fbpx

SEVERED WAYS: THE NORSE DISCOVERY OF AMERICA

"Weirdly Intriguing but Disconcerting"

Watch:

What You Need To Know:

SEVERED WAYS is a very weird movie about the Viking discovery of North America. Set in the year 1007, it tells the story of two abandoned Vikings. Abandoned by their captain after an Indian massacre, two scouts, Orn and Volnard, try to look for ways to get back to Greenland. Along the way, Indians attack them, and they find two Irish monks left behind by a previous Viking expedition who have set up a church for Indians. Orn kills one monk, Volnard protects the other monk, but eventually Orn kills him too. Can the Vikings survive?

SEVERED WAYS is a strange movie. The story is very episodic. Lengthy scenes involve catching fish, building huts, and destroying the monks’ church. These scenes are shot so slowly that it is practically real time. The acting is limited to a few lines, some grunts, and slow action. The directing is languid, with shaky camera work. Though the Christian monk is a positive character, he is killed, so it seems like paganism triumphs. SEVERED WAYS would play best at a Museum. It is not going to be a crowd pleaser. MOVIEGUIDE® recommends extreme caution.

Content:

(PaPa, CC, AbAb, L, VV, SS, N, M) Strong pagan worldview with minimal dialogue but some negative and some positive Christian content; three obscenities plus graphic scene of man defecating; several killings, beatings and fights with people axed, run through with swords, shot with arrows, beaten mercilessly but very little blood; depicted sex where Indian woman rapes semi-conscious Viking; brief upper male nudity; no alcohol; no smoking or drugs; and, Vikings attack and kill Christian monks and burn their church to the ground, destroy the Cross.

More Detail:

SEVERED WAYS is a very weird movie about the Viking discovery of North America. Set in the year 1007 and taken in part from the Vinland Sagas, the movie tells the story of two abandoned Vikings trying to get back to Norse territory. It tells this story in a very shaky camera, Danish modern filmmaking style.

When a Viking ship from Greenland came to explore new territory, American Indians confront them and slaughter some of them. So, the captain abandoned what he thought was the dead to sail back to Greenland. Two abandoned scouts, Orn and Volnard, survived, however.

After realizing their predicament, they try to look for ways to go north to get to Greenland. Along the way, Indians attack them, and they find two Irish monks left behind by a previous Viking expedition who have set up a church for the Indians.

As heathens, the Vikings hate the Christians. Volnard recalls slaying his sister’s lover, a Christian, who was leading his sister to Christ. Orn kills one of the monks, but Volnard lets the other one live, and the monk reads to him from the Bible. Eventually, Orn kills the monk, and the Vikings have to face the cruelty of North America alone.

SEVERED WAYS is one of the strangest movies ever. The first scene has such shaky pixilated camera work that it almost makes the viewer nauseous. The dialogue is less than minimal. The movie is separated into chapters, like the Vinland Sagas, so it is very episodic. Long periods of the movie involve catching fish, building huts, destroying the monks’ church. These are shot in such a slow way that it is practically real time watching the men cut down a tree. Since they cut down several trees, this takes a long time. Anyone expecting an action adventure movie is going to be disappointed. There is even one graphic scene where Volnard defecates, and the camera follows the entire process in excruciating, disgusting detail. Aside from this low point in the movie, there is something very intriguing by this very arty approach to filmmaking.

The acting is limited to a few lines, some grunts and some slow action. The directing is languid. The camera work is shaky. The music is periodic.

In the story, the Christians are reviled, but it is clear that although Orn has killed one Christian missionary, Volnard is interested in the message of the other Irish monks. Since Orn eventually kills the monk, and the church is destroyed, it seems as if heathenism triumphs, and in fact the opening title is Heathen Productions. But, there is Christian content in SEVERED WAYS. The surviving monk even washes Volnard’s feet, and Volnard gets upset when Orn kills him.

This movie would play best at the Museum of Modern Art. It is not going to be a crowd pleaser, and MOVIEGUIDE® recommends extreme caution.

Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.

What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.

You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.

Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.


Now more than ever we’re bombarded by darkness in media, movies, and TV. Movieguide® has fought back for almost 40 years, working within Hollywood to propel uplifting and positive content. We’re proud to say we’ve collaborated with some of the top industry players to influence and redeem entertainment for Jesus. Still, the most influential person in Hollywood is you. The viewer.

What you listen to, watch, and read has power. Movieguide® wants to give you the resources to empower the good and the beautiful. But we can’t do it alone. We need your support.

You can make a difference with as little as $7. It takes only a moment. If you can, consider supporting our ministry with a monthly gift. Thank you.

Movieguide® is a 501c3 and all donations are tax deductible.


Watch JACK AND THE BEANSTALK
Quality: - Content: +1
Watch THE VELVETEEN RABBIT
Quality: - Content: +3