“So much of moviemaking is people trying to sell you something,” said Hawke. He went on to opine that “The Northman” bucks the current fashion of ultra-commercial Hollywood franchises. He said Eggers has “the balls and the hubris” to “make a masterpiece.” He explained that “The Northman” was shot in a way dissimilar from many other mainstream movies. “So, for me, just seeing somebody take a swing like that, you know, it’s like a jump off a high dive,” said Hawke.