Shadow of the Raven

Another great film from Iceland. What a beautiful and deep work!

I don't know if you've ever seen a movie about vikings, but as far as i know they are few. Of those I've seen this and the one before (korpen flyger) and i think that they are the only "true" viking movies up to this point.

Compared to the first episode of the saga (although the plot has nothing to do with this one's) - it's obvious there's more budget, and that makes for much better camera work and costumes.

The Shadow of the Raven is bigger in scope and conception than the only other Icelandic film of its kind (Outlaw: Gisli's Saga). It portrays not only a feud between two families, but the conflict in medieval Iceland between the ancient pagan religion and encroaching Christianity.

I thought this was the better one, the plot is that Trausti comes home from Norway where he had studied Christian, when he arrives to Iceland it's been a whale which stranded, and another family gets to it at the same time as Trausti's family does, meanwhile they are fighting about the whale Traustis mother is stabbed in her ass and dies(funny eh!) then Traustis men wants revenge, but Trausti who dislikes fighting just slams his sword in the ground over and over again, after some scenes I've forgot Trausti and a girl from Eiriks(the other family) family gets together when Traustis men killed her father(Eirik), they are going to get married, but no one from Eiriks family agrees to that, so during the love night Eirik's followers burns down the house they're in and killing everyone who comes out from there, and Isold(the girl Trausti marries) comes out running, but her secret lover mistakes her from being Trausti and throws a knife in her chest.

I saw this movie about 10 years ago in Cincinnati under the title "Shadow of the Raven." It was subtitled, obviously, and it was an excellent movie.

I just saw the movie here at Rice University. I was very lucky because the director was here with us brought by our English Department.