Saw Valhalla Rising (Thanks, Sneakers!) It was a slow and morbid film set in pre-medieval Britain (I think.) The protagonist is a silent, one-eyed man kept captive and forced to fight to the death in some kind of Viking prize fighting thing. Though silent, he's clearly sullenly plotting for escape. Also there's talk of the white men with crosses who are destroying the land.
The film is slow the way Terrence Malick or Tarkovsky films are, brooding and hypnotic. There's about a page of dialogue in the entire film and there's plenty of slow pans across gloriously rugged landscapes. The protagonist also has visions of the future, shot in a red filter. Also very red is all of the blood in the film. It practically glows.
I don't want to give away too much of the film, but religion becomes a more important part of the film after the Christians show up. They themselves seem to be in it more for the money than for any spiritual reason, but the metaphysics is dealt with in the film via symbolism and allusion. Consider, for example, that the protagonist only has one eye, much like Odin, the Norse god. Also like Odin, he can see bits and pieces of the future. However, he also sacrifices himself in the end of the film so that others may live. Remind you of any other gods?
The film is slow and mesmerizing. It reminds me very much of the style of Tarkovsky in that not much is explained and things are left evocative, allowing for you to provide your own explanation. This may be frustrating for some viewers, but if you can stand living with ambiguity, check it out. A bit morbid, but very interesting.
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