The White Viking (1991)

Norway in the 10th century. Askur, son of the powerful Thorgeir marries Embla, daughter of one of the few remaining landowners in Norway, in a pagan ceremony. King Olav, a ruthless ... See full summary »

Director:

Hrafn Gunnlaugsson

Writers:

Hrafn Gunnlaugsson, Jonathan Rumbold

Stars:

Gotti Sigurdarson, Maria Bonnevie, Egill Ólafsson

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Gotti Sigurdarson	...	Askur (as Gottskálk D. Sigurdarson)
Maria Bonnevie	...	Embla
Egill Ólafsson	...	King Olafur
Tomas Norström	...	Bishop Thangbrandur
Þorsteinn Hannesson	...	Jarl Godbrandur
Helgi Skúlason	...	Thorgeir
Jón Tryggvason	...	Ketill
Gunnar Jónsson	...	Gunnar
Bríet Héðinsdóttir	...	Hallbera
Torgils Moe	...	Thordur
Maria Sigurdardóttir	...	Abbessa Stella
Alda Sigurðardóttir	...	Helga
Hedda Kloster	...	Alfdis
Flosi Ólafsson	...	Runolfur
Árni Tryggvason	...	Gudmundur

Storyline

Norway in the 10th century. Askur, son of the powerful Thorgeir marries Embla, daughter of one of the few remaining landowners in Norway, in a pagan ceremony. King Olav, a ruthless Christian, wants to remove all traces of non-Christian beliefs and captures the two of them during the ceremony. In order to free Embla, Askur must go to Iceland and convert the people there to Christianity.

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Plot Keywords:

bare chested male bondage | 10th century | christianity | pagan | king | 

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Genres:

Adventure | Drama

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Did You Know?

Trivia

This movie has been re-cut by the director and re-released as "Embla" since he felt that he always wanted the movie to be more centered around the female lead.

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Quotes

Jarl Godbrandur: In the beginning of time, the Æsir made the world and lit the fire of life. Then they hammered man and woman so the clans could grow. Stronger than the sinews of bears is the bloodbond that now binds you.

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Alternate Versions

There are three different versions of the film: a five-hour mini-series, the theatrical cut and Embla, the director's cut. Embla changes the order in which the scenes appear and focuses on the character of Embla. Askur's adventures in Iceland and all Icelandic characters are cut out, safe for some shots of Askur trekking the Icelandic wilderness. Several scenes featuring Embla and an entire plot line about Embla birthing Askur's son has been reinserted. Most of these scenes were included in the mini-series. The mini-series and Embla clarifies that the character of Gudbrandur likely suffers from some sort of mental disorder which he has passed on to his daughter Embla, which is the explanation for their visions, much like king Olaf. The television series also featured additional plot lines about Askur's previous life as a Viking and his descent from Egill Skallagrímsson. The mini-series also includes scenes of sacrificing real animals in pagan rituals. The first episode features the on-screen killing of a pig as a sacrifice to the god Freyr. The last episode features a real butchered calf which has been sacrificed to Odin. The theatrical cut has released on VHS, while the mini-series and Embla are available on DVD.

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Connections

Follows Shadow of the Raven (1988)

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Soundtracks

Á Sprengisandi
Written by Sigvaldi Kaldalóns
Arranged, performed and produced by Øistein Boassen

User Reviews

The Third Part In The Vikings Trilogy Is an Absolute Masterpiece

I have been searching for this movie for several years. After two first parts, The Raven Flies and The Shadow Of The Raven, my anticipation was immense. I was eager to watch the final part, and I was rewarded. Hrafn Gunnlaugsson is a real underrated Genius of Icelandic movie industry and he managed to make three breathtaking films that leave you spellbound and in awe. This third part tells of the year 999, when the Norwegian king Harald was busy baptizing Iceland and Norway. The movie is a shockingly realistic portrait of the times, with mud and rains, dirt and blood, unbelievable superstitions and awkward views. The story revolved around a your couple, and also tells about the violent and clumsy attempts of spreading the Gospel in those lands. The breathtaking Norwegian and Icelandic landscapes add to the sheer magnificence of the film and also the excellent play of all actors make this film a real must see

Details

Country:

Norway Denmark Sweden Iceland

Language:

Icelandic

Release Date:

1 November 1991 (Iceland)

Also Known As:

Embla

Filming Locations:

Hvaler, Norway

Box Office

Budget:

ISK250,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Film, Filmeffekt AS

Technical Specs

Runtime:

131 min 306 min (miniseries) 87 min (director's cut)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1