The Vikings (1958) • Blu-ray [Eureka! Video]

A slave and a Viking prince fight for the love of a captive princess.

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by Remy Dean.

Inevitably, The Vikings has dated. Acting styles were more theatrical and less naturalistic in the 1950s, but compared to the drawn-out Biblical epics that were hugely popular back then, its well-paced plot and clear narrative seem quite modern. Though the personal and political interplay is complex, these aspects are kept in focus by a tight script, which contains exuberant dialogue that avoids melodrama.

Eric (Tony Curtis) has been raised as a slave in the Viking court of Lord Ragnar (Ernest Borgnine) and has no idea that he is the rightful heir to an English kingdom. By a twist of fate, Ragnar is actually his father, though neither are aware of the fact. Eric soon earns the animosity of Einar (Kirk Douglas), Ragnar’s other son. Later, the rivalry between the half-brothers escalates when both fall in love with the same woman, Princess Morgana (Janet Leigh). It’s not as EastEnders as it sounds, as an epic tale unfolds with the fabled feel of an Old Norse Saga.