''Arn – The Kingdom at Road's End'' ( sv, Arn – Riket vid vägens slut) is an

epic film Epic films are a style of filmmaking with large-scale, sweeping scope, and spectacle. The usage of the term has shifted over time, sometimes designating a film genre and at other times simply synonymous with big-budget filmmaking. Like epics in ...

based on

Jan Guillou Jan Oskar Sverre Lucien Henri Guillou (, ; born 17 January 1944) is a French-Swedish author and journalist. Guillou's fame in Sweden was established during his time as an investigative journalist, most notably in 1973 when he and co-reporter Pe ...

trilogy A trilogy is a set of three works of art that are connected and can be seen either as a single work or as three individual works. They are commonly found in literature, film, and video games, and are less common in other art forms. Three-part wor ...

about the fictional

Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...

Knights Templar , colors = White mantle with a red cross , colors_label = Attire , march = , mascot = Two knights riding a single horse , equipment ...

Arn Magnusson The ''Crusades'' Trilogy is a series of historical novels written by Swedish author and journalist Jan Guillou about the Consolidation of Sweden and the Crusades. The main character of the trilogy is Arn Magnusson, a fictional Knight Templar in ...

. It was released to cinemas in Sweden on 22 August 2008 and is the sequel to the 2007 film ''

Arn – The Knight Templar ''Arn: The Knight Templar'' ( sv, Arn: Tempelriddaren) is an epic film based on Jan Guillou's trilogy about the fictional Swedish Knight Templar Arn Magnusson. The film was released to cinemas in Sweden on 17 December 2007 and the sequel, '' Ar ...

'', but both films were combined into a single cut for the English release on DVD in 2010. Filmed in

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the ...

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...

Damascus, Syria )), is an adjective which means "spacious". , motto = , image_flag = Flag of Damascus.svg , image_seal = Emblem of Damascus.svg , seal_type = Seal , map_caption = , ...

and

Morocco Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to ...

Plot

The plot of the film loosely follows the book of the same name – the third volume of the ''Crusades'' trilogy, spanning the period of about 1187 to 1210. Arn is the commander of a

Templar , colors = White mantle with a red cross , colors_label = Attire , march = , mascot = Two knights riding a single horse , equipment ...

garrison in Gaza. He is commanded to join a Templar force intercepting the army of

Saladin Yusuf ibn Ayyub ibn Shadi () ( – 4 March 1193), commonly known by the epithet Saladin,, ; ku, سه‌لاحه‌دین, ; was the founder of the Ayyubid dynasty. Hailing from an ethnic Kurdish family, he was the first of both Egypt and ...

. Due to the arrogance of the new Templar Grandmaster

Gerard de Ridefort Gérard de Ridefort, also called Gerard de Ridefort (died 4 October 1189), was Grand Master of the Knights Templar from the end of 1184 and until his death in 1189. Early life Gerard de Ridefort is thought probably to have been of Flemish origi ...

, the Crusaders are destroyed in the ensuing Battle of Hattin. Arn is wounded but Saladin recognizes him and saves Arn from execution. Arn wakes in

Damascus )), is an adjective which means "spacious". , motto = , image_flag = Flag of Damascus.svg , image_seal = Emblem of Damascus.svg , seal_type = Seal , map_caption = , ...

, his wounds treated; Saladin sends him home with his friendship as he prepares to take Jerusalem. Cecilia is finally allowed to leave the monastery where she has done penance for twenty years, meeting her son

Magnus Magnus, meaning "Great" in Latin, was used as cognomen of Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus in the first century BC. The best-known use of the name during the Roman Empire is for the fourth-century Western Roman Emperor Magnus Maximus. The name gained wid ...

for the first time. She soon hears of the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Templars and believing Arn dead decides to become a nun for the rest of her life, being offered the post of Abbess by the

Folkung In modern Swedish, Folkung has two meanings, which appear to be opposites: # The medieval "House of Bjelbo" in Sweden, which produced several Swedish statesmen and kings. # A group of people (singular ''Folkunge'', plural ''Folkungar''), who wer ...

