One Eye is a prisoner forced to fight other Vikings for the amusement of other Vikings.  He doesn't speak and has one eye.  One Viking says he lives on hate.  One Eye escapes his captors after being sold off and he takes his revenge before joining a group of Christian Vikings on the way to the Holy Crusades in Jerusalem.   He has a young boy as an unexpected traveling companion.   He, the boy, and the other Vikings take a journey into Hell and end up in North America instead of going to the Holy Lands.

VALHALLA RISING is a Viking film on acid.  It is a film with very few words and the visuals (and music) convey the story.   You can compare it to some levels to a Tarkovsky film without being really drug out.  It is a meditative film that examines war and religion.   This group of Vikings is held together by a thread and it unravels due to the unknown.  The fog and music act as ominous companions that create an atmosphere of unease.  The boy says he speaks for One Eye while you wonder whether the boy is making things up.   Mads Mikkelsen is powerful as One Eye while not saying one word during the film.  He has to carry the character based on his actions and the expressions in his eyes.  VALHALLA RISING is a film as interesting as BRONSON and even more daring than the last film director Nicolas Winding-Refn made.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

The only extra sadly is a theatrical trailer for the film.  I wish there was an audio commentary with the director and Mads Mikkelsen because I bet they could lend some interesting insights into the film and story.

FINAL ANALYSIS:  VALHALLA RISING is a trippy Viking film which will leave you with plenty of questions and things to discuss about the film.  

this DVD review is (c)12-4-2010 David Blackwell and cannot be reprinted without permission.  send all comments to lord_pragmagtic@hotmail.com