Erik the Viking
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| Erik the Viking | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Terry Jones |
| Produced by | John C. Goldstone |
| Written by | Terry Jones |
| Starring | Tim Robbins Terry Jones John Cleese Gary Cady Eartha Kitt Mickey Rooney Imogen Stubbs John Gordon Sinclair Samantha Bond Anthony Sher |
| Music by | Neil Innes |
| Cinematography | Ian Wilson |
| Editing by | George Akers; Director's Son's Cut Bill Jones |
| Release date(s) | 1989; Director's Son's Cut (DVD) 2006 |
| Running time | 100 minutes, cut to 90; Director's Son's Cut 75 minutes. |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| IMDb profile | |
- For information about the 1984 computer game, see Erik the Viking (game).
Erik the Viking is a 1989 film written and directed by Terry Jones, who also makes an appearance in it. The film was inspired by Jones's children's book The Saga of Erik the Viking (1983), but the plot is completely different.
The original US cut of the film runs to 100 minutes. Unhappy with the film's slow pacing, Jones prepared a 90-minute cut for the British market, but was frustrated that he had not been given enough time to edit the film to his satisfaction. In 2006 Jones was given the opportunity of re-editing the film for DVD. Jones delegated the actual editing work to his son Bill, who produced a 75-minute "Director's Son's Cut" with re-ordered scenes and much tighter pacing as well as a completely remixed and re-dubbed soundtrack. Jones considered this highly appropriate because the original book was written for Bill.
[edit] Locations
Principal photography took place at Shepperton Studios. Some footage of Erik's village and environs were shot in Norway, while the Hy-Brasil sequence was filmed in Malta.
[edit] Story
The film is based largely upon Norse mythology. In the film's opening scene Erik (Tim Robbins), a young Viking, discovers that he has no taste for rape and pillage, and suffers guilt over an innocent woman's death.
Erik learns from the wise woman Freya (Eartha Kitt) that Fenrir the wolf has swallowed the sun, plunging the world into the grip of the age of Ragnarök, an axe-age and a sword-age when brother shall turn against brother. Appalled by this revelation, Erik resolves to travel to Asgard to reawaken the gods and petition them to bring Ragnarök to an end and restore peace to the world. Freya informs him that to do so he must seek the Horn Resounding in the land of Hy-Brasil. The first note blown upon the Horn will take Erik and his crew to Asgard, the second will awaken the gods, and the third will bring the crew home.
Opposed to Erik's expedition are Keitel Blacksmith (Gary Cady) and his slimy underling Loki (Antony Sher), because peace would mean no more demand for Keitel's swords; and Halfdan the Black (John Cleese), a kind of Viking Godfather for whom peace would also be bad for business. Keitel joins Erik's crew, hoping to sabotage Erik's plans, while Halfdan's warship sails in pursuit with Loki aboard.
Encountering the gigantic Dragon of the North Sea, Erik's crew barely escape with their lives. Amongst Erik's crew is Harald (Freddie Jones), a frustrated Christian missionary, who is unable to see the dragon because its existence conflicts with his Christian beliefs.
Arriving at Hy-Brasil, they are astonished to find it a sunlit land whose people are friendly (if musically untalented). Erik promptly falls in love with Princess Aud (Imogen Stubbs), daughter of King Arnulf (Terry Jones). During one of their romantic encounters Erik hides from Arnulf using Aud's magic cloak of invisibility.
Aud has warned the Vikings that should blood ever be shed upon Hy-Brasil the entire island would sink beneath the waves. When Halfdan's ship is sighted Erik decides to fight Halfdan's crew at sea to prevent blood from being shed on the island. To assist him Erik borrows the cloak of invisibility, not realising that it only works on Arnulf.
In the ensuing battle Erik considers himself invincible, wrongly believing that Halfdan's crew cannot see him, and this unorthodox fighting style helps him to win the battle although Halfdan himself escapes. Amongst Halfdan's men Erik discovers Loki, who claims that he had sneaked on board in order to sabotage Halfdan's plans. At this point Erik realises that Loki can see him and that he was not invisible after all (except to Harald, for whom the cloak did work), and faints.
In gratitude for Erik's having saved Hy-Brasil King Arnulf presents him with the Horn Resounding, which is much larger than Erik had imagined. Loki steals the Horn's mouthpiece, without which it cannot be sounded, and persuades Keitel to throw it in the sea, but Snorri, one of Erik's men, catches them in the act and Loki kills him. A single drop of the man's blood falls from Loki's dagger, triggering an earthquake that causes the island to begin sinking.
Erik's crew, joined by Aud, prepare to escape in their ship with the Horn safely aboard, but Arnulf refuses to join them, denying that the island is sinking until the very moment he and the other islanders are swallowed by the waves.
Aud has retrieved the mouthpiece and sounds the first note on the Horn, which she claims has not spoken for a thousand years. The ship is propelled over the edge of the flat Earth and into space, coming to rest eventually upon the plain of Asgard. Erik sounds the second note to awaken the gods, and he and his crew approach the great Hall of Valhalla. Harald, however, is unable to see the hall, walking through solid walls as if they do not exist - which for him they do not.
Entering the Hall, Erik meets the woman he accidentally killed, who is puzzled as to why he should care about her, and the crew encounter old friends and enemies slain in battle. The gods turn out to be petulant children who have no interest in answering mortal prayers. Nevertheless Odin persuades Fenrir to spit out the sun, but tells Erik that the end of Ragnarök will not bring peace to the world.
Odin then informs Erik that he and his crew cannot return home. Nor may they remain in Valhalla, since they were not slain in battle; instead they are to be cast into the fiery Pit of Hel. Some of the vikings killed in the sea-battle with Halfdan attempt to save them, but even as they are drawn into the Pit they hear the Horn Resounding's third note, which flings them clear. Aud has persuaded Harald, for whom Valhalla and Hel do not exist, to return to the ship and sound the Horn.
Erik's crew, including the formerly dead men, immediately find themselves back in their home village, but are dismayed to find that Halfdan and his soldiers have got there first and are holding the villagers captive. But before Halfdan and his men can carry out their threat to kill the village children they are crushed to death by Erik's ship as it falls out of the sky with Harald aboard. As the villagers celebrate Erik's return and Halfdan's defeat the sun rises, bringing the age of Ragnarök to an end.
