The 13th Warrior (1999)
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An exiled court poet is forced to join a band of Norse warriors to face an ancient evil in the far north.
The story
Ahmed ibn Fadlan, a court poet of the Abbasid Caliph of Baghdad, is exiled and sent to the Volga Bulgars. While traveling with a friend, his caravan is saved by Norsemen. He takes refuge among them and learns of a looming threat in the far north: an ancient evil so terrifying that few dare name it. A prophecy states that only a group of thirteen warriors, including one who is not a Norseman, can face this danger. Ahmed is recruited into this desperate mission, joining a band of warriors to travel toward the northern lands to confront the unknown threat.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
After being exiled from Baghdad, Ahmed ibn Fadlan joins a group of Norse warriors to hunt an ancient evil known as the 'Wendol'. These fiends are human cannibals who live and act like bears. As the group travels north, they face heavy losses, and the warriors eventually discover the Wendol's lair. They identify the 'Mother of the Wendol' and a warlord as the primary threats. During a desperate infiltration of the caves, the warriors defeat the Mother and the warlord. However, the leader Buliwyf is poisoned by the Mother's claws. Ahmed and the remaining survivors escape the caves while the others stay behind for a final stand. Buliwyf inspires the survivors with a prayer before succumbing to the poison. Ahmed eventually returns to his homeland, having survived the ordeal and gained respect from the Norsemen.
- Original title
- Eaters of the Dead
- First release year
- 1999
- Runtime (minutes)
- 103
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- John McTiernan
- Writers
- William Wisher Jr. · screenplay; Warren Lewis · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Antonio Banderas · Ahmad ibn Fadlan; Diane Venora; Omar Sharif
- Genres
- historical fiction; action; fantasy; adventure
- Themes
- cultural clash; sacrifice; survival
- Tone and mood
- atmospheric; epic
- Premise and plot tags
- historical fiction; action; fantasy; adventure
- Source material / true-story basis
- Michael Crichton's 1976 novel Eaters of the Dead
- Reception
- The film was a box-office failure but has since gained a cult following and is noted for featuring a Muslim hero in a Hollywood blockbuster.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 33% · scale: percentage · review count: 88
- Production trivia
- The film was originally titled Eaters of the Dead.; Michael Crichton took over as director due to poor test audience reception.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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