The Eagle (2011) is a historical epic movie based on the supposed disappearance of the Ninth Spanish Legion (Roman legion) which operated in Britain before 58 BCE (Before Christian Era) until mid 2nd century CE.Synopsis from IMDb: In 140 AD, twenty years after the unexplained disappearance of the entire Ninth Legion in the mountains of Scotland, young centurion Marcus Aquila (Channing Tatum) arrives from Rome to solve the mystery and restore the reputation of his father, the commander of the Ninth.
Accompanied only by his British slave Esca (Jamie Bell), Marcus sets out across Hadrian's Wall into the uncharted highlands of Caledonia - to confront its savage tribes, make peace with his father's memory, and retrieve the lost legion's golden emblem, the Eagle of the Ninth.
A fascinating watch, I'd say. Historical elements - Roman legions, early Britain inhabitants speaking in Gaelic, ancient pagan worships, etc. In short, uncivilized, at least based on our current standard. Well, it's a good thing the Romans conquered almost everyone around the globe. If they didn't, I believe we won't see today's civilization.
The war scenes, especially the first part of the movie are pretty impressive. You might think there are scenes involving gladiators, but no, no hardcore live-or-die-in-the-ring scenes. Phew.
About the two main stars - Channing Tatum and Jamie Bell - they don't steal the show individually. Tatum's character, Marcus wants to retrieve his father's emblem on his own, but in the end, when he's at the brink of failure, he receives unexpected help from some legionnaires. So, the entire movie gives me the sense of "teamwork prevails".
If you like epic war movies, this one is for you.
Posts
No comments