Love and duty clash in a medieval Royal court

Intrigue and scandal seem to go with Royal households as love and marriage go together like a horse and carriage. The recent interest in the British Royal family attests to that - look no further than The Crown - but it's no recent thing. Scroll back to the 15th century and this budget-busting Danish production looks at the role of 50-year-old Margrete (masterfully played by Trine Dyrholm) has managed to unite the warring kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden.

Her motivation is clear, in the opening scenes she surveys the carnage of a battlefield from her father's shoulders. During the film, she points out she wants peace between the three Nordic nations to stop the endless rounds of bloodletting.

The fragile union has led to economic prosperity, but there are always threats on the horizon, most notably from the German alliance. As a woman Margrete the First is not allowed to take the throne directly, so rules through her adopted son, Erik (Morte Hee Andersen). Her biological son, King Olaf II of Denmark, died in mysterious circumstances, 15 years before the setting of the film. To shore up the fragile Kalmar Union between the three Nordic states, she proposes an alliance with the English King Henry V, cemented by a marriage between Erik and the young princess Phillipa.

All appears to be going well, amidst the cut and thrust of cementing the alliance with the English king, until whispers swirl around the court about the return of King Olaf. It appears he did not die, but has been held captive in a monastery and has returned to lay claim to the throne; all Queen Margrete has carefully constructed would come crashing down. The Man from Graudenz, or False Olaf as he is known in the historical record, is played by Norwegian actor Jakob Oftebro.

The announcement of Olaf's arrival is the hinge point of the film. Up to that point, it had been moving at a quiet, stately pace - nothing to see here people - as the machinations around who would get what out of the proposed English alliance are thrashed out.

There is nothing like a bit of intrigue and scandal to get the pulse-quickening. Here is a woman who is facing a terrible dilemma - she must choose between the son she believed was dead and the good of the kingdom.

In many ways, this movie uncannily reflects the more recent issues faced by the late Queen Elizabeth and her wayward son Prince Andrew. She stripped him of his military patronages and use of the HRH title after he paid a financial settlement to Virginia Giuffre, who had accused him of sexual assault, a claim he denied. Many commentators saw this as "The Firm" - as the Royal Family is known - protecting its reputation.

Margrete, who is undoubtedly still grieving the death of Olaf, must determine who is right and who is wrong. For her, the stakes are higher than just reputation - the Kalmar Union of the Nordic states depends on it. There is also plenty of intrigue within the court itself, with various powerful figures - including the Queen's religious confidante Peder Jensen Loderhat (Søren Malling) - jostling to retain, or gain, position.

This film, which has few - if any - real flaws, works on many levels. It celebrates powerful women in history, who are very rarely recognised for their contribution to society and community. As a psychological thriller, it has a serious, and weighty, plotline highlighting the political intrigue that continues, to this day, in Royal courts and parliaments around the world. It does keep you on the edge of your seat, as each plot twist is revealed - particularly the details of how Olaf died.

Last, but not least, it is Nordic noir, but not as you know it. Danish film and television director Charlotte Sieling build her reputation for that moody and atmospheric genre, with television success in The Bridge and Borgen.

That goes to show, Noir need not be contemporary; traditional and historical subjects lend themselves to this style equally well.

Director: Charlotte Sieling

Starring: Trine Dyrholm, Søren Malling, Morten Hee Anderson

Year released: 2021

My rating: 8/10

Review by Andrew Miller

Last edited: 28/05/2023