Valhalla Rising (2009)

Forced for some time to be a fighting slave, a pagan warrior escapes his captors with a boy and joins a group of Crusaders on their quest to the Holy Land.

Director:

Nicolas Winding Refn

Writers:

Nicolas Winding Refn, Roy Jacobsen

Stars:

Mads Mikkelsen, Maarten Stevenson, Alexander Morton

4 wins & 9 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Mads Mikkelsen	...	One Eye
Alexander Morton	...	Barde - Pagan
Stewart Porter	...	Kenneth - Pagan
Maarten Stevenson	...	The Boy - Pagan
Matthew Zajac	...	Malkolm - Pagan (as Mathew Zajac)
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

Storyline

1000 AD, for years, One Eye, a mute warrior of supernatural strength, has been held prisoner by the Norse chieftain Barde. Aided by Are, a boy slave, One Eye slays his captor and together he and Are escape, beginning a journey into the heart of darkness. On their flight, One Eye and Are board a Viking vessel, but the ship is soon engulfed by an endless fog that clears only as the crew sights an unknown land. As the new world reveals its secrets and the Vikings confront their terrible and bloody fate, One Eye discovers his true self.

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Plot Keywords:

viking | axe | fog | mute | chained to a post | 

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Genres:

Adventure | Drama | Fantasy

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

Denmark UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

31 March 2010 (Denmark)

Also Known As:

Buđenje Valhale

Filming Locations:

Scotland, UK

Box Office

Budget:

£4,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$7,905, 18 July 2010, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$17,546, 25 July 2010

Company Credits

Production Co:

BBC Films,Belle Allee Productions, La,La Belle Allee

Technical Specs

Runtime:

93 min 90 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Nicolas Winding Refn originally wanted Mogwai to provide the music for the film but scheduling conflicts prevented that.

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Goofs

When 'One Eye' is carrying Bardes decapitated head the headband on it is white in color, but when he puts it on the spike it's black.

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Quotes

Viking chief: They only have one God. We have many.

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Crazy Credits

"In the beginning there was only man and nature. Men came bearing crosses and drove the heathen to the fringes of the earth."

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Connections

Featured in Renegade Cut: Christianity & Violence: Valhalla Rising (2018)

User Reviews

Masterpiece

This is an excellent movie. It's a visual movie that you watch and experience. There is very little dialog and everything said is important. It requires several viewings to grasp many of the subtleties in the images and story. The director has managed to capture the atmosphere perfectly. The action is very brutal and lifelike.

This movie isn't everyone's cup of tea. It has a very "trippy" feel throughout the movie, and a bit of philosophy thrown in. The main questions surround the hero of the movie, One-Eye, and a boy named Are, who he is protecting. After watching it several times, I am of the opinion that One-Eye is possibly a direct avatar of Odin. A very interesting movie with excellent cinematography, with much of the story shown and not told, I recommend this to anyone who has a brain and likes action and adventure.