The 13th Warrior is a 1999
historical fictionHistorical fiction tells a story that is set in the past. That setting is usually real and drawn from history, and often contains actual historical persons, but the principal characters tend to be fictional...
action film starring
Antonio BanderasJosé Antonio Domínguez Banderas , better known as Antonio Banderas, is a Spanish film actor, film director, film producer and singer...
as
Ahmad ibn FadlanAhmad ibn Fadlān ibn al-Abbās ibn Rāšid ibn Hammād was a 10th century Arab traveler, famous for his account of his travels as a member of an embassy of the Arab Abbasid Caliph of Baghdad to the king of the Volga Bulgars...
and
Vladimir KulichVladimir Kulich is a Czech-Canadian actor.He is best known for his roles as Buliwyf in the film The 13th Warrior and as The Beast in the television series Angel. In 1995 he appeared as Olafsson in the X-Files episode "Død Kalm."...
as
BuliwyfBeowulf is a legendary Geatish hero and later turned king in the epic poem named after him, one of the oldest surviving pieces of literature in the English language.-Etymology and origins of the character:...
; it is based on the novel
Eaters of the DeadEaters of the Dead: The Manuscript of Ibn Fadlan Relating His Experiences with the Northmen in A.D. 922 is a 1976 novel by Michael Crichton...
by
Michael CrichtonJohn Michael Crichton , best known as Michael Crichton, was an American best-selling author, producer, director, and screenwriter, best known for his work in the science fiction, medical fiction, and thriller genres. His books have sold over 200 million copies worldwide, and many have been adapted...
. It was directed by
John McTiernanJohn Campbell McTiernan, Jr. is an American film director and producer, best known for his action films and most identifiable with the three films he directed back-to-back: Predator, Die Hard, and The Hunt for Red October, along with later movies such as Last Action Hero, Die Hard with a...
and an uncredited Crichton.
The 13th Warrior is regarded as a financial failure. Production and marketing costs totalled $160 million, but it only grossed $61,698,899 at the box office.
Plot
Ahmed ibn Fadlan is a court poet to the
CaliphThe Caliph is the head of state in a Caliphate, and the title for the ruler of the Islamic Ummah, an Islamic community ruled by the Shari'ah. It is a transcribed version of the Arabic word which means "successor" or "representative"...
of
BaghdadBaghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
- 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 Mongol Tatar raiders by the appearance of
NorsemenNorsemen is used to refer to the group of people as a whole who spoke what is now called the Old Norse language belonging to the North Germanic branch of Indo-European languages, especially Norwegian, Icelandic, Faroese, Swedish and Danish in their earlier forms.The meaning of Norseman was "people...
. Taking refuge at their settlement on the Volga, communications are established through Melchisidek and Herger, a Norseman who speaks
Vulgar LatinVulgar Latin is any of the nonstandard forms of Latin from which the Romance languages developed. Because of its nonstandard nature, it had no official orthography. All written works used Classical Latin, with very few exceptions...
. Ahmed and Melchisidek are in time to witness the fight which establishes Buliwyf as heir apparent, followed by the
VikingThe term Viking is customarily used to refer to the Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided, traded, explored and settled in wide areas of Europe, Asia and the North Atlantic islands from the late 8th to the mid-11th century.These Norsemen used their famed longships to...
funeral of their dead king, cremated together with a young woman who agreed to 'accompany' him to
ValhallaIn Norse mythology, Valhalla is a majestic, enormous hall located in Asgard, ruled over by the god Odin. Chosen by Odin, half of those that die in combat travel to Valhalla upon death, led by valkyries, while the other half go to the goddess Freyja's field Fólkvangr...
.
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, the bravest warriors dare not name it. The "angel of death," an oracle, determines the mission will be successful if thirteen warriors go to face this danger - but the thirteenth must not be a Norseman. Ahmed is recruited against his will.
Ahmed learns Norse during their journey by listening intently to their conversations. He is looked down upon by the huge Norsemen, who mock his physical weakness and his small
Arabian horseThe Arabian or Arab horse is a breed of horse that originated on the Arabian Peninsula. With a distinctive head shape and high tail carriage, the Arabian is one of the most easily recognizable horse breeds in the world. It is also one of the oldest breeds, with archaeological evidence of horses...
, but 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 their foe is indeed the ancient 'Wendol', fiends who come with the mist to kill and eat human flesh. 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 wisewoman of the village tells them to track the Wendol to their lair and destroy their leaders, the "Mother of the Vendol" 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 Buliwyf is poisoned by her.
As the last remaining warriors return to the village and prepare for a final battle they do not expect to survive the Wendol attack. 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
José Antonio Domínguez Banderas , better known as Antonio Banderas, is a Spanish film actor, film director, film producer and singer...
as Ahmed ibn Fadlan
- Vladimir Kulich
Vladimir Kulich is a Czech-Canadian actor.He is best known for his roles as Buliwyf in the film The 13th Warrior and as The Beast in the television series Angel. In 1995 he appeared as Olafsson in the X-Files episode "Død Kalm."...
as BuliwyfBeowulf is a legendary Geatish hero and later turned king in the epic poem named after him, one of the oldest surviving pieces of literature in the English language.-Etymology and origins of the character:...
