The Last King

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The Last King
Birkebeinerne
Directed by Nils Gaup
Screenplay byRavn Lanesskog
Produced byPer Henry Borch
Mary Callery
Malene Ehlers
Peter Garde
Finn Gjerdrum
Eszter Gyárfás
Lone Korslund
Stein B. Kvae
Jackie Larkin
Lesley McKimm
Viktória Petrányi
Erik Poppe
Julius Solheim
Kaare Storemyr
Judit Sós
Henrik Zein
Starring Jakob Oftebro
Kristofer Hivju
Thorbjørn Harr
Pål Sverre Valheim Hagen
Ane Ulmoen Øverli
Cinematography Peter Mokrosinski
Edited byChristoffer Heie
Tomas Täng
Music by Gaute Storaas
Production
companies
Newgrange Pictures
Nordisk Film Production
Paradox Film 3
Proton Cinema (co-production)
Distributed by Magnolia Pictures
Nordisk Filmdistribusjon
StudioCanal
At Entertainment
Koch Media
Release date
  • 12 February 2016 (2016-02-12)
Running time
93 minutes
CountriesNorway
Denmark
Sweden
Ireland
Hungary
LanguagesNorwegian
Danish
Swedish

The Last King (Norwegian : Birkebeinerne) is a 2016 Norwegian historical drama, directed by Nils Gaup. The story, inspired by true events, centers on the efforts of the Birkebeiner loyalists to protect the infant, Haakon Haakonsson, the heir to the Norwegian throne after the death of his father, King Haakon Sverresson. The film is set during the civil war era in Norway during the 13th-century. [1] [2] [3]

Contents

Synopsis

In Norway 1204, Birkebeiners and king Haakon Sverresson possess the throne in Nidaros. They are threatened by Baglers, a rebel faction who have taken power in Eastern Norway, with help from Denmark.

In Nidaros, Gisle (Pal Sverre Valheim Hagan), a corrupt aristocrat and Bagler supporter, conspires with the former queen Margaret (Lia Boysen) to have king Haakon (Benjamin Helstad) murdered, promising to return her to power as queen. Margaret's daughter Kristin overhears this and confronts her, but her mother claims that exposing the plot would mean certain death for them, scaring Kristin into secrecy.

Margaret poisons Haakon and departs Norway for her native Sweden. Before he dies, however, Haakon reveals he has a son with a woman named Inga, and has sent Torstein (Kristofer Hivju) and Skervald (Jakob Oftebro), two Birkebeiner agents, to find him. Gisle later frames his brother Inge and plans to marry Kristin.

After initially securing Inga and her son Haakon, Skervald returns home, only to be seized by Baglers led by the knight Orm (Nikolaj Lie Kaas), having been led there by a Birkebeiner traitor. After Skervald reluctantly reveals Haakon's location, Orm murder his wife and infant child, though he narrowly escapes.

Skervald arrives at the Birkebeiner camp to warn them of the impending attack. After he reveals that he told the Baglers their location, however, the fort leader plans to execute Skervald. Distracted by this, the Birkebeiner guards are ambushed and overwhelmed by the Baglers, though this allows Skervald to break free with Torstein, Inga and Haakon.

After numerous attacks by Baglers, Torstein and Skervald arrive at a village and rally the locals for a final fight. In the battle, Skervald protects Inga and Haakon, while managing to kill Orm, though he is fatally wounded in the process.

On the day of Gisle's planned wedding to Kristin, Torstein and the other Birkebeiners enter Nidaros and free Inge.

Gisle is subsequently seized and taken away, presumably to be executed. Haakon is officially secured as the next king, and a text explains that "during his reign, there was peace in Norway".

Cast

Reception

On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 89% based on 9 reviews. [4]

Historical accuracy

The historical accuracy of the film was heavily critiqued by professor Hans Jacob Orning on the University of Oslo's official history site for a number of points such as open practice of paganism in the 13th century, the black and white portrayal of the Birkebeiner and Bagler factions, Gisle's (standing in for Haakon the Crazy) support of the Baglers and Haakon Haakonsson's supposedly more democratic rule. While the film's portrayal of the Bagler-faction as being backed by Denmark is true, it leaves out that the Birkebeiner had similar support from Sweden. Inge Bårdsson is shown as supporting Haakon Haakonsson's claim, while in reality he did not view him as legitimate. [5] At one point the baby Haakon Haakonsson is given a potato, despite the potato being introduced in the mid 18th century in Norway. During a promotional interview on Skavlan, lead actor Jakob Oftebro stated the film was about the Protestant Birkebeiner fighting Catholic Bagler, misplacing the Reformation by about 300 years, which led to widespread ridicule and criticism of Skavlan for not pointing out what was viewed as a blatant inaccuracy. [6]

The film also depicts Margareta Eriksdotter as poisoning Haakon in a conspiracy to become queen again with Gisle. In reality, Margaret was suspected of killing the king, but was never proven to have done so.

Also, while the film portrays Haakon as having great respect for Margaret, evidence suggests the two actually had a difficult relationship. Margaret attempted to leave Norway with her daughter Kristin Sverrsedotter, but Haakon had his men retrieve Kristin. It is possible that Margaret (if responsible) poisoned the king out of vengeful spite rather than a conspiracy.

