Mel Gibson, Leonardo diCaprio & Vikings?

[Story]

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/her...e-with-leonardo-dicaprio-may-be-his-last.html

“We all knew we wanted to do it. It was just a matter of finding what the story would be, who our Viking was,” King said. “There’s not many sympathetic Vikings out there. And you have to find something of sympathy in one of them or what else is there to show, other than blood and guts and rape and pillaging?”

 

[anon`]

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/her...e-with-leonardo-dicaprio-may-be-his-last.html

“We all knew we wanted to do it. It was just a matter of finding what the story would be, who our Viking was,” King said. “There’s not many sympathetic Vikings out there. And you have to find something of sympathy in one of them or what else is there to show, other than blood and guts and rape and pillaging?”

I guess that statement pretty much settles it... this film is going to be just about as good as "The 13th Warrior" or maybe--just maybe--"Beowulf and Grendel".

/sigh

Maybe someday? [huh]

 

[Doctor Strange]

Heck, I'll be surprised if it's as good as the old 1958 The Vikings with Tony Curtis and Kirk Douglas! That one is at least good dopey fun...

 

[Hondo]

Heck, I'll be surprised if it's as good as the old 1958 The Vikings with Tony Curtis and Kirk Douglas! That one is at least good dopey fun...

Yeah AND The Long Ships with Richard Widmark, That one was fun too

 

[Doctor Strange]

I can't believe I forgot that one - with the golden bell, right?

Added: Yup... just checked Wiki. And it was directed by the genius cinematographer Jack Cardiff!

 

[Hondo]

I can't believe I forgot that one - with the golden bell, right?

Added: Yup... just checked Wiki. And it was directed by the genius cinematographer Jack Cardiff!

Yes sir! The Golden Bell and ride the Blade of steel
Sidney Poitier also in The Long Ships as a Moorish prince.
Oden!!!

 

[anon`]

Yes sir! The Golden Bell and ride the Blade of steel
Sidney Poitier also in The Long Ships as a Moorish prince.
Oden!!!

Now you're just conflating your cheesy mid-century Epic Movies

But seriously, I have to agree. No way that Gibson & DiCaprio can out-víkingr Douglas and Borgnine!

I'm still sad, though

 

[Smithy]

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/her...e-with-leonardo-dicaprio-may-be-his-last.html
what else is there to show, other than blood and guts and rape and pillaging?”

This sort of statement annoys the hell out of me, it's very standard 2 school boy rubbish. Being married to a Norwegian and living in Norway twice now I've read a lot about the Vikings and been to many museums and even archaeological sites as I'm interested in my wife's heritage. This sort of statement is an over used stereotype. Yes Vikings did raid and pillage but they were equally a very great trading people, something which often gets forgotten.

From those sort of statements in the article I'm not expecting much at all which is a shame as I enjoyed Gibson's "Apocalypto". Wonder whether the helmets will have horns or not

 

[LordBest]

I have no doubt this will be another grossly innaccurate and fantastical depiction* of Vikings due to film producers belief that audiences are too stupid to have their perceptions of history challenged in film.

*Which is not, in itself, bad. But usually the films are also very, very bad. Such as Troy. Or 300.

 

[Chas]

Will the Vikings or their adversaries be portrayed as venemous proto-nazi blood-lusted crazies? Or will he just fall back on his lame trick that he used with Apocolypto and hide bad screenwriting behind subtitles of some arcane language?

Of course, I don't plan to see it, or pay money to see it in any case. I'm not down with antisemitic christian bigots.

Now, if you want to watch an enjoyable Viking movie....

"we rape and we pillage, toil and kill...but what does it all get us, Grandpa?"
[YOUTUBE]<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Wyng77qFMw0&hl=en_GB&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Wyng77qFMw0&hl=en_GB&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>[/YOUTUBE]

The funny thing is - I buy Mickey Rooney as a Viking.

 

[Pompidou]

We shouldn't forget that the Mel Gibson also directed Passion of the Christ, and to a lesser extent for the purpose of my argument, Braveheart. He has it in him to make a quality historical epic, at least as good as anyone today. I mean, Christian or not, the guts to film a movie entirely in Latin and Aramaic deserves some kudos. I'm hoping this is another movie where Mel Gibson strives to outdo himself. And as far as Leonardo diCaprio - he's done some good acting in his career. Granted, he's no Johnny Depp or Robert Downy Jr. But, not everyone can be. Depp is truly one of a kind, and RDJ is pretty close.