One for us Game of Throners
A Viking Saga: The Darkest Day is another of the “inspired by a true story” movies that think by slapping that title at the beginning of the film, we will ooh and aah in sheer wonderment. Nah. It actually looks quite well made with the costumes appearing accurate to the time. It’s clearly low budget but it isn’t the type of movie that requires a great deal of money spent on it, just on the script and actors. This is a movie that has been released in time for the Game of Thrones fans, who are looking for some form of replacement, having been unsatisfied with anything else available, like Dragon Lore: Curse of the Shadow, which was none too great. And being such a fan, this did infact, appeal to me, and really, I did enjoy it.
Hereward (Marc Pickering, Les Misérables), a novice monk, gets caught up in much skulduggery and death, as he watches another senior monk get butchered over the Holy Gospel of Lindisfarne, a bible referred to as ‘the book of the white Christ’ and now must be delivered to the Iona monastery. He is accompanied by Aethelwulf, and they are pursued by a Viking death squad. Heady stuff!
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The story was actually quite good, but the acting was where this medieval indie really shone, with Marc Pickering doing an outstanding job as the young monk who becomes disillusioned by all the killings, and ends up with his own hands stained in blood. The only other actor I knew anything about was Michael Jibson (Hatfields & McCoys), and again, was also very good. The pacing wasn’t bad, and even though this isn’t a fast paced film, it always stayed interesting, but could have done with more action.
This is a short review to quickly tell you what I thought of this little charmer of a flick, and while it is one for anyone who enjoys medieval movies, it’s also a film anyone should enjoy. If you like the look of the trailer (top right), you’ll like the film.
