The 13th Warrior

The 13th Warrior is a 1999 American historical fiction action film based on Michael Crichton's 1976 novel Eaters of the Dead, which is a loose adaptation of the tale of Beowulf combined with Ahmad ibn Fadlan's historical account of the Volga Vikings.

The 13th Warrior
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	John McTiernan
Screenplay by	William Wisher Jr. Warren Lewis
Based on	Eaters of the Dead by Michael Crichton
Produced by	John McTiernan Michael Crichton Ned Dowd
Starring	Antonio Banderas Diane Venora Omar Sharif
Cinematography	Peter Menzies Jr.
Edited by	John Wright
Music by	Jerry Goldsmith
Production company	Touchstone Pictures
Distributed by	Buena Vista Pictures Distribution
Release date	August 27, 1999 (1999-08-27)
Running time	103 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$85–160 million
Box office	$61.7 million

It stars Antonio Banderas as Ahmad ibn Fadlan, as well as Diane Venora and Omar Sharif. It was directed by John McTiernan; Crichton directed some uncredited reshoots. The film was produced by McTiernan, Crichton, and Ned Dowd, with Andrew G. Vajna, James Biggam and Ethan Dubrow as executive producers.

Production and marketing costs reportedly ranged from $100–$160 million, but it grossed $61 million at the box office worldwide, becoming the biggest box office bomb of 1999, with losses of up to $129 million. Despite its critical and box office failure, the film has since cultivated a devoted cult following, and is credited with pioneering a Muslim hero in Hollywood blockbusters.

Plot

Ahmad ibn Fadlan is a court poet of the Abbasid Caliph Al-Muqtadir of Baghdad until his amorous encounter with the wife of an influential noble gets him exiled as an "ambassador" to the Volga Bulgars. Traveling with his father's old friend, Melchisidek, his caravan is saved from Tatar raiders by the appearance of Norsemen. He takes refuge at their settlement on the Volga River, and communications are established through Melchisidek and Herger, one of the Norsemen, who happens to speak Latin. From Herger, both learn that the celebration being held by the Norsemen is in fact the precursor to a funeral for their recently-deceased king. Herger also introduces them to one of the king's sons, Buliwyf. Ahmad and Melchisidek witness a fight in which Buliwyf kills his brother in self-defense, which establishes Buliwyf as heir apparent. That is followed by the funeral of the dead king, who is traditionally cremated on a Viking ship, set adrift with a female slave who offers to sacrifice herself and accompany him to Valhalla, the Norse afterlife (or "heaven").

The next day, the young Prince Wulfgar enters the camp to request Buliwyf's aid; his father, King Hrothgar, has asked for assistance, as his lands in the far north are under attack from an ancient evil so frightening that even the bravest warriors dare not name it. The "angel of death", a völva (wisewoman), says that the mission will be successful but only if thirteen warriors face this danger, and the thirteenth must not be a Norseman. Ahmad is automatically and unwillingly recruited.

Ahmad is initially treated indifferently by the Norsemen, but they mock his smaller Arabian horse. However, he earns a measure of respect by quickly learning their language as he starts mentally translating it into Arabic, demonstration of horsemanship, and his ability to write. Buliwyf, already himself a polyglot, asks Ahmad to teach him the Arabic script, which cements their mutual goodwill. Buliwyf sees Ahmad's analytic ways as an asset to their quest.

Reaching Hrothgar's kingdom, they confirm that their foe is indeed the ancient "Wendol", fiends who come with the mist to kill and take human heads. While the group searches through a raided cabin, they find a Venus figurine, which is said to represent the "Mother of the Wendol". On the first night, the warriors Hyglak and Ragnar die. After a string of clashes, Buliwyf's band determine that the Wendol are human cannibals, who are clad to appear like bears, live like bears, and think of themselves as bears.

