Directed by Gabriel Axel, this stark, beautifully shot Danish-Swedish-Icelandic historical drama is a cinematic adaptation of the medieval Scandinavian legend of Hagbard and Signe (from Saxo Grammaticus' Gesta Danorum). Set in the violent, honor-bound Viking era, the film depicts a deep blood feud between two royal families. When the warrior Hagbard kills King Sigvor's sons in battle, a temporary truce is called. During this peace, Hagbard meets the king's daughter, Signe, and the two fall into an intense, forbidden romance. Knowing her family will never permit their union, they swear a suicide pact of eternal fidelity, leading to a tragic, violent clash against tribal laws.