Correspondent Morten Krogh brought this upcoming movie to my attention. As he put it:ANOTHER Viking vs. Native movie. This time with European Indians. Playing Native Americans. :-(:-( I REALLY hope this movie will get lot of prizes in the category "10 worst movies ever"...Raspberry award.Here's what it's about:
Valhalla RisingFor years, One-Eye, a mute warrior of supernatural strength, has been held prisoner by the chieftain Barde. Aided by a boy, Are, he kills his captor and together they 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 first disintegrates as they sight an unknown land. As the new land reveals its secrets and the Vikings meet a ghastly fate, One-Eye discovers his true self.
Comment: The "Indian" actors apparently are covering their faces in mud to hide the fact that they're Caucasians.
So the "New World" is the "heart of darkness" and the Vikings meet a "ghastly fate" there, eh? Did the Indians smother them with kindness, as they often did with visitors? Hmm...probably not.
At least the much maligned Pathfinder showed the Vikings as aggressors against the (too helpless) Indians. Valhalla Rising sounds like a return to the days of yesteryear: civilized white men vs. savage Indians.
I have to admit I have yet to see Pathfinder. I was rather put off when I noticed the Vikings wearing horned helmets (very historically inaccurate). As to Valhalla Rising, it does indeed sound and look awful. I really thought we had gotten past the days "wild Indians" played by people of clearly European or Asian ancestry...
Pathfinder was just plain offensive, on the one hand you have stereotypical savage Vikings (in reality the Norse had a very advanced culture) and helpless noble savages. What actually happened between the Norse and the 'Skraelings' as the Vikings called them, probably included a few fights, a few disastrous attempts at a settlement or two, maybe attempts at trading and finally the Vikings getting kicked out. In other not nearly as dramatic as path finder or valhalla would like to have you think.
It's not even the heart of darkness. Heart of Darkness was about savagery—of the Belgians.
ReplyDeleteI have to admit I have yet to see Pathfinder. I was rather put off when I noticed the Vikings wearing horned helmets (very historically inaccurate). As to Valhalla Rising, it does indeed sound and look awful. I really thought we had gotten past the days "wild Indians" played by people of clearly European or Asian ancestry...
ReplyDeleteIf they had the Vikings all played by Indians while the Indians were all played by Europeans, then it might be fun.
ReplyDeletePathfinder was just plain offensive, on the one hand you have stereotypical savage Vikings (in reality the Norse had a very advanced culture) and helpless noble savages. What actually happened between the Norse and the 'Skraelings' as the Vikings called them, probably included a few fights, a few disastrous attempts at a settlement or two, maybe attempts at trading and finally the Vikings getting kicked out. In other not nearly as dramatic as path finder or valhalla would like to have you think.
ReplyDelete