Viking, 2016

Viking (Russian: Викинг) is a 2016 Russian cinematic epic focused on the life of the medieval ruler Vladimir the Great, the Prince of Novgorod. The feature was helmed by director Andrei Kravchuk and jointly produced by Konstantin Ernst and Anatoliy Maksimov. The ensemble cast features prominent performances from Danila Kozlovsky, Svetlana Khodchenkova, Maksim Sukhanov, Aleksandra Bortich, Igor Petrenko, Andrey Smolyakov, Kirill Pletnyov, Aleksandr Ustyugov, and Joakim Nätterqvist. The narrative draws inspiration from various historical records, notably the Primary Chronicle and the Icelandic Kings' sagas.

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Late 10th-century Kievan Rus' following the death of Grand Prince Svyatoslav I. The realm is subsequently divided among his three sons: the eldest, Yaropolk (Aleksandr Ustyugov), who rules Kiev; Oleg (Kirill Pletnyov), the Prince of Drevliania; and the youngest, the illegitimate son Vladimir (Danila Kozlovsky), the Prince of Novgorod. While en route to Polotsk, a hunting party belonging to Yaropolk, led by Lyut, encounters a rival group led by Oleg. In a fit of rage over an animal kill, Oleg murders Lyut, prompting a pursuit by Yaropolk’s main force. As Oleg attempts to flee the pursuit, the gates of Polotsk are closed against him by its lord, Rogvolod, and in the ensuing chaos, Oleg accidentally falls from a causeway and is crushed to death by his own stampeding men. Though responsible for the chase, Yaropolk mourns his brother. Vladimir, fearing his eldest brother's power and believing Oleg was murdered, is convinced by the old warrior Sveneld (Maksim Sukhanov) to flee Novgorod and seek refuge in Scandinavia.

In the summer, Sveneld returns to Vladimir's side, persuading the prince to raise an army of Viking mercenaries to reclaim his inheritance and avenge his fallen brother. Vladimir first attempts to solidify his claim by marrying Rogneda (Aleksandra Bortich), the daughter of Rogvolod of Polotsk, but she rejects him with a scathing insult, calling him "the son of a slave," a direct reference to his mother and a rejection of his right to rule. Enraged by the affront to his mother's honour, Vladimir lays siege to Polotsk. Upon breaching the city, the Viking mercenaries coax Vladimir into consuming a "berserker potion" to prove his leadership. Under the influence of the drug, Vladimir participates in the assault, and at the encouragement of his men, he brutally rapes Rogneda. He awakens later to find that his Vikings have murdered Rogvolod and his wife, though Vladimir manages to prevent them from killing Rogneda, whom he then takes by force as his wife, demonstrating an initial, if conflicted, regret over his actions.

Vladimir proceeds to Kiev, where he defeats Yaropolk's forces. Yaropolk is killed—a death orchestrated by Vladimir's retainers under ambiguous circumstances—and Vladimir is proclaimed the sole ruler of Kievan Rus'. To consolidate his pagan rule and invoke his late father's strength, Vladimir restores the ancient, bloodthirsty pagan idol known as "Father's God" in Kiev, establishing a state religion that demands human sacrifice. Despite his internal turmoil over his crimes, Vladimir commits to this pagan way of life. He takes his late brother Yaropolk's Christian wife, Irina (Theodora) (Svetlana Khodchenkova), into his protection, finding himself simultaneously intrigued and disturbed by the peaceful conviction of her Christian faith, which contrasts sharply with his life of violence and rising guilt over the deaths of his brothers, the rape of Rogneda, and the sacrifices.

