The Vikings (1958)

Directed by

Richard Fleischer

Genre

drama film, action film, swashbuckler film, epic film, medieval film

Country

United States

Runtime

1h 52m

Rated

NR

Rating

7.0 of 10 from 371 voters

Elsewhere

IMDb

How it feels

In the 9th century, the Viking Einar and the enslaved prince Eric both seek the throne of Northumbria. They clash over power and love for the same woman, leading to battles and a fateful encounter with their shared father.

action-packedepicfast-pacedadventurousvisually grandromanticancientswashbuckling

What happens

The Vikings is a 1958 American epic historical fiction swashbuckling film directed by Richard Fleischer, filmed in Technirama, and printed in Technicolor. It was produced by Jerry Bresler and Kirk Douglas (who also starred in the film), through Douglas' Brynaprod company. It is based on the 1951 novel The Viking by Edison Marshall, which in turn is based on material from the sagas of Ragnar Lodbrok and his sons. Other starring roles were taken by then husband-and-wife Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh as well as Ernest Borgnine. The film made notable use of natural locations in Norway. It was mostly filmed in Maurangerfjorden and Maurangsnes, captured on film by cinematographer Jack Cardiff, although Aella's castle was the real Fort-la-Latte in north-east Brittany in France. Despite being derisively called a "Norse Opera" (a pun on 'Horse Opera,' common term for Westerns used by critics of the time) by New York Times critic Bosley Crowther, the film proved a major box office success and spawned the television series Tales of the Vikings, directed by the film's editor, Elmo Williams, which included none of the original cast or characters. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

Trailer

More like this

• Attack of the Normans (1962)
• The Last of the Vikings (1961)
• The Norseman (1978)
• Erik, the Viking (1965)
• Erik the Viking (1989)
• The Seventh Seal (1957)
• Erik the Conqueror (1961)
• Ivanhoe (1952)