Linda Wylie	....	sound coordinator
Alex Hudd	....	sound consultant: dolby (uncredited)
Jamie Young	....	assistant sound editor (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Joanna Dewar-Gibb	....	special effects manager (as Joanna Dewar Gibb)
Dave Evans	....	special effects technician
Mark Holdcroft	....	special effects technician
Rick Jotle	....	special effects: equipment
Mike Kelt	....	special effects supervisor
Matt Loader	....	special effects technician
Nick Martin	....	special effects technician
Keith Nairm	....	special effects technician (as Keith Nairn)
Ken Petrie	....	special effects technician
Robin Pollok	....	special effects technician
Amelia Rowe	....	special effects trainee

Visual Effects by
Edward Andrews	....	visual effects artist: Dragon DI (as Edd Andrews)
James Ballard	....	visual effects artist: Dragon DI
Myfanwy Harris	....	lead visual effects artist: Dragon DI

Stunts
Rob Cooper	....	stunt performer
James Embree	....	stunt performer
Rick English	....	stunt performer
James Grogan	....	stunt performer
Mike Lambert	....	stunt performer
Guy List	....	stunt performer
Tony Lucken	....	stunt coordinator
Erol Mehmet	....	stunt performer
Julian Spencer	....	stunt coordinator
Ally McClelland	....	stunt performer (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Freddie Bonfanti	....	gaffer
Ian Harrison	....	studio rigger
Stuart Hurley	....	studio spark
Jo Irvine	....	still photographer (as Joanne Irvine)
Alan Jaap	....	stand-by rigger
Anna James	....	second assistant camera
Patrick Murray	....	lighting assistant
Jon Priddle	....	first assistant camera
Derrick Ritchie	....	rigging gaffer
Dean Rogers	....	still photographer
Angus Thomson	....	video assist
Hatti Beanland	....	red camera technician (uncredited)

Casting Department
Claire Catterson	....	casting assistant
Laura Donnelly	....	crowd casting coordinator
Kimberley O'Neill	....	casting assistant
Caroline Stewart	....	casting assistant
Kay Gannon	....	extras casting (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Alison J. Johnston	....	costume dailies
Camille Moohan	....	costume assistant
Fiona Stewart	....	costume trainee
Kathryn Tart	....	costume supervisor
Dena Thanopoulos	....	costume dailies

Editorial Department
Siobhan Boyes	....	post-production coordinator
Fiona Cairns	....	post technical assistant
Michele De Benedetti	....	digital intermediate technician: Dragon DI
Jakob Dueholm	....	editing facilities: Kong Gulerod
Tanya Fallenius	....	assembly editor
Julie Harding	....	digital intermediate producer: Dragon DI
Rob May	....	colorist: Dragon DI
Lewis McInnes	....	editor trainee
Tony Ray	....	digital intermediate executive producer: Dragon DI
Andreas Rostock	....	technical support
Jakob Schaumburg	....	editing facilities: Edithouse
Martin Scoones	....	colorist: laboratory, Technicolor London
Paul J. Wright	....	digital intermediate technical manager: Dragon DI

Transportation Department
Stuart Cadenhead	....	driver
Andy Hodgson	....	driver
Vincent Hunter	....	driver
Craig McLaren	....	driver
Christopher Pavey	....	driver (as Chris Pavey)
Angus Thomson	....	driver: camera car
Wayne Wright	....	unit driver

