K. K. (GAMER)
Reviewed on 3/31/2024...
Historic!
Craig S. (InnerMacro) from WAUSAU, WI
Reviewed on 8/21/2022...
At first glance, this movie appears to be a low-budget action film, which is a shame since it probably gets overlooked for that reason. It's actually a very informative documentary about paganism in Europe during the Crusades. There is a storyline, but it's not much more than vehicle that drives the documentary, as this character speaks no lines throughout the movie. Instead, we see a series of scenes with narration by the main character as he travels through the various tribal areas of 13th Century Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia. This narration is frequently side-stepped as a female narrator fills us in on the big picture of what was happening in these lands from an overall historical perspective. The presentation of the documentary is matter-of-fact, very realistic, and does not shy away from showing pagan life as it was. For this reason, some scenes would be inappropriate for children and certainly not a 'schoolroom' documentary. The animations are quite good and it's clear a lot of work went into the creation of the film. The closing credits show that they did their homework with many technical advisors. So while this movie is not a great pick if you are looking for action on par with 'Braveheart', but if you have an interest in history and culture, this is an excellent film about the grittiness of the Dark Ages.