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.

TRAILER

PLOT

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