Other crew
Rachel Anderson	....	staff: La Belle Allée
Bethan Bannister	....	investment executive: The Wales Creative IP Fund
Mary Brehony	....	legal services: Scottish Screen
Duncan Broadfoot	....	location runner
Stuart Cadenhead	....	runner
Neil Cairns	....	accountant
Ruth Coulter	....	crowd coordinator
Bethan Cousins	....	fund manager: The Wales Creatice IP Fund
Victoria Dabbs	....	production coordinator
John Ensby	....	laboratory contact: Technicolor London
Julie Falconer	....	unit nurse: Star Nurses
Julie Foster	....	tutor
Peter Fowler	....	marine coordinator
Joanne Gemmill	....	unit nurse: Star Nurses
Lindsay Goodall	....	production secretary
Anna Griffin	....	personal assistant to director
Glynn Henderson	....	health and safety officer
Andy Hodgson	....	runner
Vincent Hunter	....	runner
Paul Imrie	....	assistant accountant
Louise Jacobsen	....	legal services: Natixis Coficiné, Per Neumann Aps
Jacob Jarek	....	assistant to producer: Nimbus
Lise Krogsgaard	....	controller: Nimbus
Mamie Lang	....	chaperone
Dolina Macfarlane	....	script supervisor
Jules MacIver	....	unit nurse: Star Nurses
Allan MacQuarrie	....	historical consultant (as Dr. Allan MacQuarrie)
Emma Mager	....	completion guarantee: International Film Guarantors
Jacqui McBride	....	accounts assistant (as Jacqueline McBride)
Linda McClure	....	legal service: Scottish Screen
Leslie Ann McCluskey	....	chaperone
Craig McLaren	....	runner
Christos Michaels	....	legal services: The Wales Creative IP Fund, Lee and Thompson Solicitors
Sarah Morrison	....	production runner
Duncan Muggoch	....	location manager
Stephen Murphy	....	legal services: The Wales Creative IP Fund, Lee and Thompson Solicitors
Sandra Nelson	....	unit nurse: Star Nurses
Per Neumann	....	legal services: Natixis Coficiné, Per Neumann Aps
Christian Otty	....	floor runner
Christopher Pavey	....	runner (as Chris Pavey)
Abigail Payne	....	legal services: Blind Eye Productions, Harbottle and Lewis
Saskia Pomeroy	....	personal assistant to director
Luke Randolph	....	completion guarantee: International Film Guarantors
Pernille Norén Rasmussen	....	payroll: Nimbus (as Pernille Norén-Rasmussen)
Graeme Reid	....	location runner
Katrine Schlüter	....	legal services: One Eye Production, Johan Schlüter Law Form (as Katrine Schlüter Schierbeck)
Claudia Siesbye	....	assistant to producer: Nimbus
Bob Smith	....	mountain health and safety
Shellie Smith	....	completion guarantee: International Film Guarantors
Judy Shaw Stewart	....	tutor
Stef Swiatek	....	unit nurse: Star Nurses (as Stefanie Swiatek)
Mette Sø	....	researcher
Ross Thatcher	....	chaperone
Claus Thobo-Carlsen	....	head of administration: Nimbus
Michelle Tierney	....	staff: La Belle Allée
Christophe Vidal	....	bank production loan: Natixis Coficiné
Elaine Walsh	....	staff: La Belle Allée
Jeff Ward	....	life guard
Chick Allan	....	team leader (uncredited)
Christopher Key	....	editor: making-of documentary (uncredited)
Anna Cameron McKessock	....	cast associate (uncredited)
Eugene Talbot	....	personal trainer (uncredited)

Thanks
Oliver Winding	....	dedicatee

Production Companies

• BBC Films
• Belle Allee Productions, La
• NWR Film Productions
• Nimbus Film Productions
• One Eye Production
• Savalas Audio Post-Production

Distributors

• Comstock Group (2012) (Japan) (theatrical)
• IFC Films (2010) (USA) (theatrical)
• Le Pacte (2010) (France) (theatrical)
• Scanbox Entertainment (2008) (Denmark) (theatrical)
• Scanbox Entertainment (2010) (Finland) (theatrical) (Blu-ray) (DVD)
• Scanbox Entertainment (2010) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Vertigo Distribution (2009) (UK) (theatrical)
• Audio Visual Entertainment (2010) (Greece) (DVD)
• Cinemax (2010) (Russia) (all media) (CIS)
• Film1 (2011) (Netherlands) (TV) (limited)
• Focus Filmes (2010) (Brazil) (DVD)
• IFC Midnight (2010) (USA) (all media)
• Madman Entertainment (2011) (Australia) (DVD)
• Momentum Pictures (2010) (UK) (DVD)
• Momentum Pictures (2010) (UK) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Paradiso Home Entertainment (2010) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Sunfilm Entertainment (2010) (Germany) (DVD)
• Teleview International (2009) (Lebanon) (all media) (Middle East)
• Zon Lusomundo Audiovisuais (2010) (Portugal) (all media)

