THE LAST KING

Norway, 2016, 99 minutes, Colour.
Directed by Nils Gaup.

The main thing to note about this historical epic is that it is a Norwegian film made principally for a Norwegian or Scandinavian audience. Any audience from beyond these countries would need first to study something of the background of the plot, a Civil War in Norway at the beginning of the 13th century.

One of the great advantages of the film is the photography of the Norwegian landscapes, snow scapes. And while the budget is small, no cast of thousands, the battle scenes are nevertheless strong and vivid.

The basic plot concerns the infant son of the King who half the country wants killed and the other half wants to rule them. The child is taken, secreted away by a group of loyal heroes who spend a great deal of the film defending the child.

There is a subplot about a young princess and her being taken by the villain.

Because the film screenplay is so grounded in the history, it is difficult for a casual audience to begin to watch the film and follow it in detail and understand what is happening and the issues for Norway’s history.