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By
NICK ZEGARAC
For some reason "The
Vikings" is fondly remembered as one of the
bloodiest films in cinema history -- certainly
from the 1950s. That's odd, because aside from
Kirk Douglas getting his eye pecked out by a hawk
(which is rather violently depicted) there are no
other moments of extreme bloodshed in this film.
Yes, there are epic battles, but these are all
shot through the glamour and gauze of
pre-"Braveheart" sensitivity, void of guts and
gruesome carnage. Douglas stars as Einar, an "I'm
too sexy for my breast plate" pin-up of a Viking.
Einar's way with the ladies is forever shattered
when his face is deliberately disfigured by Eric's
(Tony Curtis) pet hawk. This attack stirs up a
life-long hatred that is strengthened by both
men's love for an Anglo-Saxon Princess (Janet
Leigh). You would think with Vikings and kidnapped
royalty the plot would be rather vibrant but
actually it's dull and uninspiring from this point
forward with the ultimate showdown between Einar
and Eric a foregone conclusion.
MGM gives us a handsome looking transfer. Colors
are rich and vibrant. The travelogue footage of
the Fiords is dreamily gorgeous. Black levels are
solid. Contrast levels are bang on. Only
occasionally does the original negative betray the
vintage of the film. Age-related artifacts are
kept to a bare minimum. There is no edge
enhancement, pixelization or shimmering of fine
details in this presentation. The audio is mono. I
thought all Cinemascope films were stereophonic?!?
The audio is generally balanced though there are
occasions where it seems muffled and lacking in
clarity.
Extras include a featurette with the director
Richard Fleischer that is remarkably useful and
engaging -- if all too short. It's not a great
film but it is a fairly wonderful looking
transfer. And hey, any film with Kirk Douglas is
never all bad! |
