The 13th Warrior
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| The 13th Warrior | |
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Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | John McTiernan |
| Produced by | John McTiernan Michael Crichton Ned Dowd |
| Screenplay by | William Wisher, Jr. Warren Lewis |
| Based on | Eaters of the Dead by Michael Crichton |
| Starring | Antonio Banderas Diane Venora Omar Sharif |
| Music by | Jerry Goldsmith |
| Cinematography | Peter Menzies Jr. |
| Edited by | John Wright |
Production
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| Distributed by | Buena Vista Pictures |
Release dates
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Running time
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103 minutes[1] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | US$85–100 million[2][3] |
| Box office | $61.7 million[2] |
The film was a massive financial failure. Production and marketing costs reputedly reached $160 million, but it only grossed $61 million at the box office worldwide, making it the biggest box office bomb in history adjusted for inflation (and third biggest unadjusted).
Contents
Plot
Ahmad ibn Fadlan is a court poet to the Caliph of Baghdad, until his amorous encounter with the wife of an influential noble gets him exiled as an "ambassador" to Northern Barbarians. Traveling with Melchisidek, his caravan is saved from Turkic raiders by the appearance of Norsemen (presumably Varangian). Taking refuge at their settlement on the Volga river, communications are established through Melchisidek and Herger, a Norseman who speaks Latin. Ahmad and Melchisidek are in time to witness a fight, which establishes Buliwyf as heir apparent, followed by the Viking funeral of their dead king, cremated together with a young woman who agreed to accompany him to Valhalla.A youth enters the camp requesting Buliwyf's aid: his father's kingdom in the far north is under attack from an ancient evil so frightening that even the bravest warriors dare not name it. The "angel of death", a völva (wisewoman), determines the mission will be successful if thirteen warriors go to face this danger—but the thirteenth must not be a Norseman. Ahmad is recruited against his will.
Ahmad learns Norse during their journey by listening intently to his companions' conversations. He is looked down upon by the huge Norsemen, who mock his physical weakness and his small Arabian horse, but he earns a measure of respect by his fast learning of their language, his horsemanship, ingenuity, and ability to write.
Reaching King Hrothgar's kingdom, they confirm that their foe is indeed the ancient "Wendol", fiends who come with the mist to kill and eat human flesh. While the group searches through a raided cabin they find a venus figurine. In a string of clashes, Buliwyf's band establishes that the Wendol are humanoid cannibals who appear as, live like, and identify with bears.
Their numbers dwindling and their position all but indefensible, an ancient völva of the village tells them to track the Wendol to their lair and destroy their leaders, the "Mother of the Wendol" and the war leader who wears "the horns of power". Buliwyf and the remaining warriors infiltrate the Wendol cave-complex and kill the Mother, but not before Buliwyf is scratched deeply across the shoulder by her poisoned "fingernail claw".
The remaining warriors return to the village and prepare for a final battle they do not expect to survive. Buliwyf succeeds in killing the Wendol war leader, causing their defeat, before succumbing to the poison. Ahmad ibn Fadlan witnesses Buliwyf's royal funeral before returning to his homeland, grateful to the Norsemen for helping him to "become a man, and a useful servant of God".
Cast
- Antonio Banderas as Ahmed ibn Fadlan
- Diane Venora as Queen Weilew
- Vladimir Kulich as Buliwyf
- Dennis Storhøi as Herger
- Omar Sharif as Melchisidek
- Clive Russell as Helfdane
- Richard Bremmer as Skeld
- Tony Curran as Weath
- Eric Avari as Caravan leader
- Sven Wollter as King Hrothgar
- Asbjorn Riis as Halga
- Maria Bonnevie as Olga
Production
Originally titled Eaters of the Dead, production began in the summer of 1997, but the film went through several re-edits after test audiences did not react well to the initial cut. Crichton took over as director himself due to the poor test audience reception, causing the release date to be pushed back over a year. The film was re-cut, a new ending added, along with a new score. Graeme Revell was replaced by Jerry Goldsmith as composer. The title was changed to The 13th Warrior.[5]Budget and box office
The budget, which was originally around $85 million, reportedly soared to $100 million before principal photography wrapped. With all of the re-shoots and promotional expenses, the total cost of the film was rumored to be as high as $160 million, which given its lackluster box office take (earning only US $61.7 million worldwide), made for a loss of $70–130 million.[2]The film debuted at No. 2 on its opening weekend behind The Sixth Sense.[6]
Reception
The 13th Warrior currently holds a 33% rating on Rotten Tomatoes which sums it up as "Atmospheric, great sets and costumes, but thin plot."[7]Roger Ebert gave the film one and a half stars out of four, remarking that it "lumber[s] from one expensive set-piece to the next without taking the time to tell a story that might make us care."[8] Conversely, James Berardinelli gave The 13th Warrior three stars out of four, calling it "a solid offering" that "delivers an exhilarating 100 minutes".[9]
In his book Reel Bad Arabs, media studies professor Jack Shaheen listed The 13th Warrior on his "Best" list of films with balanced and sometimes heroic portrayals of Arabs.[citation needed]
The outcome of the film's production disappointed Omar Sharif so much that he temporarily retired from film acting, not taking a role in another major film until 2003's Monsieur Ibrahim:
- "After my small role in The 13th Warrior, I said to myself, 'Let us stop this nonsense, these meal tickets that we do because it pays well.' I thought, 'Unless I find a stupendous film that I love and that makes me want to leave home to do, I will stop.' Bad pictures are very humiliating, I was really sick. It is terrifying to have to do the dialogue from bad scripts, to face a director who does not know what he is doing, in a film so bad that it is not even worth exploring."[10]
Soundtrack
| The 13th Warrior: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack | ||||
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| Film score by Jerry Goldsmith | ||||
| Label | Varese Sarabande | |||
| Jerry Goldsmith chronology | ||||
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See also
References
- "The 13th Warrior (Graeme Revell/Jerry Goldsmith)". Filmtracks. 1999-08-10. Retrieved 2014-08-09.
External links
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Wikiquote has quotations related to: 13th Warrior |
- The 13th Warrior at the Internet Movie Database
- The 13th Warrior at AllMovie
- The 13th Warrior at Box Office Mojo
- The 13th Warrior at Rotten Tomatoes
| Preceded by Drive Me Crazy |
Box office number-one films of 2000 (AUS) March 5 |
Succeeded by The Beach |
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Categories:
- 1999 films
- English-language films
- 1990s action thriller films
- 1990s adventure films
- 1990s fantasy films
- American films
- American action thriller films
- American adventure films
- American fantasy films
- Cannibalism in fiction
- Films based on Beowulf
- Films based on works by Michael Crichton
- Films based on Norse mythology
- Films based upon European myths and legends
- Films directed by John McTiernan
- Films set in the Viking Age
- Films set in the 10th century
- Films set in Baghdad
- Films set in Russia
- Films shot in British Columbia
- Touchstone Pictures films
- Film scores by Jerry Goldsmith
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