Once Upon A Time In Norway is one of a few films that try to address the history and meaning of Black Metal.
This film is not a masterpiece by any means. Any definitive film about Black Metal would have to address the meaning behind a movement that was substantially aesthetic in its philosophical tendencies. The "just the facts" approach taken in this film is arguably unfair to Black Metal, and unfair to the audience in that they will not necessarily understand WHY; the film arguably trivializes the whole scene.
Nevertheless, this film is very useful when viewed with better known documentaries on the same subject, like "Until the Light Takes Us (2008, which failed to give any real idea of the actual history of the Norwegian Black Metal scene.
This film is not a masterpiece by any means. Any definitive film about Black Metal would have to address the meaning behind a movement that was substantially aesthetic in its philosophical tendencies. The "just the facts" approach taken in this film is arguably unfair to Black Metal, and unfair to the audience in that they will not necessarily understand WHY; the film arguably trivializes the whole scene.
Nevertheless, this film is very useful when viewed with better known documentaries on the same subject, like "Until the Light Takes Us (2008, which failed to give any real idea of the actual history of the Norwegian Black Metal scene.