The Vikings main backdrop
The Vikings main poster

The Vikings

Visit website

7.1/10 • 334

1958-06-111h 55m

AdventureHistoryAction

Mightiest Of Men... Mightiest Of Spectacles... Mightiest Of Motion Pictures!

Einar, brutal son of the viking Ragnar and future heir to his throne, tangles with clever slave Eric, for the hand of a beautiful English maiden.

Directors
Richard Fleischer

Top Billed Cast

View Credits
  1. Kirk Douglas

    Kirk Douglas

    Einar

  2. Tony Curtis

    Tony Curtis

    Eric

  3. Ernest Borgnine

    Ernest Borgnine

    Ragnar

  4. Janet Leigh

    Janet Leigh

    Morgana

  5. James Donald

    James Donald

    Lord Egbert

  6. Alexander Knox

    Alexander Knox

    Father Godwin

  7. Maxine Audley

    Maxine Audley

    Enid

  8. Frank Thring

    Frank Thring

    Aella

  9. Eileen Way

    Eileen Way

    Kitala

Reviews2

View Reviews
John Chard Avatar

John Chard

Jan 26, 2019

8/10

Rugged pillaging in the offering. Unknown to both men, warrior Einar and disgraced slave Eric, are in fact half-brothers. As the kingdom of Northumbria becomes ripe for the taking, both men, with a fancy for Princess Morganna, are heading for the revelation right in amongst their bitter rivalry. Kirk Douglas (Einar) and Tony Curtis (Eric) would both re-team for Spartacus two years after this sword and sandal swasher had hit the screens in 1958. That Spartacus is considerably a better film all told is a given, but The Vikings stands up well as an entertaining precursor to that Thracien slave classic. Based on the novel of the same name written by Edison Marshall, The Vikings makes up for what it lacks in authenticity with sheer gusto enhanced sword swishing adventure. These Vikings may not totally convince as mead swigging, women chasing, pillagers of England, yet running along side Mario Nascimbene's terrific score and Jack Cardiff's excellent photography (the Norway location scenes are breath taking), it doesn't take much for the discerning genre fan to get swept away in it all. Douglas and Curtis give it a good blast, while Janet Leigh as Morganna perks her breasts out and actually becomes believable as a lady lusted after by two rough and ready ruffians. However, The Vikings doesn't sit up in the top echelons of swords and sandals pictures, something which irked both Douglas and director Richard Fleischer and caused them to hold each other responsible during the following years. With bad weather, injuries to actors and even a strike by Norwegian oarsmen to contend with, it was a far from easy shoot. Casting those issues aside, one tends to think that Douglas' ire was warranted, for Fleischer was clearly the wrong choice for the piece. He chooses to go for a more genial, almost comic book approach, which sadly loses what earthy grit and grime feel the film needed once Orson Welles' splendid opening narration had set things up for a bodice ripping sword slashing epic. The director isn't found lacking with his action sequences though. With the likes of Fantastic Voyage, 20000 Leagues Under The Sea & 10 Rillington Place on his CV, he clearly was a director of worth. Here he impresses with his construction of the kinetic sword fights, while the attack on Nothumberland Castle (really it's Brittany, France, with Cardiff's camera working the oracle) is brilliantly staged and pumps the pulse rate considerably. Pic is often violent and features some genre moments never to be forgotten (Einar losing his eye, Ragnar and the Wolf Pit, The Running the Oars tradition), while it's also pleasing to find a director overseeing some attentive research that opens up the craftsman side of the Viking hoards. So all in all it's a fine and entertaining genre picture that's arguably more fun than dramatic gold, a film that was a fave of many who got lost in its charms all those years ago. The flaws and minor frustrations are obvious when one revisits with older and wiser eyes, but regardless one should crack open the mead and enjoy the sheer grizzled guts of it all. 8/10

Media

  • The Vikings poster
  • The Vikings poster
  • The Vikings poster
  • The Vikings poster
  • The Vikings poster
  • The Vikings poster
  • The Vikings poster
  • The Vikings poster
  • The Vikings poster

Recommendations

  • 55 Days at Peking main backdrop

    55 Days at Peking

    7.0

  • The Yearling main backdrop

    The Yearling

    6.6

  • Another You main backdrop

    Another You

    5.4

  • Youth of the Beast main backdrop

    Youth of the Beast

    6.9

  • Goliath and the Dragon main backdrop

    Goliath and the Dragon

    5.2

  • No Backdrop

    Vater Mutter Mörder

    7.0

  • Nadja in Paris main backdrop

    Nadja in Paris

    6.4

  • The Bra main backdrop

    The Bra

    6.0

  • The Ancines Woods main backdrop

    The Ancines Woods

    4.7

  • Operation Crossbow main backdrop

    Operation Crossbow

    6.8

  • Last Train from Gun Hill main backdrop

    Last Train from Gun Hill

    7.1

  • Little Odessa main backdrop

    Little Odessa

    6.4

  • 10 Rillington Place main backdrop

    10 Rillington Place

    7.3

  • Mulholland Falls main backdrop

    Mulholland Falls

    6.0

  • The Defiant Ones main backdrop

    The Defiant Ones

    7.1

  • Gigi main backdrop

    Gigi

    6.2

  • Joe Kidd main backdrop

    Joe Kidd

    6.4

  • A Night to Remember main backdrop

    A Night to Remember

    7.6

  • Tora! Tora! Tora! main backdrop

    Tora! Tora! Tora!

    7.1

  • Kelly's Heroes main backdrop

    Kelly's Heroes

    7.3

Status
Released
Original Language
English
Budget
$5,000,000.00
Revenue
$20,311.00
Keywords
epicbased on novel or bookscandinaviavikings (norsemen)norwayunknown fatherslaveswashbucklerone eyed mansailing shipone armed mantechnicolorbritish monarchynorthumberlandwolves9th centuryfalconryhalf-brothersabducted fiancée