Underplayed Gems

The Vikings (1958)

The Vikings poster
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
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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)

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