clan. Arn meets her as she is just about to enter the convent, and they marry at last, building an estate, Forsvik, where Arn has gathered craftsmen from all over Europe and the Holy Land. Arn is introduced to his son Magnus, born in his absence; after a little time a daughter named Alde is born, and Forsvik grows rapidly. Arn takes young men and boys to become knights-in-training. Six years later King

Canute I of Sweden Canute I ( Swedish: ''Knut Eriksson'', Old Norse: ''Knútr Eiríksson''; born before 1150 – died 1195/96) was king of Sweden from 1173 to 1195 (rival king since 1167). He was a son of King Eric the Saint and Queen Christina, who was a granddaug ...

dies, leaving children as heirs. King Sverker II retakes the crown with

Danish Danish may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark People * A national or citizen of Denmark, also called a "Dane," see Demographics of Denmark * Culture of Denmark * Danish people or Danes, people with a Danish a ...

help and attempts to murder the sons of Canute, prevented by the intercession of a Folkung who has tricked Sverker into thinking he was a double agent. Forced to go to war once again, the first of what is to be a nearly 600-year-long conflict between Sweden and Denmark, Arn leads the Folkung against the Sverker-Danish force at the

Battle of Lena The Battle of Lena occurred on 31 January 1208, and probably took place near Kungslena, which is located in the Tidaholm Municipality in Västergötland, Sweden. It was an important battle between the Danish-backed King Sverker II of Sweden and ...

, aided by Arabic craftsmen and the

Norwegian Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to: *Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe * Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway * Demographics of Norway *The Norwegian language, including ...

Templar, Harald Øysteinsson. Arn destroys the Danish cavalry tricking them to charge into a rain of arrows. Arn charges forward on horseback to attack King Sverker, and is intercepted by Ebbe Sunesson, the leader of the Danes; in the ensuing duel Arn kills him, taking a fatal wound in the exchange. The Folkung emerge victorious, but Arn dies of his wound upon his return to Forsvik. The film concludes with an epilogue foreshadowing the completion of the

consolidation of Sweden The consolidation of Sweden involved an extensive process during which the loosely organized social system consolidated under the power of the king. The actual age of the Swedish kingdom is unknown.Hadenius, S; Nilsson, T and Åselius, G. (1996:1 ...

into a unified kingdom a generation later through

Birger Jarl Birger Jarl, also known as ''Birger Magnusson'' (21 October 1266), was a Swedish statesman, ''jarl'', and a member of the House of Bjelbo, who played a pivotal role in the consolidation of Sweden. Birger also led the Second Swedish Crusade, w ...

, identified as Arn's grandson.

Cast

Joakim Nätterqvist Dag Joakim Tedson Nätterqvist (; born 24 October 1974) is a Swedish actor, theatre director, musical artist, singer, and acting coach. Background Nätterqvist was born in Gamla Uppsala. He is the son of competitive equestrians Ted and Pia L ...

Sofia Helin Sofia Margareta Götschenhjelm-Helin (born 25 April 1972) is a Swedish actress. She was nominated for a Guldbagge Award for her role in ''Dalecarlians'', and stars as Saga Norén in the Danish/Swedish co-produced TV series '' The Bridge'' (Danish ...

as Cecilia Algotsdotter * Anders Baasmo Christiansen as Harald Øysteinsson, a Norwegian Templar and Arn's trusted friend *

Morgan Alling Sven Robert Morgan Alling (born ''Persson''; 8 June 1968) is a Swedish actor, screenwriter and film and theatre director. Alling finished Malmö Theatre Academy 1990. He rose to fame in 1993 as co-host of children's television show ''Tippen'' ...

as Eskil Magnusson, brother of Arn *

Stellan Skarsgård Stellan Skarsgård (, ; born 13 June 1951) is a Swedish actor. He is known for his collaborations with director Lars von Trier appearing in ''Breaking the Waves'' (1996), ''Dancer in the Dark'' (2000), '' Dogville'' (2007), ''Melancholia'' (201 ...