Vladimir's moral crisis deepens as he engages in continuous internal and external wars, particularly against the fierce Pecheneg horsemen allied with Yaropolk's remaining loyalists. The violence and the demands of the pagan cult, which culminates in the sacrifice of the Christian martyr Theodore and his son, weigh heavily on his conscience. Tormented by the memory of his sins and realizing the pagan gods offer only fear and blood, not the absolution he desperately seeks, Vladimir looks for resolution. He eventually reaches out to the powerful Byzantine Empire, which offers both a crucial military alliance to stabilize his realm and, more importantly, the promise of spiritual healing for his troubled soul through Christianity. Ultimately, Vladimir decides to abandon the bloody pagan ways and convert to Christianity, viewing it as the path to personal redemption and national unity. The film climaxes with Vladimir’s conversion and his command for the mass Baptism of Kievan Rus' in the Dnieper River, an event that transforms the political and cultural landscape of the East Slavs, establishing Orthodox Christianity and ending the era of state-sanctioned paganism. Even the hardened pagan warrior Sveneld is forced to acknowledge the power of the new faith, recognizing the profound change in his leader as Vladimir sets forth on a new path, cementing his legacy as the Christianizer of the Rus'.

Rating: 10  Stars

300, 2006 - Prepare for Glory

300 is a 2006 American epic historical action film directed by Zack Snyder, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Kurt Johnstad and Michael B. Gordon. Based on the 1998 Dark Horse comic book limited series of the same name, created by Frank Miller and Lynn Varley, the film offers a fictionalized version of the Battle of Thermopylae, which took place during the Greco-Persian Wars. The story follows King Leonidas (Gerard Butler), who leads 300 Spartan soldiers against the Persian "God-King" Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro) and his army of over 300,000 men. As the battle unfolds, Queen Gorgo (Lena Headey) struggles to mobilize support in Sparta for her husband. The film also marks the feature film debut of Michael Fassbender.

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In 480 BC, the Persian “God-King” Xerxes I sends his massive army to conquer Greece. In the city-state of Sparta, King Leonidas refuses to submit to Xerxes’ demand for earth and water — symbols of surrender. Bound by Spartan law, which forbids war without the approval of the ephors, Leonidas consults the Oracle, who cryptically warns against battle during the sacred Carneia festival. Defying this restriction, Leonidas chooses to fight for Greece’s freedom.

He gathers 300 of his best warriors, all fathers and seasoned soldiers, and marches north to the narrow coastal pass of Thermopylae, a natural choke point ideal for defense. Along the way, they join forces with several hundred Arcadian and Thespian allies. Using their superior discipline and tactics, the Spartans hold back wave after wave of Persian attacks — including elite troops, cavalry, and monstrous war beasts — for several days.

As the conflict intensifies, Leonidas is approached by Ephialtes, a deformed Spartan outcast who seeks to fight alongside his king. When Leonidas rejects him due to his inability to hold a shield properly in formation, Ephialtes betrays the Greeks, revealing a secret mountain path to Xerxes. Surrounded, Leonidas dismisses the allies and prepares for a final stand with his 300 men.

In a last act of defiance, Leonidas kneels before Xerxes — seemingly in submission — only to throw a spear that grazes the god-king’s face, proving that even a “god” can bleed. Overwhelmed by Persian arrows, Leonidas and his warriors are slain, but their courage becomes a rallying cry across Greece.

A year later, Dilios, the lone survivor and narrator, recounts the tale to a vast Greek army preparing for battle at Plataea, inspiring them to fight in the name of freedom and honor — continuing the legacy of the 300.

Rating: 10 Stars

Season of the Witch, 2011 (Amazon Prime ✨)300

Season of the Witch is a 2011 American supernatural action–adventure film directed by Dominic Sena and written by Bragi Schut. The movie stars Nicolas Cage and Ron Perlman as two Teutonic knights returning from the Crusades, only to discover that their homeland has been ravaged by the Black Death. When Church authorities accuse a young woman, played by Claire Foy, of witchcraft and blame her for spreading the plague, the knights are ordered to escort her to a remote monastery, where monks are expected to perform a ritual to remove the supposed curse. The film marks a reunion between Sena and Cage, who had earlier collaborated on Gone in 60 Seconds (2000).