- Dennis Storhoi
Jahn Dennis Storhøi is a Norwegian actor.-Biography:He is an acclaimed theatre actor in Norway, having won several awards. However, he is best known for his role as Herger the Joyous in John McTiernan's The 13th Warrior...
as Herger
- Clive Russell
Clive Russell is a British actor.Clive was born in Reeth, England and brought up in Fife, Scotland.He is a familiar face on British television and has appeared in numerous television series including Boys From the Black Stuff ,Hope And Glory, Neverwhere, Great Expectations, The Mists of Avalon,...
as Helfdane
- Richard Bremmer
Richard Bremmer is a British actor. He played Lord Voldemort in Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone and played Skeld in The 13th Warrior. He also had a role in the 2004 movie :Vipere au poing.-External links:...
as Skeld
- Tony Curran
Anthony "Tony" Curran is a Scottish actor.Curran was born in Glasgow, Scotland. He is an alumnus of Holyrood Secondary School and is a graduate of the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama....
as Weath
- Omar Sharif
Omar Sharif is an Egyptian actor who has starred in Hollywood films including Lawrence of Arabia, Doctor Zhivago and Funny Girl. He has been nominated for an Academy Award and has won two Golden Globe Awards.-Early life:...
as Melchisidek
- Eric Avari
Erick Avari is an Indian American television, film and theater actor known for his roles in various science-fiction serial productions.-Early life:...
as Caravan leader
- Sven Wollter
Sven Wollter is a Swedish actor. He was born and grew up in Gothenburg.Sven Wollter is an actor in Sweden and has starred in many films such as, The Man on the Roof, The Man from Majorca, Änglagård and Jerusalem, based on the novel by Selma Lagerlöf...
as King Hrothgar
- Diane Venora
Diane Venora is an American stage, television, and film actress.-Early life:Venora was born Diana Venora in East Hartford, Connecticut, the daughter of Marie and Robert P. Venora, who owned a dry cleaning establishment. Diane graduated from East Hartford High School, class of 1970. During her...
as Queen Weilew
- Asbjorn Riis
Asbjørn Riis is a Danish professional wrestler, actor and TV personality, who is most famous internationally for portraying the role of the 10th warrior, Halga the Wise, in the movie The 13th Warrior featuring Antonio Banderas. He is also known for a Hulk Hogan look a like in the early 1990s,...
as Halga
Production and revenue
Originally titled
Eaters of the Dead, production began in August 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 title was changed to
The 13th Warrior.
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 $160 million, which given its lackluster box office take (earning only US $61,698,899 worldwide), made for a loss of nearly $100 million.
The outcome of the film's production disappointed
Omar SharifOmar Sharif is an Egyptian actor who has starred in Hollywood films including Lawrence of Arabia, Doctor Zhivago and Funny Girl. He has been nominated for an Academy Award and has won two Golden Globe Awards.-Early life:...
so much that he retired from film acting. He did not take a role in a major film until 2003's
Monsieur IbrahimMonsieur Ibrahim et les fleurs du Coran , also known as Monsieur Ibrahim in English, is a 2003 French movie starring Omar Sharif, and directed by François Dupeyron. The movie is based on a book and a play by Éric-Emmanuel Schmitt.-Plot:...
.:
- "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."
During production two horses were injured. One horse was put down after a wire sliced his leg tendon.
Soundtrack
The original
soundtrackA soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
was composed by
Graeme RevellGraeme Revell is a New Zealand film score composer.Revell attended Auckland Grammar School, where he finished his final year in 7A...
and featured the
Dead Can DanceDead Can Dance are an ethereal neoclassical duo formed in Melbourne, Australia, in August 1981, by Lisa Gerrard and Brendan Perry. The band relocated to London in May 1982 and disbanded in 1998. Their 1996 album Spiritchaser reached No. 1 on the Billboard Top World Music Albums Chart...
singer
Lisa GerrardLisa Gerrard is an Australian musician, singer, and composer who rose to prominence as part of the music group Dead Can Dance with former music partner Brendan Perry....
. The score was rejected by Michael Crichton and was replaced by one composed by Crichton's usual collaborator,
Jerry GoldsmithJerrald King Goldsmith was an American composer and conductor most known for his work in film and television scoring....
. The cue heard just before the final battle scene, called "
ValhallaIn Norse mythology, Valhalla is a majestic, enormous hall located in Asgard, ruled over by the god Odin. Chosen by Odin, half of those that die in combat travel to Valhalla upon death, led by valkyries, while the other half go to the goddess Freyja's field Fólkvangr...
", was also used in the film
Kingdom of HeavenKingdom of Heaven is a 2005 epic action film directed by Ridley Scott and written by William Monahan. It stars Orlando Bloom, Eva Green, Jeremy Irons, David Thewlis, Marton Csokas, Brendan Gleeson, Kevin McKidd, Alexander Siddig, Ghassan Massoud, Edward Norton, Jon Finch, Michael Sheen and Liam...
by
Ridley ScottSir Ridley Scott is an English film director and producer. His most famous films include The Duellists , Alien , Blade Runner , Legend , Thelma & Louise , G. I...
at the final siege scene.
Reception
The 13th Warrior currently holds a 33% rating on
Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
.
Roger EbertRoger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
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." Conversely,
James BerardinelliJames Berardinelli is an American online film critic.-Personal life:Berardinelli was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey and spent his early childhood in Morristown, New Jersey. At the age of nine years, he relocated to the township of Cherry Hill, New Jersey...
gave
The 13th Warrior three stars out of four, calling it "a solid offering" that "delivers an exhilarating 100 minutes."
In his book
Reel Bad ArabsReel Bad Arabs: How Hollywood Vilifies a People is a 2001 book by Jack Shaheen where he surveyed more than 900 film appearances of Arab characters. Of those, only a dozen were positive and 50 were balanced...
, media studies professor
Jack ShaheenJack G. Shaheen is Professor Emeritus of Mass Communication at Southern Illinois University. He was also a consultant on Middle East affairs for CBS News....
listed
The 13th Warrior on his "Best" list of films with balanced and sometimes heroic portrayals of Arabs.
External links