One of the traits that has always fascinated fans of Vikings from around the world is just the way this tv series takes some fundamentals historical events and transposes them by deepening some features, with the necessary narrative speculations. Obviously the first thing that attracts him besides that are the ones themselves Vikings themselves, their history, theirs mythology, the way they are represented. Speaking of the northern tribes, being fascinated and bewildered by some of their features is inevitable. For their religion, for example, for the very long journeys they have made, the raids, the wars, the conquests. The fact, then, of having very little direct material towards them can only increase their charm. The aforementioned series played on all this, and did so for six seasons with high-sounding names and events, historical turning points also present in the books and subjective reinterpretations of delicate moments of these tribes and populations, bewitching their audience episode after episode. Vikings: Valhalla takes it all back to perfection, being familiar from start to finish, refreshing however what the fans were used to: let’s analyze it in ours reviewreminding you that it will land on Netflix from this February 25.
Past, present and future
Anyone who has followed the events of Vikings knows it, a few small choices are enough to upset even the biggest differences in height that the society of the time has seen. The plot of this new TV series is set 100 years later everything we have witnessed in the past (it is not needed having necessarily followed the previous TV series to appreciate these new episodes). 100 years have passed since the events of the legendary heroes who still remain on everyone’s lips today and theidentity itself of the Vikings went progressively changing. Over time the relations between these peoples and the English have changed a lot, to the point that the Danish Vikings have gradually found a own place even on British soil.
But everything is destined to change, to suddenly change. The main events in fact open with a very famous historical moment stained by blood and violence: the Massacre of San Brizio. Vikings: Valhalla therefore it collects to perfection, as we will also see later in the review, both the identity and the teachings of the previous TV series, expanding by translating the discourse into a very different historical period which definitely refreshes what we have been used to seeing.
The Massacre of San Brizio took place on November 13 of the 1002 AD. and takes its name from the saint who is celebrated that day. That day the King of England Ethelred II gave the order to exterminate all Danish Vikings on British soil. History has it that all this blood was shed because the fear that these Danes were aiming for state power was too much. An event of this kind, of course, had a gigantic impact at home and at the news of a cruelty like this, the response from the north was not long in showing itself. It will be the King Canute (Bradley Freegard) the one who will grasp the situation to assemble a giant army with the sole intent of revenge.
There vendetta is therefore a central element in the opening of this Vikings: Valhalla, an element that we want to underline in this review also to introduce another group of protagonists led by Leif And Freydeis Eriksson (Sam Corlett and Frida Gustavsson respectively). These are two brothers on their way to the legendary Kattegat guided by motivations not too dissimilar to the aforementioned, but here entirely personal. Two distinct paths, two narratives that will reach a meeting point and then move towards specific developments.
The narrative of this tv series is choral, his developments and his writing are unanimous, and his potential is unanimous. One of the most fascinating traits remain all these years that have passed since the previous series, years they have changed these peoples, leading some of them, for example, to the Christian conversion. The debate between Christianity and paganism (typical of products of this genre, see also the homonymous Assassin’s Creed) here it becomes more complex than ever in the past, drawing completely protagonists newdriven by a fanaticism different from the past but still consistent with all the developments we are witnessing episode after episode.
Attention to the specific religious remains unchanged, as does that towards violence, battles, duty and honor. Vikings: Valhalla, therefore, he learns from his past and takes several steps forward by refreshing the entire material covered. He stages the stories of new Norse heroes really existed, or at least praised in the various known sagas, and insinuates itself back into human history as we have studied and analyzed it from the chronicles of the time and from the books. While starting at a brisk pace as it progresses, it shows more and more of its own potentialputting on the table new dynamics, reflections and characters who know how to capture even if they are not comparable, at least for now, to the legendary heroes of the past.
Beyond that, and it’s important to point that out in this review of Vikings: Valhallatheanalyses of each protagonist, an analysis that originates through characters who want to prove their worth outside of their family history. The desire to get out of shadows of their own fathers it is therefore a pre-eminent theme in the writing of the individual adventures, almost as if to reconnect with the identity of “Next story” even in the context of the small screen. We want to move forward, advance with a generational leap that seems to have clear ideas.
Speed and attention
From the point of view formal this TV series is experiencing a crescendo just like it does with its own plot. The first episode and a few subsequent episodes do not expose themselves too much, aesthetically speaking, although immediately noting particular attention both as regards the various sets that the costumes. Speaking of direction, camera movements and photography, these improve step by step, starting from a rather weak and patchy first episode, to reach even relevant aesthetic moments. As in the past theattention to detail, even when they belong to the mere interpretative dimension, it is studied, continuously returning moments that envelop the viewer. The fight and battle scenes, on the other hand, have their ups and downs, with credible choreographies, but in some cases all too simple. Speaking instead of rhythm, here we advance with absurd speed from event to event. The episodes are long but this length does not make itself felt too much, sometimes even going to clash with the veracity of some developments.
#Vikings #Valhalla #Review #blood #revenge #history