Birger Brosa Birger Brosa Old Norse: ''Birgir Brósa'' (died 9 January 1202) was jarl of Sweden from 1174 to 1202. Biography He was a son of Bengt Snivil and a member of the powerful House of Bjälbo. In the medieval texts he is either called the '' jarl o ...

, uncle of Arn *

Joel Kinnaman Charles Joel Nordström Kinnaman (; born 25 November 1979) is a Swedish-American actor and model who first gained recognition for his roles in the Swedish film '' Easy Money'' and the ''Johan Falk'' crime series. Kinnaman is known international ...

as king

Sverker Karlsson ''Sverker'' is a studio album by Neo-Medieval group Corvus Corax. Track listing # "Intro Gjallarhorni" - 0:58 # "Gjallarhorni" - 2:59 # "Sverker" - 4:31 # "Fiach Dubh" - 6:38 # "Trinkt vom Met" - 0:35 # "The drinking loving dancers" - 5:19 # ...

Gustaf Skarsgård Gustaf Caspar Orm Skarsgård (born 12 November 1980) is a Swedish actor. He is known for his roles in ''Evil'' (2003), '' The Way Back'' (2010) and ''Kon-Tiki'' (2012). He also appeared in the HBO TV series ''Westworld'' (2018), as Merlin in t ...

as king Knut Eriksson, Arn's best friend *

Bill Skarsgård Bill Istvan Günther Skarsgård (; born 9 August 1990) is a Swedish actor, producer, director, writer, voice actor, and model. He is best known for portraying Pennywise the Dancing Clown in the supernatural horror films '' It'' (2017) and '' It ...

Erik Knutsson Eric "X" (Swedish: ''Erik Knutsson''; Old Norse: ''Eiríkr Knútsson''; – 10 April 1216) was the King of Sweden between 1208 and 1216. Also known as ''Eric the Survivor'' (Swedish: "Erik som överlevde"), he was, at his accession to the thro ...

, son of Knut *

Milind Soman Milind Soman (born 4 November 1965) is an Indian actor, supermodel, film producer, and fitness enthusiast. He was a contestant on '' Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi 3''. Early and personal life Soman was born on 4 November 1965 in Glasgow, ...

* Nicholas Boulton as

, Grandmaster of Templars * Nijas Ørnbak-Fjeldmose as Sune Folkesson *

Martin Wallström Carl Martin Gunnar Wallström Milkéwitz (born 7 July 1983) is a Swedish television and film actor. A successful actor in his home country, he is best known internationally for his 2015 American debut role as Tyrell Wellick in the USA Network cy ...

as Magnus Månsköld, son of Arn *

Jakob Cedergren Jakob Cedergren (born 10 January 1973) is a Swedish-born Danish actor. He has appeared in more than 40 films and television shows since 1998. He starred in the film '' Dark Horse'', which was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2005 ...

as Ebbe Sunesson *

Driss Roukhe Driss Roukhe (born July 5, 1968) is a Moroccan actor and director. Early life Roukhe was born in Dyour Jdad B’ni M’Hamed, a poor neighborhood of Meknes, and lost his father when he was 7. He practiced theater in high-school and with various ...

as Fakhr *

Fanny Risberg Fanny may refer to: Given name * Fanny (name), a feminine given name or a nickname, often for Frances In slang * A term for the vulva, in Britain and many other parts of the English-speaking world * A term for the buttocks, in the United States ...

as Queen

Cecilia Blanka The ''Crusades'' Trilogy is a series of historical novels written by Swedish author and journalist Jan Guillou about the Consolidation of Sweden and the Crusades. The main character of the trilogy is Arn Magnusson, a fictional Knight Templar in ...