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In the 14th century, knights Behmen von Bleibruck (Nicolas Cage) and his loyal companion Felson (Ron Perlman) fight for the Holy Roman Empire in the Crusades, slaughtering armies in the name of God. After years of brutal warfare, the two men become disillusioned with the Church’s cruelty when they witness innocent civilians — including women and children — massacred under the false banner of divine justice. Realizing that they have been serving corrupt motives rather than true faith, Behmen and Felson desert the army and abandon their vows.

Traveling across plague-ravaged Europe, they encounter a land devastated by the Black Death. Corpses line the roads, and entire villages lie in ruin. While seeking food and shelter, they arrive in a city under quarantine, where they are quickly recognized as deserters and arrested by the local guards. The city’s ruler, Cardinal D’Ambroise (Christopher Lee), who himself is dying from the plague, offers the knights a chance at redemption: they must escort a young woman accused of being a witch to a distant monastery, where monks will perform a ritual to lift the curse they believe she has unleashed upon the land.

The woman, known only as The Girl (Claire Foy), has been imprisoned in an iron cage, suspected of causing the plague through witchcraft. Behmen insists that she will receive a fair trial, not a summary execution, while Felson remains skeptical. The two knights agree to the task in exchange for the forgiveness of their crimes and freedom from punishment.

They are travelling with a group that begins a dangerous journey through desolate forests, steep mountains, and plague-infested villages. As they travel, unnatural events begin to occur: the woman shows superhuman strength, whispers seem to echo from nowhere, and she appears to know intimate details about each man’s past sins. Tension grows within the group, divided between those who believe she is evil and those who think she is an innocent scapegoat.

When they camp in the woods, Eckhart is lured by the sound of his dead daughter’s voice — only to be killed by wolves. Later, while crossing a rickety bridge over a deep ravine, the witch manipulates the chains of her cage, nearly causing everyone to fall to their deaths. Her powers appear undeniable, and fear overtakes the men.

As the journey continues, Behmen grows increasingly protective of the girl, convinced that she may be possessed rather than inherently evil. He promises her safety and a fair hearing. However, when they reach the remote monastery, they find that all the monks have already died of the plague, their bodies scattered in grotesque forms of agony.

Debelzaq discovers that the monks had been transcribing an ancient holy text, The Key of Solomon, a grimoire of exorcisms and spells meant to imprison demons. It is then revealed that The Girl is not a witch at all — but a demon that had possessed her body. The demon had manipulated the superstitious Church into transporting it to the monastery, the only place where the Key of Solomon could be used to free it from human confinement.

As the truth dawns, the demon violently bursts from the girl’s body, revealing its full, monstrous form — winged, horned, and burning with fire. It kills Hagamar instantly and sets the monastery ablaze. The survivors — Behmen, Felson, Debelzaq, and Kay — prepare to fight for their lives.

Debelzaq recites the ritual passages from the Key of Solomon while Behmen and Felson engage the demon in a desperate battle. Felson is impaled and killed, while Debelzaq is burned alive by the creature’s flames. Behmen finally manages to stab the demon, pinning it long enough for Kay to finish the exorcism. The demon screams and disintegrates, and the girl — now freed from possession — collapses, unconscious but alive.

Behmen, mortally wounded, entrusts Kay with the girl’s protection, telling him to ensure she lives a life free of accusation or fear. He dies from his injuries as the rising sun illuminates the destroyed monastery. Kay buries Behmen and Felson together, marking their graves with swords. The girl awakens, confused but grateful, and Kay tells her that the knights saved her life. Together, they ride away toward a new beginning, leaving behind the plague and the darkness that haunted them.

Rating: 8 Stars

The Northman, 2022 (Netflix)

The Northman is a 2022 epic historical action drama film directed by Robert Eggers. Set in 10th-century Scandinavia, the story follows Amleth, a Viking prince who embarks on a relentless quest to avenge the murder of his father, rescue his mother, and reclaim his birthright. The film draws heavily from Norse mythology and the legend that inspired Shakespeare’s Hamlet.

