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The Viking

1931 · 70 min

A stark, documentary-like adventure that immerses you in the perilous ice hunt, with raw tension and a haunting sense of real danger.

Directed by
Varick Frissell, George Melford
Genres
Action, Drama, Romance
Starring
Charles Starrett, Louise Huntington, Arthur Vinton
Tagline
Actually produced during the Great Newfoundland Seal Hunt and You see the REAL thing
Overview
Originally called White Thunder, American producer Varick Frissell's 1931 film was inspired by his love for the Canadian Arctic Circle. Set in a beautifully black-and-white filmed Newfoundland, it is the story of a rivalry between two seal hunters that plays out on the ice floes during a hunt. Unsatisfied with the first cut, Frissell arranged for the crew to accompany an actual Newfoundland seal hunt on The SS Viking, on which an explosion of dynamite (carried regularly at the time on Arctic ships to combat ice jams) killed many members of the crew, including Frissell. The film was renamed in honor of the dead.

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Rent or buy in the UK
  • Amazon Video
More options Data from JustWatch
Directed by
Varick Frissell, George Melford
Genres
Action, Drama, Romance
Starring
Charles Starrett, Louise Huntington, Arthur Vinton
In your watch list

How it feels

Written by AI. It can be wrong.

Tone
  • tensestrength 2 of 3
  • bleakstrength 2 of 3
  • earneststrength 1 of 3
Pacing
measured, 2 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
Attention
engaged, 3 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
Themes
  • survival
  • revenge
  • betrayal
  • redemption
  • friendship
Places
  • sea
  • wilderness
  • small town
Era
period
Audience
teen
Form
  • true story
Content intensity
  • Gore mild
  • Language none
  • Violence mild
  • Sex none
All scales, 0 to 10
Scales, 0 to 10
ScaleValue0 to 10
Action6
Horror2
Humour2
Realism8
Romance4
Tension7
Darkness6
Complexity4
Emotional weight7

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Where to watch in the UK

Rent or buy
  • Amazon Video

Streaming data from JustWatch.All options on TMDB

Details

Genres
action, drama, romance, adventure
Directed by
Varick Frissell, George Melford
Starring
Charles Starrett, Louise Huntington, Arthur Vinton, Bob Bartlett, Wilfred Grenfell
Runtime
70 min
Country
Canada, United States of America
Languages
English

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