Art
07-10-2015, 09:53
A movie made on an event that occurred but almost nothing is really known about provides a broad canvas. This movie is an historical fiction based on such an event.
The Eagle is one of a number of books and movies inspired by the disappearance of the 9th Legion (Spanish) in the early-mid 2nd century A.D. For years the most accepted hypothesis is the legion was destroyed by northern British tribes, but no one knows for sure. There is also little knowledge of the tribes in Scotland at the time so the producers were able to use a broad brush there as well.
The principle character is a senior centurion who is the son of an officer who disappeared with the legion who has returned to Britain to erase his families shame by accomplishing something great in battle. He is assigned the command of an isolated cohort (500-600 men) the Roman equivalent of a modern battalion. He does distinguish himself in combat and both he and his cohort are honored but because of his wounds he is honorably discharged from the army. He then takes it upon himself, accompanied only by a British slave, to retrieve the eagle standard of the ninth legion. Channing Tatum is the very understated centurion, Jamie Bell is his Briton slave guide and Donald Sutherland puts in an appearance as the centurions wise uncle.
The movie, which is filmed on location in Britain, is true to what we know of Roman equipment and tactics. The world depicted in the movie is very pagan with a minimum of 20th century cultural overlay. The Romans practiced a primitive form of paganism in which every living thing, including nations, families and associations had a spirit, in fact so did major physical objects like mountains and rivers. In this light the eagle standard was more than the equivalent of a flag, it was an important totem, an object of religious veneration and the loss of one was the cause of great shame. All of that is depicted accurately in the movie.
There are some minor errors, a legate (equivalent of a brigadier general) is shown to be old and fat, not likely in a military tradition in which leading from the front was encouraged. The wound the centurion suffered would not have gotten him discharged. Discharges from the Roman army for wounds had to be incapacitating enough to make the soldier unfit for combat so if a soldier hadn't lost an arm leg or eye he would not be discharged.
There are no significant female parts in the movie, no love story subplot which I actually found quite refreshing.
It's not really a great movie but it is quite a good one, IMHO, and worth seeing, it puts a different take on some familiar subjects.
The Eagle is one of a number of books and movies inspired by the disappearance of the 9th Legion (Spanish) in the early-mid 2nd century A.D. For years the most accepted hypothesis is the legion was destroyed by northern British tribes, but no one knows for sure. There is also little knowledge of the tribes in Scotland at the time so the producers were able to use a broad brush there as well.
The principle character is a senior centurion who is the son of an officer who disappeared with the legion who has returned to Britain to erase his families shame by accomplishing something great in battle. He is assigned the command of an isolated cohort (500-600 men) the Roman equivalent of a modern battalion. He does distinguish himself in combat and both he and his cohort are honored but because of his wounds he is honorably discharged from the army. He then takes it upon himself, accompanied only by a British slave, to retrieve the eagle standard of the ninth legion. Channing Tatum is the very understated centurion, Jamie Bell is his Briton slave guide and Donald Sutherland puts in an appearance as the centurions wise uncle.
The movie, which is filmed on location in Britain, is true to what we know of Roman equipment and tactics. The world depicted in the movie is very pagan with a minimum of 20th century cultural overlay. The Romans practiced a primitive form of paganism in which every living thing, including nations, families and associations had a spirit, in fact so did major physical objects like mountains and rivers. In this light the eagle standard was more than the equivalent of a flag, it was an important totem, an object of religious veneration and the loss of one was the cause of great shame. All of that is depicted accurately in the movie.
There are some minor errors, a legate (equivalent of a brigadier general) is shown to be old and fat, not likely in a military tradition in which leading from the front was encouraged. The wound the centurion suffered would not have gotten him discharged. Discharges from the Roman army for wounds had to be incapacitating enough to make the soldier unfit for combat so if a soldier hadn't lost an arm leg or eye he would not be discharged.
There are no significant female parts in the movie, no love story subplot which I actually found quite refreshing.
It's not really a great movie but it is quite a good one, IMHO, and worth seeing, it puts a different take on some familiar subjects.