, wife of Knut * Zakaria Atifi as Ibrahim *

Valter Skarsgård Valter Skarsgård (; born 25 October 1995) is a Swedish actor. Personal life Skarsgård is the youngest son of actor Stellan Skarsgård and My Skarsgård, a physician. He has seven siblings, five of whom are from his father's first marriage: Al ...

as Jon Knutsson * Azher Adil as Brosoa * Mohamed Tsouli as Village Elder *

Göran Ragnerstam Göran Axel Ragnerstam (born 7 November 1957 in Stockholm) is a Swedish actor. Ragnerstam grew up in Södermalm and later in Vällingby. His father was interested in theatre and acted out for his children. He encouraged Ragnerstam to move on t ...

as Bishop Erland * Callum Mitchell as Viking * Barnaby Kay as Riddare

Language

In addition to

as the film's primary language, several other languages were used in the dialogue to heighten the cultural differences:

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

, and

Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic languages, Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C ...

. English was used to represent

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

and French speakers. The part of the dialogue that is not in

was subtitled in Swedish.

Music

Music composed by

Tuomas Kantelinen Tuomas Kantelinen (born 22 September 1969 in Kankaanpää) is a Finnish composer. He studied composition at the Sibelius Academy with Eero Hämeenniemi. He is best known for his scores for films such as ''Rukajärven tie'', '' Äideistä parhain'', ...

. Closing song by

Marie Fredriksson Gun-Marie Fredriksson (; 30 May 1958 – 9 December 2019) was a Swedish singer, songwriter, pianist and painter, who was best known internationally as the lead vocalist of pop rock duo Roxette, which she formed in 1986 with Per Gessle. The duo ...

, the lead singer for

Roxette Roxette was a Swedish pop rock duo, consisting of Marie Fredriksson (vocals and keyboards) and Per Gessle (vocals and guitar). Formed in 1986, the duo became an international act in the late 1980s, when they released their breakthrough second a ...

Reception

Paul B. Sturtevant considers the story of Arn as an epic, but in his opinion the film narrative of Arn only turns into an epic during and after the second movie ''Arn - The Kingdom at Road's End'', when Arn returns to Sweden bringing multicultural craftsmen and doctors to build a new home. After the victory against the Sverker Army and Danish soldiers, his legacy is ensured and revealed in the closing title of the movie: ''"Arn Magnusson's victory secured the peace for many years. Thanks to him, the country was soon united as the Kingdom of Sweden."'' The important matter for Sturtevant and the core of the movie, is the epic and myth of the national foundation of Sweden itself. He sees similarities between the myth and the contemporary Swedish self-image of a society built upon multicultural cooperation. Sturtevant also adds that contemporary Sweden takes pride in neutrality and pacifism which is reflected in Arns's last battle speech: ''"Listen to me! Have no doubt. Believe! Believe in our victory. We chose this place. Not the Danes, and not the Sverkers. We chose this time, not the Danes and not the Sverkers. Believe. God stands by those who are strong in faith. That is why we shall win and peace shall reign."'' Through this statement, the fictional character Arn is paving the way for his grandson

, who was a real-life statesman in thirteenth-century Sweden. Sturtevant sees Arn's final act in ''The Kingdom at Road's End'' as the beginning of forging the Swedish nation and identity.

Award

The second Arn movie won the viewer's award at the

44th Guldbagge Awards The 44th Guldbagge Awards ceremony, presented by the Swedish Film Institute, honored the best Swedish films of 2008, and took place on 12 January 2009. ''Everlasting Moments'' directed by Jan Troell was presented with the award for Best Film. Wi ...

References

Sources

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Arn - The Kingdom At Road's End 2008 films 2000s action drama films 2000s historical romance films 2000s war drama films Films based on Swedish novels Films directed by Peter Flinth Films set in the 12th century Films set in the 13th century Films set in Damascus Films set in Sweden Swedish sequel films Crusades films Knights Templar in popular culture Films shot in Glasgow Films shot in Morocco Films shot in Fife Films shot in Edinburgh Films shot in Sweden Swedish action films Swedish epic films Historical action films Films scored by Tuomas Kantelinen War epic films 2008 drama films 2000s Swedish films