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Happy Lupercalia, everyone! In honor of this ancient Roman festival, today's review seems particularly appropriate. Stories about the Romans in Britain and Hadrian's Wall are part of a strange and growing cinematic micro-trend. It's, odd, isn't it, in an age where we are so terribly modern, with our portable technology and whirlwind mental stimulation, that we should be seeing so many stories drawn from ancient history. We saw a taste of Roman Britain in Antoine Fuqua's King Arthur several years ago: in which both Guinevere (Keira Knightley) and Merlin (Stephen Dillane) are portrayed as being part of a tribe of forest-dwelling Druids. That particular incarnation of the story was based on "exciting new" archaeological findings suggesting that Arthur may have been of Roman, and thereby Christian, origin. Arthur (played by Clive Owen) is portrayed as a Crusades knight whose faith and allegiance are conflicted between his British origins and his Roman military service. A very provocative thesis, really, though not a very likely one.
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In fact, The Eagle barely has any women at all. The main characters are a young Roman commander named Marcus Aquila (Channing Tatum, who resembles a young Josh Hartnett (same pinch-faced fratboy look) and his Brigantian slave Esca (Billy Elliott's Jamie Bell). Aquila rescues Esca from death during a gladiator death match by encouraging the crowd to cheer his bravery, and the slave, despite his tribal hatred for the Romans, pledges loyalty. When Aquila, against the advice of his elders (including his doting uncle, a war veteran played by Donald Sutherland) decides he must travel north, beyond the safe barrier of Hadrian's Wall, to retrieve a lost war relic (the golden eagle that topped his father's sword), he brings Esca as a guide. But the tables are turned when Esca's Celtic language skills and tribal connections allow him to gain the upper hand.
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The Eagle doesn't condemn all pagan Celtic tribes: just the Picts. The Brigantians (like Esca) come off fairly well, and the various Northern peoples of Scotland are portrayed as rustic, peaceful shepherds. And the film doesn't shy away from admitting that the Romans have brutally invaded this green and pleasant land and deserve what they get. Thankfully, there is not an abundance of violence or gratuitous fighting here; just enough to be convincing (unlike other medieval era films of 2010, like Robin Hood), and the final battle scene is grand, reminiscent of Lancelot's heroic return in John Boorman's Excalibur. Interestingly, Boorman is also tackling this same story in his forthcoming Memoirs of Hadrian, which will star Antonio Banderas and Charlie Hunnam (star of the excellent FX series Sons of Anarchy). A wonderful article on Hadrian and Boorman's forthcoming film appeared in The Guardian in 2008, showing how in-depth and involved this project is.
The Eagle is beautifully photographed by Anthony Dod Mantle (who worked with Danny Boyle on 28 Days Later and Slumdog Millionaire), shot on location in Great Britain and Hungary. Tatum is somewhat wooden, but the diminutive Bell holds his own, and the many extras that people this ambitious film look straight out of central casting, which is nice to see, given recent failures in this area on the part of TV shows like the BBC's Robin Hood (where the dialogue, costumes and hairstyles are unintentionally and embarrassingly anachronistic).
I hope this new trend of ancient history in film will continue, even with younger and less literary audiences guiding the profit missiles of Hollywood. Maybe we can see stories of other nations, their folklore brought to rich life on the silver screen. Certainly two films on the ninth Roman legion in one year feels legendary.
Nice post. It’s easy to romanticize about the Druids but Caesar wrote about them and was convinced they partook in human sacrifice. The only way they could please the gods was to kill people, criminals if possible but if not, someone had to get it.
ReplyDelete“The whole Gallic nation is virtually a prey to superstition, and this makes the serious invalids or those engaged in battle or dangerous exploits sacrifice men instead of animals. They even vow to immolate themselves, using the Druids as their ministers for this purpose. They feel that the spirit of the gods cannot be appeased unless a man's life is given for a life.
Public sacrifices of the same sort are common. Another practice is to make images of enormous size, with the limbs woven from osiers [willows]. Living human beings are fitted into these, and, when they are set on fire, the men are engulfed in the flames and perish. The general feeling is that the immortal gods are better pleased with the sacrifice of those caught in theft, robbery or some other crime. But if a supply of such criminals is lacking, then they resort to the sacrifice of completely innocent victims. . . "
How much of this is true and how much was propaganda is difficult to say, but the chances are there was some truth to the accusations.
http://www.primarysourcebook.com/ancient/human-sacrifice-and-the-druids-by-julius-caesar
I think any speculation on the actual human sacrifice activities of the Celts (including the Druids) is just that: speculation. There's very little archeological evidence, and even less evidence in the form of written records, to suggest anything. It's entirely possible the writings of the Romans were exaggerated or even fabricated. Stuart Piggott's book seems to contain some of the most intriguing historical examination, along with Ronald Hutton's most recent book.
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