The film shows them going on two identical long skis. During the period as told by Sigrid Undset in Kristin Lavransdatter and The Master of Hestviken people used one long ski and one short ski. The short ski was used for traction going uphill. Although Undset was a novelist, she had expert knowledge of details of this period.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Haakon IV</span> King of Norway (1204–1263)

Haakon IV Haakonsson, sometimes called Haakon the Old in contrast to his namesake son, was King of Norway from 1217 to 1263. His reign lasted for 46 years, longer than any Norwegian king since Harald Fairhair. Haakon was born into the troubled civil war era in Norway, but his reign eventually managed to put an end to the internal conflicts. At the start of his reign, during his minority, Earl Skule Bårdsson served as regent. As a king of the Birkebeiner faction, Haakon defeated the uprising of the final Bagler royal pretender, Sigurd Ribbung, in 1227. He put a definitive end to the civil war era when he had Skule Bårdsson killed in 1240, a year after he had himself proclaimed king in opposition to Haakon. Haakon thereafter formally appointed his own son as his co-regent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Birkebeiner</span> Norwegian political faction during the Civil War era, active from 1174 to the 1210s

The Birkebein Party or Birkebeinar was the name for a rebellious party in Norway, formed in 1174 around the pretender to the Norwegian throne, Eystein Meyla. The name has its origins in propaganda from the established party that the rebels were so poor that they made their shoes of birch bark. Although originally a pejorative, the opposition adopted the Birkebeiner name for themselves, and continued using it after they came to power in 1184.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sverre of Norway</span> King of Norway from 1184 to 1202

Sverre Sigurdsson was the king of Norway from 1184 to 1202.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Inge Bårdsson</span> King of Norway

Inge II was King of Norway from 1204 to 1217. His reign was within the later stages of the period known in Norwegian history as the age of civil wars. Inge was the king of the birkebeiner faction. The conclusion of the settlement of Kvitsøy with the bagler faction in 1208 led to peace for the last nine years of Inge’s reign, at the price of Inge and the birkebeiner recognising bagler rule over Viken.

Haakon Sverresson was King of Norway from 1202 to 1204.

Guttorm Sigurdsson was the king of Norway from January to August 1204, during the Norwegian civil war era. As a grandson of King Sverre, he was proclaimed king by the Birkebeiner faction when he was just four years old. Although obviously not in control of the events surrounding him, Guttorm's accession to the throne under the effective regency of Haakon the Crazy led to renewed conflict between the Birkebeiner and the Bagler factions, the latter supported militarily by Valdemar II of Denmark.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bagler</span>

The Bagli Party or Bagler was a faction or party during the Norwegian Civil Wars. The Bagler faction was made up principally of the Norwegian aristocracy, clergy and merchants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Inge Magnusson</span>

Inge Magnusson or Inge Baglar-king was from 1196 to 1202 the Bagler candidate for pretender to the Norwegian throne during the Civil war era in Norway.

Philip Simonsson was a Norwegian aristocrat and from 1207 to 1217 was the Bagler party pretender to the throne of Norway during the civil war era in Norway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Skule Bårdsson</span> Regent of Norway during the infancy of Haakon IV

Skule Bårdsson or Duke Skule was a Norwegian nobleman and claimant to the royal throne against his son-in-law, King Haakon Haakonsson. Henrik Ibsen's play Kongs-Emnerne (1863) is about the dispute between Duke Skule and King Haakon.

Haakon the Crazy was a Norwegian jarl and Birkebeiner chieftain during the civil war era in Norway. Håkon Galen was born no later than the 1170s and died in 1214. His epithet "the crazy" or "the mad" can also be translated as frenzied, furious or frantic and probably refers to ferociousness in battle.

The Bagler Sagas are kings' sagas relating to events which occurred between 1202–17 and are a primary source of Norwegian history during this period. There are two versions, one shorter and one longer, which are in modern editions usually printed as one saga. The authors of both versions are unknown. There are indications that both of them were Icelanders, although this cannot be said for certain.

Erling Ormsson, known as Erling Skakke, was a Norwegian Jarl during the 12th century. He was the father of Magnus V, who reigned as King of Norway from 1161 to 1184.

Margaret of Sweden was Queen of Norway as the spouse of King Sverre of Norway.

Christina Sverresdatter was a medieval Norwegian princess and titular queen consort, spouse of co-regent Philip Simonsson, the Bagler party pretender to the throne of Norway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Civil war era in Norway</span> Period of Norwegian history from 1130 to 1240

The civil war era in Norway began in 1130 and ended in 1240. During this time in Norwegian history, some two dozen rival kings and pretenders waged wars to claim the throne.

Knut Haakonsson was a Norwegian nobleman and claimant to the throne during the Civil war era in Norway.

Sigurd Erlingsson Ribbung was a Norwegian nobleman and pretender to the throne of Norway during the civil war era in Norway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Inga of Varteig</span>

Inga Olafsdatter of Varteig was the mistress of King Haakon III of Norway and the mother of King Haakon IV of Norway.

Bård Guttormsson was a Norwegian Birkebeiner and a lieutenant of Sverre of Norway. Patrilineally, he was also a member of the House of Godwin.

References

  1. "The Last King". Magnolia Pictures. Archived from the original on April 23, 2016. Retrieved June 1, 2017.
  2. Knut Helle. "Håkon Håkonsson". Norsk biografisk leksikon. Retrieved June 1, 2017.
  3. Narve Bjørgo. "Håkon Sverresson". Norsk biografisk leksikon. Retrieved June 1, 2017.
  4. "The Last King (2016)". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango . Retrieved July 20, 2019.
  5. Orning, Hans Jacob (February 15, 2019). "Birkebeinerne: myter og realiteter". Norges Historie. Retrieved February 28, 2021.
  6. Årsheim, Helge Jacob (February 23, 2019). "Protestantiske birkebeinere?". Norges Historie. Archived from the original on February 28, 2021. Retrieved March 2, 2021.