Title: The Last King (15)
Year: 2016
Running Time: 96 minutes
Director: Nils Gaup
Cast: Jakob Oftebro (Skjervald), Kristofer Hivju (Torstein), Torkel Dommersnes Soldal (Egil) Notes: In Norwegian.
Rating: 8
Thoughts: During a civil war at the start of the 13th Century, one Norwegian faction whisks away the infant heir to the throne as the other side seeks to kill him.
This was a story I didn't know, a real feature of such "origin" films.
The cinematography is at times spectacular, making the most of the icy scenes and mountains. In addition, the lead role is very strong and there is a good supporting cast.
It becomes a little harder to judge the script as it is subtitled but even with that, there was a nice pace to the narrative.
The real feature of the film is the way the fighting men interract with the baby and deal with the challenging situation. The child could have so easily just become a prop but instead they come across as convincing.
It's a good truish story that is well delivered.