The Legend of Sigurd and Gudrún: Pre- and Reviews

[Lalaith]

Ok, I've just read the Telegraph review. How embarrassing. ...."based on the Norse saga, the Elder Edda". About as well-informed as saying "based on the epic poem, Oliver Twist."

Anyway, back to the much more interesting Shippey review.

Why should Gudrún wish to protect the brothers who murdered her husband? Is that just because kinship is stronger than love?

This is a very interesting point and, IMO, the answer is yes. The vengeful sister is a recurring theme in early North Europe, and brother/sister links in royal families were very strong - look at the Picts, and at Arthur's ties to his sister's sons, Gawain and co....

And this:

Once they have been captured, why does Gunnar refuse to speak until he has seen his brother Högni’s heart

Shippey answers this himself.

a touchstone for the true heroic temper: proud, mean, contemptuous, ending in silence.

This is spot on, and Tolkien got it....Jackson didn't, with all his silly angsty stuff around Aragorn in the films. In heroic epic, less is more, emotions-wise. It was THE huge flaw of the films.