What is the film about?

"A group of 13 warriors sets off on the conquest to help people of a land which is being plagued by evil creatures - Eaters of the Dead. Among the warriors is a young Arab poet who has been sent off from his home country as an ambassador to a distant land as a punishment for his love for a nobleman's beautiful wife." After hearing this, most people take it easy and turn back to their business very quietly. But the point is, to say so is to say nothing, for in this case a plot summary does not help form any impression, and the fact that little of the film qualities can be described with words tells much about it. A deep and sophisticated artwork stands behind the genre phrases 'period film, period action'.

Generally , the film is about people, not the events. Moreover, this message (as well as all the other ideas it contains) is emphasised by its creators, to start with, by the title itself. I am sure you will agree that 'The 13th warrior' sounds quite different and has other implication than Eaters of the Dead (the title of the novel it is based on).

Its meaning is not confined to the time period where the action takes place because it deals with issues of everlasting importance. Those who have a strong aversion to the Middle Ages' history certainly won't be able to discover for themselves an amazing world of this film. To me, however, the choice of time and place seems most topical, since we are now realising, after the euphoria of scientific progress, the presence of the same relentless, mysterious force that ancient people, who depended on the forces of Nature, felt. The problem of fighting for the right to live arises again - the same problem that they faced. And, in contrast with the dejection of contemporary art, this film expresses an idea of the active way of living through) combination of two apparently incompatible concepts - that of fate and freedom.

As with any worthy work of art, there is much more to this film that has been realised on screen. It offers an opportunity for reflection, which can broaden or even change a person's view of the world. There is something in it, without which a film (and not only a film ) would be of little value, probably bright and showy, probably even popular, but only a short-lived thing. I mean its real value for a man who lives one life in this world. Not only strong impressions but also an opportunity, while following the characters or of turning off their road, to think about problems interesting and important - that is what the film like The 13th Warrior can give.

So what is the film about? Fear and fearlessness, strength and weakness, love and hate, and real heroism and many other concepts. It all depends on the viewer, who fully participates in creation instead of simply 'reading' a story made for him. What a person takes from a high-class artwork depends heavily on what they already had when they encountered it.

This is to what the film is about. For what it is like see other pages of the site.