The people who made this film chose to not make it about the music. They also chose not to make about the crime. What we see instead is a noncommittal observation of the very violent results during the creation of 'true Norwegian Black Metal'. This is an interesting documentary but the producers are way too reverential toward their subjects. They seem to assume all watching know who these people are. An, I think, unintended result of watching this documentary is you wonder what the government of Norway is all about if someone can commit cold blooded murder, vacation in a place that looks like a budget hotel for some years and then be released back into society. The subjects of this doc present that Norway is some sort of fascist, totalitarian government they are obligated to stand up against. The actions of Noway tell a different story.
The convicted murderer, Varg Vikernes, shows no remorse, whatsoever. He sticks to his flimsy story that an unarmed Øystein Aarseth, guitarist for the band Mayhem, kept attacking him while Vikernes stabbed him 25 times, 16 of which were in Aarseth's back ending with a Coup de Gras to the head. Somehow the producers of the documentary didn't think it was important to describe those details and that Vikernes was totally unscathed by his attack on Aarseth and that almost all Aarseth's wounds were defensive or in the back. The producers put this story way at the end of the doc and treat it as if it's just another crazy thing that happened because of BM. Nothing to see here, folks, move along. Regarding BM itself, you have to doubt the validity of any supposed art form that destroys other art like all the beautiful antique churches that were burned to the ground in Norway.
Norway comes across as an absentee father where premeditated murder can only get you the maximum of 21 years in a jail/resort (where Vikernes produced two albums) and the various other felony crimes committed by BM followers are treated with a slap on the wrist. Vikernes was released after 15 years, btw. The Black Metal Heads interviewed all come off as spoiled children who display no remorse for any of the damage caused by the fanatical devotion to their 'evil' image. If Norway had better laws they wouldn't be so smug about the incredible amount of damage done by Black Metal followers.
An interesting documentary made weak by it's having no point of view.
The convicted murderer, Varg Vikernes, shows no remorse, whatsoever. He sticks to his flimsy story that an unarmed Øystein Aarseth, guitarist for the band Mayhem, kept attacking him while Vikernes stabbed him 25 times, 16 of which were in Aarseth's back ending with a Coup de Gras to the head. Somehow the producers of the documentary didn't think it was important to describe those details and that Vikernes was totally unscathed by his attack on Aarseth and that almost all Aarseth's wounds were defensive or in the back. The producers put this story way at the end of the doc and treat it as if it's just another crazy thing that happened because of BM. Nothing to see here, folks, move along. Regarding BM itself, you have to doubt the validity of any supposed art form that destroys other art like all the beautiful antique churches that were burned to the ground in Norway.
Norway comes across as an absentee father where premeditated murder can only get you the maximum of 21 years in a jail/resort (where Vikernes produced two albums) and the various other felony crimes committed by BM followers are treated with a slap on the wrist. Vikernes was released after 15 years, btw. The Black Metal Heads interviewed all come off as spoiled children who display no remorse for any of the damage caused by the fanatical devotion to their 'evil' image. If Norway had better laws they wouldn't be so smug about the incredible amount of damage done by Black Metal followers.
An interesting documentary made weak by it's having no point of view.