Year Released: 2023
Directed by: Edward Bazalgette
Starring: Alexander Dremon, Harry Gilby, Mark Rowley, Elaine Cassidy. Laurie Davidson
(111min.)
Genre: Action, Drama, Historical Fiction

“Destiny is all.“ –Uhtred of Bebbanburg

Wow!. This is a new Uhtred. Uthred the peacemaker with no woman by his side. His hair is graying, and he and his men now spend their time like old soldiers, recounting their battles and washing it down with plenty of ale.

When the wife of his loyal warrior Finan (Mark Rowley) recalls a visionary dream, telling him,

“Seven kings must die and you will lose the woman you love,” Uhtred is not concerned.

“I am no king, and I have no woman,” he declares.

Yeah, sure. He might have said, “I am no king, but many regard me as such. And I have already lost all the women I love.

But before he can think too much about the disturbing prophecy, the newly widowed queen of King Edward , Lady Eadgifu (Elaine Cassidy) enters his family estate, Bebbanburg Castle. You know, the one he spent 5 seasons of bloody chaos, betrayal, and revenge winning back.

It is time to return to battle to confront a new crisis – a dead king with 3 sons from 3 wives, 2 of them vying for kingship.

Edward’s third wife and now widow has misgivings. Shouldn’t Uhtred let younger warriors go to battle. And Eadgifu also adds a tactful hint about a change in Aethelstan, whom Uhtred has mentored until he left to join a monastery.

“You may not find him quite the same boy you remember. “

Perhaps the opportunist Irish warlord Anlaf (Pekka Strang) says it best:

“A King dies. Saxons turn on each other.”

So when Uhtred rides to rescue first-born Aethelstan (Harry Gilby) and ward off his half-brother also seeking the crown, things do not go well.

Perhaps he should have heeded the tactful warnings of his stepmother Eadgifu, because she is right on both counts.

Uhtred the peacemaker, the diplomat, is out of his depth here. Not only does Aethastan prove ruthless and deceitful, but while the befuddled Uhtred is still trying to bring him round, a group of rowdy – boys really – throw him to the ground and steal his sword, Serpents’ Breath. We are reminded of the Arthurian legend, of Excalibur and its powerful bond to kingship:

Uhtred's adventure in the land of the Saxons is a long and winding one, with some steadfast friends he picks up along the way. But the only companion with him the whole way is his sword, Serpent's Breath.

The series begins with Uhtred returning to Saxon land with a chunk of amber he asks a blacksmith to incorporate into a new sword. The amber was the only heirloom from his ancestral line and his brief childhood in Bebbanburg, seen in the brief scenes of young Uhtred early on. That sword is with him throughout his many battles, daring rescues, and thrilling escapes. In "Seven Kings Must Die," Uhtred loses Serpent's Breath during a battle. – Ryan Ariano

Some other disappointments follow. Uhtred takes them in stride, though, his battle hardened life keeping him low-keyed, even when he finds the now King Aethelstan in an intimate tryst with a “holy” man, Ingilmundr (Laurie Davison). He doesn’t mince his words, though.

“Aethelstan, hump who you wish, but do not fall under the influence of those who seek power.”

I will leave things here and let you watch the complex plot and all its mind blowing names and characters play out for you.

***

We see a few themes come through, even if little time is devoted to conversation, only the clipped kind that occurs in battle. One is the father son tie, though here ii is forged more with power than love.

Again Anlaf sums things up. “…all fathers fall, and all sons take their place.”

But Uhtred sees the other side of the coin, especially in Aethelstan’s rampant killing of those he now sees as threats to his kingship. Again Uhtred tries to counsel.

“You kill 100 fathers, you give 300 sons a reason to defy you.”

But both Uhtred and Aethelstan will have to descend to the depths before reason can prevail. Uhtred’s trvails bring him the ultimate wisdom.

No king will form England. This is what I see now. Not Edmund or Edward or Alfred. Not even Aethelstan. Alfred’s dream was of a united people. And with these men, from all parts, I fought for it. What if our destiny was not to form England, but to form the English as one force.

And this born-a Saxon-raised a Dane is the man to do it. Like Shakespeare’s Hal speaking to his outnumbered troops, or Mel Gibson’s Baveheart giving instilling courage to his ragged fighters, Uhtred talks to his men before a final battle that looks doomed.

I have no authority other than being a man who has fought in many battles. Some of you I have led before. Today I stand with you as a simple soldier. But I ask that, on the field, you once again let me guide you.

Will his hard fought wisdom and guidance prevail?

“Destiny is all,” is still true for Uhtred. But what is it?

Perhaps the film will tell you. Or perhaps, like the new Uhtred, he will depend on you and not him to decide.

A fine film that strives to live up to the excellence of the series, but it makes us yearn for more Uhtred instead of bidding him a final farewell.

–Kathy Borich
🥁🥁🥁🥁

Trailer

Fiom-Loving Foodie

As Seven Kings Must Die opens we see an older Uhtred, finally ensconced in his ancestral estate, Bebbanburg, sharing old tales and ales with his mates. The ale loosens their tongues and the tales may be getting a bit taller.

Our recipe is a variation of ale, a bit sweeter and a little more potent, appropriately called Gossip’s Cup. Enjoy