A Feminist Allegory?
Discussion of The Northman
I discussed The Northman (2022) with Rob Henderson. We both greatly enjoyed the film and debate the correct interpretation of its main conflict. I present the idea that the movie can be seen as a feminist allegory, though not in terms of the current kind of feminism that’s based on mental illness and fat acceptance, but a kind that takes seriously the real historical challenges women have faced.
Near the end of the conversation, we speculate a bit on what the movie’s lack of box office success can tell us about why remakes of popular franchises have conquered Hollywood.
Fjolnir was not any better than Aurvindel. He tries to rape his own slave, and only doesn't because she's on her period.
It is plausible that he could take on Amleth in a fight, despite the age difference, because Amleth had already been stabbed by both his mother & half-brother.
Kidman is Australian, not South African (you might be confusing her with Charlize Theron).
The term Richard is thinking of for the "standard British" for period pieces is what TV Tropes calls "The Queen's Latin".
The TV series Game of Thrones did add racial diversity compared to the books. Xaro Xoan Daxos(?) was white in there, as was Sallador Saan & Areo Hotah. In the new spinoff series House of the Dragon they've made another notable character & his children black even though it's a significant plot point that his son's alleged children don't quite look like him, and it would be harder to be ambiguous in this case.
I believe The Witch takes place in the 1600s.
My take is that Gudrun was just messing with Amleth when she kissed him, and he was unable to understand her telling him that she wanted him dead.
It was actually the introduction of doctors (who would perform autopsies and not wash their hands) that greatly increased the number of deaths in childbirth. Poorer women in the 19th century who couldn't afford doctors and instead relied on midwives wound up better off.
Amleth does explicitly tell Olga that he'll take his half-brother with them when he saves his mother.
Clark's story is more complicated than it just being the black death. It was a long process of downward mobility. It was admittedly the case that the poor & malnourished would have been more vulnerable to disease.
They tried to make a Conan movie with Jason Mamoa, but I don't think it was successful.
Could it be that Amleth and Olga’s daughter is actually Olga of Kiev, the first Kievan Rus ruler who got baptized? The movie starts in 895 while Princess Olga’s birth is dated between 890 and 925, this is basically within the movie’s timeframe. This might explain the maiden king bit.