The White Viking

Hvíti Víkingurinn
Directed by Hrafn Gunnlaugsson
Produced by Christer Abrahamsen
Written by Hrafn Gunnlaugsson
Starring Gotti Sigurdarson
Maria Bonnevie
Tomas Norström
Egill Ólafsson
Helgi Skúlason
Þorsteinn Hannesson
Edited by Hrafn Gunnlaugsson
Release dates
  • 1991 (1991)
Running time
 123 minutes
Country Iceland
Language Icelandic, German
Budget ISK 200,000,000

The White Viking (alternative title Embla, Icelandic: Hvíti víkingurinn, Norwegian: Den hvite viking) is a 1991 film set in Norway and Iceland during the reign of Olaf I of Norway.

Embla is the directors cut of the White Viking and released on DVD in 2007. It was premiered at the Reykjavik International Film Festival on October 6, 2007. It is the directors cut of the original film as the director imagined it. Gunnlaugsson chose to call the film Embla so that it is not confused with the White Viking, compiled by the producers of the film in 1992. Embla is the third film of the legendary Raven Trilogy (also known as the Viking Trilogy) that consists of three 'Viking' films:

Embla, as played by Maria Bonnevie, was her first screen role when she was only fifteen years of age. The choice of names for the young married couple comes from Nordic mythology, in which the first two humans are named Ask and Embla.

Plot

King Olav "One-Eye" is a fanatical Christian who seeks to root out paganism in Norway. He hears the voice of Jesus, or White Christ, when praying which causes jealousy in his religious adviser, bishop Thangbrandur. The pagan chiefs of northern Norway oppose the king and the gothi Godbrandur, one of the few remaining landowners in Norway who decides to marry his daughter Embla to his foster son Askur, the bastard of powerful lawman Thorgeir. Askur and Embla are married in a pagan ceremony consecrated to Odin, but king Olav and his men ambush the party while Askur and Embla are consummating their marriage. One of Olav's soldiers, Kolbeinn, crushes Godbrandur's wooden statue of Odin, but is axed to death by Embla who incites a battle. Outnumbered and unprepared, the pagans are captured. Desperately Godbrandur agrees to be baptised to save Askur and Embla. However, since Askur attempted to kill king Olav, he must be punished. Askur is sentenced to christen the remaining pagans on Iceland, which Thangbrandur failed to do. Meanwhile, Embla is kept in a convent as a hostage and is forced to be baptised naked by the king himself. Askur is given a sword and Christian garbs by Thangbrandur and sent with a small crew to the desolate Iceland. In Iceland, the tricks of conversion Thangbrandur thought him proves useless and Thangbrandur is something of a local joke among the pagans. Askur's half-brother Gunnar is alerted by Askur's presence, since he believes that Askur has come to usurp him. Gunnar and his insane mother set up Askur and murder the smith Völondur, blaming it on Askur. Askur is gagged and presented to Thorgeir, unable to identify himself. Völondur's kinsmen and Gunnar want Askur to be killed, but due to Askur being a missionary, Thorgeir thinks a martyr's death is what Askur wants, and exiles him back to Norway like he had previously done with Thangbrandur. Returning to Norway, Askur attempts to free Embla from the convent. He poses as Jesus to frighten the nuns and he and Embla swim away from the convent. However, they are captured on the shore by king Olav. Olav forces Embla to convince Askur to go back to Iceland and complete his task. Embla tells Askur that Olav wants to marry her and gives Askur a necklace with a image of Freyja for protection. Olav has captured the sons of the Icelandic chiefs active in Norway. Askur is sent back with Thangbrandur who has lost the king's good grace, with the jewelry of the sons as proof of the hostages. When Askur returns, Thorgeir goes to fight him on the beach. Askur reveals his identity to Thorgeir, who then stages a faux-duel with him. Thorgeir leads the fight into a pagan temple, where Askur is drenched in sacrificial blood, tricking everyone into thinking that he has been killed. Askur's companions flee with the necklace which they show to Embla. Embla escapes the king and hides with sympathetic farmers. Thorgeir hides Askur in a mound he has prepared for himself while he goes to the Althing. Thorgeir solves to conflict peacefully by converting to Christianity and making a decree that Iceland will be Christian, but the pagans will be allowed to worship in secrecy. This is accepted by Christians and pagans alike. Thangbrandur and Gunnar realise Thorgeir's ploy and try to kill Askur to get the jewelry. Askur outsmarts them but Thanbrandur is mortally wounded in the struggle. Thangbrandur asks Askur to forgive him, but Askur replies that only White Christ can do that. Thanbrandur admits that White Christ will never do that because of all his done and in a surprise twist Thangbrandur starts to pray to Odin to be allowed entrance into Valhalla. In Norway, Embla finds out that her father has become a Christian priest and built a church at the site of his old temple. Heartbroken, the devoted pagan Embla burns the church and Godbrandur is killed when he tries to save her. Embla survives by hiding in a cavern beneath the church, where she and Askur consummated their marriage. Olav finds her there and Embla attempts to kill him. But the king overpowers her with ease and leaves. Embla emerges in the ruins of the church and prepares to commit suicide, but is stopped when she sees what appears to be an apparition of her father. She follows him to the shore where he calls out to Odin and vanishes. Moments later Embla sees a ship carrying Askur appearing in the fjord.

Cast

External links

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