Brutal, tactile, and incessantly violent, Danish filmmaker Nicolas Winding Refn follows up his equally shocking prison tale Bronson with a peculiar period piece set in the time of the Crusades. It's 1000 AD and a mute warrior named One Eye (Mads Mikkelsen) is being held prisoner by some ornery Viking captors. With the aid of a young boy (Maarten Stevenson) who brings him food, One Eye kills his jailers and escapes, after which he is eventually recruited to fight in the Holy Land, although his trip is fraught with hardship and struggle. A metaphysical allegory, Valhalla Rising takes viewers on a jarring existential journey into the heart of darkness that will also slake anyone's slobbering bloodlust. Mikkelsen, a memorable villain in Casino Royale, is equally effective here, playing a silent man whose actions speak volumes. Recommended. (B. Gibron)
Valhalla Rising
MPI, 93 min., not rated, DVD: $24.98 Volume 26, Issue 1
Valhalla Rising
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