THE SHADOW OF THE RAVEN
A film review by Thomas E. Billings
Copyright 1990 Thomas E. Billings
Synopsis: A dispute between two clans in ancient Iceland threatens to turn into a war. Will a marriage stop the fighting, or will the corrupt Bishop prevail? A drama of trust, love, power, and revenge, based on the legend of Tristan and Isolde. Very good, although it is slow-moving at times.
Iceland/Sweden (English subtitles), color, 1988, 118 minutes. Director/Writer: Hrafn Gunnlaugsson
The story is set in Iceland, in the year 1077. Christianity has replaced the old Norse religions, and the Church is, besides the clan, the major power in society. Trausti (Icelandic for Tristan) returns home after studying theology in Norway to find himself caught in the middle of a clan struggle over rights to a beached whale. Trausti's clan found the whale, but it was beached in an area belonging to the other clan.
A battle ensues, and the leader of the opposing clan is killed in the fight. Isolde, the beautiful daughter of the slain clan leader, is taken prisoner in the battle. Inasmuch as Isolde believes that Trausti killed her father, she is determined to get revenge. The fighting is reported to the Church, and the local Bishop gets involved.
The Bishop turns out to be very corrupt and devious. Trausti manages to convince Isolde of his innocence; they plan to marry to stop the fighting. The Bishop opposes this, for he wanted his son to marry Isolde, thereby increasing his power base. The story continues with preparations for the wedding as the Bishop considers various evil schemes.
This film presents a dramatic study in the use and abuse of power (clan dispute, actions of the Bishop), revenge and love (the relationship between Trausti and Isolde) and, most of all, trust. Trausti often trusted people. Sometimes his trust was justified, sometimes not, with resultant tragic consequences.
From a technical viewpoint, the film is only average. It appears to have a modest budget (no lavish sets, small cast), and the acting is average. The photography is good, although the "star" is sometimes the spectacular landscape of Iceland! Further, the film really drags in the middle.
What makes the film very good, instead of just average, is the message it conveys, and the final (exciting, shocking) 30 minutes. As I was watching it, I was ready to write the film off as mediocre, when it suddenly got very dramatic and interesting. Patience has its rewards!
Distribution. Not in general U.S. release at the present time. Most likely places to see it are film festivals, societies, or archives. Print Source: Jupiter Distribution, Inc., 8670 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills, California 90211.
Reviewer contact: teb@stat.Berkeley.EDU
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