Le viking blanc

Original title: Hvíti víkingurinn

1991
2h 11m

IMDb RATING

YOUR RATING

Maria Bonnevie, Gotti Sigurdarson, and Egill Ólafsson in Le viking blanc (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 Christian... Read allNorway 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 ... Read allNorway 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 ther... Read all

Director
- Hrafn Gunnlaugsson
Writers
- Hrafn Gunnlaugsson
- Jonathan Rumbold
Stars

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.0/10

484

YOUR RATING

Director
- Hrafn Gunnlaugsson
Writers
- Hrafn Gunnlaugsson
- Jonathan Rumbold
Stars

See production info at IMDbPro

Awards
- 2 nominations total

Photos36

+ 31

User reviews3

6.0484

Featured reviews

8calle-2

This film needs distribution - great education and good movie

It's been years since I watched this. I've seen both the movie version and the TV series version. I cannot believe that this hasn't been released on DVD or any other format. Hrafn Gunnlaugsson is an underrated Icelandic director who is the ONLY one that has even come CLOSE to portraying anything that resembles authentic Viking culture and lifestyle. While the story of this movie is kind of similar to Romeo and Juliet - two very young lovers very much in love but deemed unfit for each other and doomed because of high politics - it still shows you what could be close to what culture was like in 11th century Scandinavia. YOu will get the shamans, the warriors, the Christian influence on Pagan culture, the strong family ties, and of course, the ruggedness of Vikings. Throw away any movies you might have that have Vikings in it and that might star Kirk Douglas, Antonio Banderas or Tim Robbins for that matter, and plead to someone that has any influence in the TV or movie industry in Scandinavia to release this so it will get accessible to the general public.

9kye-41

Great movie that needs a remaster

I searched for many years before I got a copy of the 4 hour version, and I wasn't disappointed. The short cut is great, allying a very realistic depiction of the viking period, with the conflict between christianity and paganism being depicted with humor, even though it deliberately is very critical of the new religion, more than the old one, but that contrasts with the other movies going in the other direction.

The long cut adds many small details, not essential, but a pleasure to watch. The only sad thing: so many years and still no HD remaster in sight... come on, producers, spend a few bucks to rescan this trilogy!

denis888

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

More like this

6.4

6.7

6.5

5.9

5.9

6.3

6.1

7.0

6.0

6.4

7.1

Le chant de la fidèle Chunhyang

4.0

L'été de nos quinze ans

Trivia
Hrafn Gunnlaugsson still keeps Gudbrandur's statue of Freyr and Hallbera's image of Freyja in his house.

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.

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.