The warriors' numbers dwindling, having also lost Skeld, Halga, Roneth, and Rethel, and their positions all but indefensible, they consult another völva of the village. She tells them to track the Wendol to their lair and destroy their leaders, specifically the "Mother of the Wendol", and their warlord, who wears "the horns of power". Buliwyf and the remaining warriors infiltrate the Wendol caves and kill the Mother but not before Buliwyf is scratched deeply across the shoulder by a claw attached to her hand, dipped in poison.

Ahmad and the last of the Norse warriors escape the caves but without the injured Helfdane, who opts to stay behind and fight. They return to the village to prepare for a last stand. Buliwyf staggers outside before the battle and inspires the warriors with a Viking prayer for the honored dead who will enter Valhalla. Buliwyf succeeds in killing the Wendol warlord, defeats them, and succumbs to the poison.

Ahmad witnesses Buliwyf's royal funeral alongside the four surviving members of the 13 (Herger, Weath, Edgtho, and Haltaf) 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 as Ahmad ibn Fadlan
• Diane Venora as Queen Weilew
• Vladimir Kulich as Buliwyf, The Leader
• Dennis Storhøi as Herger, The Joyous
• Omar Sharif as Melchisidek
• Anders T. Andersen as Wigliff, King's Son
• Richard Bremmer as Skeld, The Superstitious
• Tony Curran as Weath, The Musician
• Mischa Hausserman as Rethel, The Archer
• Neil Maffin as Roneth, The Rider
• Asbjorn Riis as Halga, The Wise
• Clive Russell as Helfdane, The Fat
• Daniel Southern as Edgtho, The Silent
• Oliver Sveinall as Haltaf, The Boy
• Sven Wollter as King Hrothgar
• Albie Woodington as Hyglak, The Quarrelsome
• John DeSantis as Ragnar, The Dour
• Eric Avari as Caravan Leader
• Maria Bonnevie as Olga
• Susan Willis as Wendol Mother
• Yolande Bavan as Wendol Mother Companion

Production

Originally titled Eaters of the Dead, production began in the summer of 1997, but the film went through several re-edits after test audiences had not reacted well to the initial cut. Crichton took over as director himself because of the poor test audience reception, causing the release date to be pushed back over a year. The film was recut, and a new ending along with a new score was added. Graeme Revell was replaced by Jerry Goldsmith as composer. The title was changed to The 13th Warrior.

The budget, which was originally around $85 million, reportedly soared to $100 million before principal photography concluded. With all of the re-shoots and promotional expenses, the total cost of the film was rumored to be as high as $160 million, which, given its lackluster box office take (earning US$61.7 million worldwide), made for a loss of $70–130 million.

Reception

The film debuted at No. 2 on its opening weekend behind The Sixth Sense.

The 13th Warrior holds a 33% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 88 reviews. The consensus is: "Atmospheric, great sets and costumes, but thin plot."

Roger Ebert 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 Berardinelli gave The 13th Warrior three stars out of four, calling it "a solid offering" that "delivers an exhilarating 100 minutes". Lisa Schwarzbaum of Entertainment Weekly rated it A− and called it "the most unexpectedly audacious, exhilarating, and wildly creative adventure thriller I have seen in ages".

The outcome of the film's production disappointed Omar Sharif so much that he temporarily retired from film acting, not taking a role in another major film until 2003's Monsieur Ibrahim:

"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."

Soundtrack

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic
Filmtracks

The original soundtrack was composed by Graeme Revell and featured the Dead Can Dance singer Lisa Gerrard. The score was rejected by Michael Crichton and was replaced by one composed by Crichton's usual collaborator, Jerry Goldsmith.

See also

• List of historical drama films
• List of box office bombs

External links

• The 13th Warrior at IMDb
• ‹The template AllMovie title is being considered for deletion.› The 13th Warrior at AllMovie
• The 13th Warrior at Box Office Mojo
• The 13th Warrior at Rotten Tomatoes
• Interview