The Northman - Featured Film of Interest

Like so many, I'm intrigued by Robert Eggers' young career and curiously anxious to see what comes next.  I'm not even sure how much I like his films, or if I'm just utterly fascinated by them (I mean this as a compliment).  He is highly original, skilled, and visionary as a filmmaker, unusually restrained 

and refined for early career, and utterly confident in fulfilling his independent aspirations for each film. The Lighthouse is an exceptional piece of work, and unapologetically arthouse in form and function. His films push art cinema onto the mainstream screens.  I'm not quite sure how he has gotten away with it, but I'm glad he has.  Up to this point, with a little help from A24, he has been very good for independent cinema at large.  

The Northman is no doubt a step toward larger budgets, hence higher commercial expectations from all the wrong people, and no more sweet indie home with A24 (this one is Focus Features Films). 

This makes the film particularly interesting and relevant in the context of his filmography.  So far it has garnered mixed and extreme responses from critics and audiences alike, which just adds to the mystique and lure for me.  

Below the trailer is a link to an engaging and smart critical review with a perspective that I appreciate. I have seen The Northman but am intentionally withholding my response until a second screening - well, because I honestly don't know what I think yet, other than visually spectacular.

Link:  Variety - Is ‘The Northman’ a Failed Art Film, or Is It Robert Eggers’ Stolidly Successful Blockbuster Audition?