Review of Vikings, The

Introduction

Einar (Kirk Douglas), a hideously scarred Viking warrior, seeks land acquisition and the hand of the beautiful Princess Morgana (Janel Leigh). Einar crosses paths with Eric (Tony Curtis) who has his sights set on the same prizes. The two have more in common than they know; unbeknownst to one another, they are brothers.

This 1958 epic was based on an actual Viking, Ragnar Lothbrok, a sadistic and adventurous sailor. While not very rooted in fact, the film is a rousing adventure with lusty, violent imagery very bold for its time. A scene where Janet Leigh`s clothing is ripped, enabling her to row a boat and exposing her back was considered very risque and undoubtedly added to the film`s stellar performance at the box office.

Video

The video is presented in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen and given the 45 year vintage of the movie is pretty good, with limited dirt on the print for the most part, although the image is quite grainy and does suffer from instable contrast at times.

This fifties epic was made long before the days of computer generated visual effects, and instead relies on good old fashioned use of location and real filmmaking, and as a result looks very good, even forty-five years on. The locations are beautiful and very well filmed, giving the movie an authentic look.

Audio

The soundtrack is presented in Dolby Digital Mono and as a result, doesn`t set the world on fire, however, there is a good score which is well reproduced and the dialogue and effects are clear at all times.

Features

The only extra on the disc is the original theatrical trailer.

Conclusion

Overall, the high production values and excellent cast ensure that The Vikings is still well worth watching nearly half a century after it was made - for the most part it`s not excessively old fashioned, and the breathtaking visuals make the film stand out from others from the era which relied heavily on studio scenes.

The video is good for the movie`s age, and the soundtrack is competently presented. The extras are thin on the ground though - the film would really have benefited from a making-of if one exists.