Daniel Yates who lives in Montreal has this to say about "The Viking" (from IMDb):
As the first Canadian sound film, "The Viking", is one of the most important films in the history of Canadian Cinema. That's kind of ironic considering that it was shot in Newfoundland (then owned by Britain) with an American cast and an American crew. Sure the producer, writer, and co-director Varick Frissell spent a lot of time in Canada, but he was still an American. So why does this film feel so Canadian? Well it's badly acted, thinly plotted, yet beautifully photographed. What could be more Canadian than that? Ok, ok not all Canadian films are that bad, but "The Viking" is. That's not Frissell's fault, he fought to keep out the love/jealousy story that ruins the film. But all joking aside, I think the reason "The Viking" feels so Canadian (even to us Canadians) is unfortunately because it has all the stereotypes of our country that American audiences expect: cold, barren landscapes, lots of snow, and rugged, but jovial people.
"The Viking" is kind of a testament the hold America has over us. Even though we know that Canada is not like that all year round, we buy into the fact when we see it on the screen. Although Newfoundland winters are exactly as shown in the movie, (American) audiences will not understand that it is only in the winter time when things look like this. The film can't be faulted entirely though. Like I mentioned before, it is stunningly photographed, and without the current story, and with more emphasis on the seal hunting (the way Frissell intended), it could have been a very good film. One that I would have been glad to call Canadian no matter where it came from.
additional note from Leslie
Apparently you can buy "The Viking" as a DVD packaged with a 2002 documentary named "White Thunder." From the National Film Board of Canada website:
On March 9, 1931, the SS Viking left the port of St. John's, Newfoundland, and sailed into motion picture history.
On board - New York filmmaker Varick Frissell and an unusual crew of seamen and Hollywood movie people. Their mission - to shoot the final scenes for an epic film on the lives of Newfoundland sealers.
On March 15 an accidental onboard explosion killed Frissell and 26 other men.
White Thunder, directed by St. John's filmmaker Victoria King, is a gripping account of that tragic adventure and an elegant tribute to an early film pioneer.
Interestingly, there is no synopsis or description of "White Thunder" at IMDb, and no mention of Frissell's death at "The Viking" entry. Where is oilgun, our resident Canadian expert. Do you know anything about either of these movies? --Leslie
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