The 13th Warrior
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Image:13thwarrior.gif Tagline: Fear reigns. The 13th Warrior is a 1999 action film based on Michael Crichton's novel Eaters of the Dead, directed by John McTiernan and an uncredited Crichton, and starring Antonio Banderas as Ahmad ibn Fadlan and Vladimir Kulich as Buliwyf (Beowulf).
The novel upon which the movie is based is loosely inspired by Richard Frye's translation of Ibn Fadlan's non-fictional account of his travels up the river Volga in the tenth-century. The plot however, is largely a modernized retelling of the Anglo-Saxon epic Beowulf, with elements added from The Book of One Thousand and One Nights. The movie goes to some pains to achieve a historical atmosphere, including use of Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Greek, and Latin dialogue. The Swedish actor Sven Wollter plays the old Viking chief.
Originally titled Eaters of the Dead, the film went through several re-edits after test audiences did not react well to the initial cut. After reshooting several key scenes with Crichton taking over as director (causing the release date to be pushed back over a year), the title was changed to The 13th Warrior.
This film was released by Touchstone Pictures, and distributed by Buena Vista Pictures Distribution, Inc.
Contents |
Excerpt: Viking's Invocation Recited Before Going Into Battle
- Lo, there do I see my father
- Lo, there do I see my mother and my sisters
- and my brothers
- Lo, there do I see the line of my people back
- to the beginning
- Lo, they do call to me
- They bid me take my place among them
- in the Halls of Valhalla
- Where the brave may live forever...
- They bid me take my place among them
Plot synopsis
The plot centers on Banderas' character, who angers an influential noble in Baghdad and is commanded by the Caliph to serve as "ambassador to the North"—i.e. expelled from the city—as a result. Traveling with an old friend (cameo by Omar Sharif) he meets a shipload of Viking raiders whose minor king has just died.
The language barrier is awkward, as Ahmed speaks only Arabic and most of the Vikings speak only Norse. Ahmed's friend and Herger, the Vikings' second in command, however both speak Latin and rough communication is established. After Buliwyf becomes the new leader, a youth enters the camp and requests aid for his distant village, threatened by an old and supernatural force. Through the commands of a witch-woman, it is decided that exactly thirteen men must go to face this danger, and that the thirteenth must be no northman; thus is Ahmed recruited.
The sea voyage is hazardous but once they arrive, the Nordic landscapes (filmed in British Columbia) are exquisite (when not shrouded in fog, which they often seem to be.) The foe, known as the Wendol, carry the appearance of both man and bear, although no bodies are left behind after their first nocturnal clash. In fact they bear a resemblance to pre-homo sapiens sapiens affecting the appearance of bears to confuse their enemies. Banderas struggles to learn Norse and to prove himself to the uniformly huge Vikings, who mock him for his weakness and his small horse (which they call a dog). His fast learning of their language, ingenuity, and horsemanship eventually earns their respect and friendship.
Losing members of their small force with each battle, and finding the town indefensible, Buliwyf opts to track the Wendol to their lair, setting up an epic final battle.
Movie Trivia
- The sacrificial girl (played by Mona Storhøi) was watched by Herger the Joyous (played by Dennis Storhøi). The surnames are no coincidence as the actors are in fact married.
References
- Richard Nelson Frye, Greater Iran. Mazda Publishers. 2005. ISBN 1568591772