So much average

if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.

Unshakable, witty and deeply felt, the film will be paying emotional dividends for a long, long time.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

.....then by all means let me know directly at the above e-mail address so that I may arrange for a copy for you. While battling Norsemen impale and decapitate each other (pretty graphic for '67!) in bloody seaside duels, clan patriarch Gunnar Bjornstrand ('The Seventh Seal') worries that his beloved daughter is getting a little too sweet on a splendid blond beast from the wrong side of the "tracks," and so the plot thickens as that inevitable, classic tragedy awaits. The original version of this forgotten wonder has been hailed as one of the greatest exponents of 'medieval cinema." And despite some campy dubbing ('That was a good blow you gave me last night') and faded color, the domestic version's retention of the Cinemascope format helps one imagine what an awesome experience it must've been to see director Gabriel Axel's unspoiled foreign cut (btw, 20 years later Axel enjoyed major international acclaim with 'Babette's Feast').

I saw this picture in 1967 in Greenwich Village in NYC and was thrilled by its vigor, and what seemed to be verisimilitude to the time and place (12th century Norway?). The duel on the beach with the steaming horses nostrils, the wolf hunt with the wolfhounds trapping the wolf in his lair, the blood feud, the plotting German knight, the attraction and beauty of the young lovers, and the tragic climax -- all are so memorable and alive in my memory after all these years. My vote is based on an old experience, and I would like to see this wonderful picture again (on DVD). Its possible my evaluation might change after the passage of almost 40 years. PASMITH-4'S ROOMMATE, Frederick

Dynamic Viking action, stunning cinematography, superb direction, and fine performances bring this love story, often compared to "Romeo and Juliet" by international critics, to a brilliant realization. An artistic triumph well-deserving of a new 21st century life on video or DVD! I would LOVE to own a copy!

This film is similar to Icelandic sagas such as _Njal's Saga_ or _The Lord of the Rings_. It's been thirty years since I've seen it, but I remember that the photography was beautiful and that the film remained "true" to the saga tradition. I would welcome the opportunity to see it again.