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In the late 9th century, the Viking king Aurvandill War-Raven returns home to the island of Hrafnsey after a campaign overseas. He reunites with his wife, Queen Gudrún, and their young son, Prince Amleth, performing ritualistic ceremonies to prepare Amleth to one day inherit the throne. During a secret rite led by the shaman Heimir the Fool, father and son howl like wolves and symbolically consume a heart, binding them as kin under Odin’s gaze.

Soon after, Aurvandill is ambushed and mortally wounded by his half-brother Fjölnir, who stages a coup to seize the kingdom. Amleth witnesses Fjölnir’s men murder his father and seize Gudrún. Before they can capture him, Amleth escapes by boat, vowing vengeance:

"I will avenge you, Father. I will save you, Mother. I will kill you, Fjölnir."

Years pass. Amleth grows into a fearsome berserker warrior, hardened by battle and raiding across Eastern Europe. Having abandoned all traces of his royal past, he lives only for war, rage, and revenge. After a brutal raid on a Slavic village, Amleth encounters a seeress (portrayed by Björk) who reminds him of his destiny — to avenge his father and rescue his mother from Fjölnir’s grasp. She foretells that his fate is intertwined with a maiden-king — a woman of royal spirit — and that his path will be guided by a mystical sword known as the Draugr blade, which can only be unsheathed under moonlight or at the gates of Hel.

Determined, Amleth disguises himself as a slave and sneaks aboard a ship bound for Iceland, where Fjölnir has fled after losing his stolen kingdom. Fjölnir now lives as a chieftain of a modest farm, stripped of royal power but ruling a household through fear and cruelty.

Among the slaves, Amleth meets Olga of the Birch Forest, a Slavic woman accused of witchcraft. Drawn to her strength and cunning, Amleth allies with Olga, who becomes both his lover and spiritual partner in his quest. The two secretly invoke Norse rituals, combining her earth magic and his berserker spirit to plot revenge from within.

Amleth locates the Draugr sword in a haunted burial mound, defeating its undead guardian in combat. With the weapon now bound to his destiny, Amleth begins a campaign of terror — stalking Fjölnir’s men at night, impaling them, and leaving their bodies displayed as sacrificial warnings. His acts sow fear and superstition among the household, leading many to believe that a vengeful spirit haunts them.

As the killings escalate, Amleth reveals himself to Gudrún, expecting to be reunited with his mother. Instead, she shocks him by revealing the truth: she was never a captive — she willingly chose Fjölnir, despising Aurvandill’s brutality. She even urges Amleth to kill her and take the throne himself if vengeance is truly his purpose. Horrified, Amleth learns that his own conception was born of assault, and that Gudrún views Fjölnir as her true husband.

This revelation fractures Amleth’s world. Yet his fury reignites when Gudrún’s and Fjölnir’s young son, Gunnar, mocks him, unaware that they share the same bloodline. When Amleth kills Fjölnir’s eldest son in a ritual combat trial, the farm descends into chaos. Fjölnir vows revenge while Amleth and Olga flee into the mountains.

As they escape, Olga tells Amleth she is pregnant with twins — the “maiden-king” foretold by prophecy, meaning their bloodline will rule. Amleth realizes his fate is sealed: if he leaves with her, his family’s vengeance remains unfulfilled, but if he stays, he ensures his children’s future. He parts from Olga, entrusting her and their unborn heirs to safety on a passing ship.

Returning alone to Fjölnir’s farm, Amleth frees the remaining slaves and slaughters Fjölnir’s guards. He kills Gudrún and Gunnar after they attack him in desperation, weeping over their bodies with anguish and guilt. Fjölnir discovers the carnage and demands a final duel “at the Gates of Hel,” a volcanic crater glowing with molten fire.

In a climactic battle beneath the erupting volcano, Amleth and Fjölnir fight to the death — both mortally wounded, neither yielding. As Fjölnir is beheaded, Amleth collapses, his wounds fatal. 

In his final vision, Amleth sees a Valkyrie carrying him toward Valhalla, ascending through storm clouds toward the afterlife, while Olga safely escapes by sea, caressing her pregnant belly — the promise of a new lineage.

Rating: 10 Stars