Special Effects

• Artem (physical special effects and prosthetics)
• Dragon Digital Intermediate (visual effects) (as Dragon DI)

Other Companies

• Apollo Productions / AAR Digital  advertising and promotions
• Argyll Catering  catering: location
• Arnold Clark Car & Van Rental  van hire (as Arnold Clark)
• Audiolink Radio Communications  motorolas (as Audiolink)
• B Scenic Construction  construction
• British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)  funding
• British Film Council  funding
• Courtney Travel  minibus hire
• DR TV International Sales  funding
• Decode  camera equipment
• Det Danske Filminstitut  funding
• Dragon Digital Intermediate  digital intermediate
• Edithouse  editing facilities
• Enterprise Rent-A-Car  car hire (as Enterprise)
• Film Flow  facilities
• Fintage Collection Account Management B.V.  collection account management (as Fintage CAM B.V.)
• Grant Thornton  auditor: UK
• Harbottle & Lewis  legal services: Blind Ete Productions
• International Film Guarantors  completion guarantee
• JS Revision  auditor: Denmark
• Johan Schlüter Law Firm  legal services: One Eye Production
• K_G Kong_Gulerod  editing facilities (as Kong Guelrod)
• Lee and Thompson Solicitors  legal services: The Wales Creative IP Fund
• Media Insurance Brokers  insurance
• Media Security Services  security
• Nationwide Access  lighting equipment
• Natixis Coficiné  bank production loan
• Nimbus Film Editing  editing facilities
• Nordisk Film- & TV-Fond  funding
• Panalux  lighting equipment
• Per Neumann Aps  legal sevices: bank production loan
• Red Chutney  catering: location
• Savalas Sound  sound, foley, adr, edit and mix (as Savalas Film Sound)
• Scanbox Entertainment  funding
• Scottish Screen  funding
• Sefari - Skye  safety boats and marine transport
• Simon Borch Kristiansen  trailer
• Stars Nurses  unit nurses
• Visual Impact  camera equipment
• Wales Creative IP Fund  funding

Also Known As:

Runtime:

93 min | Canada:90 min (Toronto International Film Festival)

Country:

Denmark | UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Portugal:M/16 | Finland:K-15 | Norway:15 | UK:15 | USA:Not Rated | Sweden:15 | Canada:18A (Ontario) | Netherlands:16 | Australia:MA (2011) | Germany:16 | Singapore:NC-16

Filming Locations:

Scotland, UK

Company:

BBC Films

Trivia:

Nicolas Winding Refn conceived the film as some sort of acid trip.

Goofs:

Miscellaneous: The closing credit for "Technical Support" has a typo error "Techincal".

Quotes:

Barde:I once met man who told me... they eat their own God... Eat his flesh. Drink his blood. Abominable...

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "At the Movies: Episode #8.37" (2011)

It's...confusing

Know this...if you saw the title of this movie and immediately imagined an epic battle between Thor and...ummm...someone, you were wrong. Oh boy, were you wrong. The fact of the matter is that this movie is much less Iron Man action flick and much more semi-pretentious art-house flick. It's slow. VERY slow. There's not much in the way of dialog or even plot. It's basically just a group of guys wandering around lost having very disjointed conversations. Seriously...that's about it. Oh...and one of the guys never talks so those conversations just got even more limited.

That being said, the movie isn't without it charms. The cinematography is excellent. Pretty much any wide shot or establishing shot is pretty damn beautiful (even if it's a green screen). Parts of the movie are intriguing, or at least just enough to make you (well...me at least) keep watching.

In the end, for me it kind of leaned towards being a bit boring. I mean...hardly anything happens. Take away all of those long wide shots, as good as they look, and take away all of the parts where people are just sitting around not saying anything and you've got a movie that's maybe 30 minutes long. So as much as I wanted to like it, there's not a whole lot of it to like in terms of plot and dialog. And much of what is there is kind of poorly put together or just plain confusing. All in all it's definitely a movie that would play well on an HDTV with a Blu Ray player for the great visuals, but aside from that kind of falls flat on it's face in most other respects.