Independent Films, Film Profiles

The 13th Warrior

The 13th Warrior is a 1999 action film based on the novel Eaters of the Dead by Michael Crichton, author of Jurassic Park. It is directed by John McTiernan, director of Die Hard, and an uncredited Crichton, and starring Antonio Banderas as Ahmad ibn Fadlan and Vladimir Kulich as Buliwyf. The 13th Warrior was a disappointment at the box office, earning only US$61,698,899 worldwide.The novel upon which the film is based and loosely inspired by Richard Frye's translation of ibn Fadlan's non-fictional account of his travels up the river Volga in the tenth century and the Old English heroic epic poem, Beowulf.The plot centers on Banderas' character, Ahmad ibn Fadlan, who angers an influential noble in Baghdad and is commanded by the Caliph to serve as "ambassador to the North"—i.e., is expelled from the city—as a result. Traveling with Melchisidek (Omar Sharif), an old friend of his father, he meets a shipload of Viking raiders whose king has just died.The language barrier is awkward, as Ahmed speaks only Arabic and most of the Vikings speak only Norse. Melchisidek and Herger, the Vikings' skald, both speak limited Latin and communication is established. After Buliwyf becomes the new leader, a bewildered youth enters the camp and requests aid for his distant village, threatened by an old and supernatural force. Through the commands of an oracle, it is decided that exactly thirteen men must go to face this danger, and that the thirteenth must not be a Norseman; thus Ahmed is recruited.Ahmed learns Norse quickly by sitting amongst the group and listening intently to their conversation, eventually beginning to understand what they are saying. He feels he has to prove himself to the uniformly huge Vikings, who mock him for his physical weakness and his small Arabian horse, but his fast learning of their language, ingenuity, and horsemanship eventually earn their respect and friendship.The foe, known as the Wendol, have the appearance of both man and bear, although no bodies are left behind after their first nocturnal clash. In fact they do resemble pre-homo sapiens affecting the appearance of bears to confuse and instill fear into their enemies.Losing members of their small force with each battle, and finding the settlement indefensible, Buliwyf opts to track the Wendol to their lair and attack them. Buliwyf and the remaining warriors track the Wendol, and uncover that they are cannibals; a chamber in the Wendol lair is full of human bones that have been gnawed upon. Buliwyf kills the Mother of the Wendol, but is poisoned by her.Upon discovering that the warriors have entered the lair, the Wendol force them to submerge into a pool which leads out to the cliffs by the sea. The last remaining warriors return to the village and prepare for a final battle. The Wendol appear and both engage in an epic battle. Buliwyf kills the leader of the Wendol and they retreat, defeated.Order is restored to the village, but only after Buliwyf dies from the poison. Ahmad ibn Fadlan returns to his homeland, thankful to the Norse for helping him to "become a man, and a useful servant of God".