I don't understand why Einar doesn't have Erik killed when the hawk tears out his eye near the beginning of the film. Surely not out of compassion. And at the end of the film, Einar again has an opportunity to kill Erik, the same man who has turned over his father to be executed and stolen the woman he desired. But Einar hesitates, and Erik kills him. I've always wondered about that.
shareMy favourite film of all time! Einar doesn't have Erik killed when the hawk has attacked him because he wants to hold the threat of it over Erik, probably thinking it is worse to have to wait to find out what the ultimate revenge will be rather than going ahead and killing him. Einar says something like "The sun will cross the sky a thousand times before he dies and he'll wish a thousand times he was dead" (quoting from memory so forgive any mistakes!).
Einar hesitates at the end because Morgana had shouted at him that Erik was his brother - I like to think that at the last moment he maybe sees something of himself or his father Ragnar in Erik and that's what makes him pause, allowing Erik to kill him. Perhaps he also knew that Morgana would never love him so what's the point?
Did he perhaps have an intuition that Erik was his brother?
Compare Einar's hesitations to the last gaze of Ragnar on Erik before he leaps into the wolf pit. It looks like the gaze of a proud father on his son, although Ragnar could have had no idea that Eric was his son. And remember Erik lost his arm for giving the sword to Ragnar.
In the last two shots of Erik as seen by Einar, there is a strong resemblence to Ragnar, beard and all. Einar finds his denial of Morgana's statement that they are brothers is weakened as he sees the image of his father before him.
shareAt this point, Erik was Egbert's slave. Einar couldn't kill Erik without going against his father, a treasonable offense. Einar hesitates at the end of the film because he finally realizes Morgana is telling the truth and that Erik is his brother. He can no more kill Erik than he could kill Ragnar.
shareI figured Einar thought death was too good for Eric. It would have been a release from the suffering Einar hoped to inflict upon him.
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