The Vikings, 1958 (grade D)

DIRECTOR Richard Fleischer
Awards?  none that I know of
CAST:  Kirk Douglas; Tony Curtis; Ernest Borgnine; Janet Leigh; James Donald

story line:  This was one of 1950's largest-grossing films. It is full of slam-bang action from start to finish, with Kirk Douglas and Ernest Borgnine as a couple of Norsemen who rape and pillage the British countryside. Tony Curtis is their slave (who is really Borgnine's son -- offspring of a long ago rape of a British Queen..so he is of royal bloodlines from both enemy camps).   Curtis and Douglas (brothers) have eyes for the beautiful British princess Morgana (Curtis's real-life wife, Janet Leigh) -- and she prefers Curtis -- Odinnnn! they cry. and ohhhh noooo I cry.

sez says: we just came home from a visit to Scandinavia, so I've been reading about Vikings..plus I just saw a documentary of Jack Cardiff (the cinematographer for this film), and I have a strong memory of seeing this as a child and thinking it was great.  So I was really looking forward to viewing it.  Well..was I ever knocked off my feet --this is possibly the most sexist movies I have ever seen.  Did you know that men enjoy sex most when they are engaged in rapping them?  No joke, that is a part of this story.  And beating women is for their own good...and and it does not stop there.. it is really distressing even to watch.  And there are lost of really boring and long battle scenes.  Kirk Douglas does his own stunts...for what that is worth.  And Cardiff's camera work is impressive. He was a genius in the early use of technicolor--but you have to be pretty interested in the history of film technology to get off on that because it is hardly even noticable when compared with what can be done today.