Viktoria: A moody trip back to old-fashioned longing

Should you watch this?

If you like your movies feeling like they were pulled from a dusty library shelf, go for it. If you need a fast pace or anything resembling a modern sensibility, skip it. You will probably find this incredibly boring if you aren't already into the whole 'doomed romance' aesthetic. It’s for the folks who want to sit with a cup of tea and watch people make terrible decisions in fancy clothes.

The whole thing feels like a heavy blanket. Viktoria isn't trying to be subtle about its themes. It’s a Knut Hamsun adaptation, so you know everyone is going to be miserable in the most poetic way possible.

There is this one scene where they’re talking about the future, and the lighting is just… off. It makes the whole room look like a watercolor painting left out in the rain. I kept staring at the background furniture instead of the dialogue. Maybe that was the point? Or maybe the budget just ran out.

It definitely reminds me of the pacing in The White Heather, where the silence does more heavy lifting than the actors. You’re meant to feel the weight of their social standing, but mostly I just felt the weight of the runtime.

Bits and pieces

• The costumes are incredibly stiff. Like, nobody looks comfortable sitting down.
• I’m still not sure why he keeps rejecting her. It’s stubbornness disguised as integrity, I guess.
• The side characters are mostly just there to look concerned.
• There is a distinct lack of humor. I mean, I know it's a tragedy, but even tragedies need a little air to breathe.

The middle act just drags. It’s a lot of staring out of windows and walking through gardens. Sometimes, a character will stop mid-sentence just to look moody. It happens so often it almost becomes a tick. 🙄

Honestly, it’s a bit of a relic. It’s not quite as punchy as Christopher Strong, which managed to feel like a real story rather than a staged recitation. This one feels like it’s constantly apologizing for existing.

But hey, if you want to watch people be sad about money and poetry for two hours, you’ve found your match. It’s not a bad film. It’s just… exhausting in that specific, old-fashioned way. I wouldn't watch it again, but I don't regret the time spent. Maybe.