The "barbarian" insurgents are motivated by atrocities committed by the invaders. An invading army is stuck in a place it can't hope to pacify.
FILM CENTURION MOVIE
It's little things like this that provide some much needed subtext to the plot and characters their subtraction from the finished product grinds the movie down to the brainless action flick that critics deride it as.īut is it really brainless? Is there a message behind the movie? Let us consider. Without revealing too much, at the end of the movie our hero comes face to face with the Roman governor and his wife - and what happens after that takes on an extra dimension with the events of the deleted scene in mind. The little vixen, you see, believes the gung ho members of the Ninth should be aching to prove their manliness against the Picts - and once the Picts have been crushed her husband can take the credit for the victory. A deleted scene near the beginning of the film reveals that it was the Roman governor's wife who convinced the governor to send the Ninth into Caledonia. Especially pertinent are some deleted scenes, whose inclusion would have improved the theatrical release. The DVD includes plenty of extras: behind the scenes production notes, interviews with the cast and crew, and various out takes. Let the faint of heart be forewarned: there is gratuitous blood and gore. The shirtless, woad painted Picts are a sight to behold, their women even more of a sight (amazing how, lacking modern hygiene and makeup, they still manage perfect hair and eyelashes). The Roman forts and armor look impressive (I neither know nor care how historically accurate they are in the context of the times). Filmed on location in Scotland, with its remote sylvan topped hills, you really do wonder why the Romans thought they could hold on to this desolate place. I was able to predict one of these with wry certainty, but the other two admittedly took me by surprise.Ĭenturion is above all a visual movie. Centurion has about three major plot twists. But other elements of the plot are left up to chance, and that is what makes it interesting. In any major movie it's a pretty safe bet the main character - our dashing young hero - will overcome odds, kill the bad guys, and end up with the nubile young female at the end. Personally I do like movies where a small band of heroes and villains match wits against each other. I answer with a cautious "yes." It depends on what level of entertainment you are willing to accept. Plausibility is what a legend needs for us to suspend our disbelief in order to be entertaining.īut is Centurion, at the end of the day, entertaining? Well. What matters is that it could have happened.
Some historians support this view while other feel the unit was simply redeployed (perhaps to suffer a different annihilation in other corners of the empire). The historical Ninth Legion passed into legend, where it was said to have marched north to Caledonia and vanished, presumably the victim of Pict vengeance. Bloodthirsty barbarians hound them at every step. They must make their way back to safety, led by the titular centurion. A small band of survivors now find themselves hopelessly behind enemy lines. When the elite Ninth Legion is ordered to spearhead a counter-insurgency, they are ambushed and wiped out. In the far flung province of Britain, the tribesman of the north have used their country's treacherous terrain and climate to their advantage, deterring the Roman eagle from making a nest in the snow-capped mountains. But cracks are forming in the Roman wall. It is the reign of Hadrian, the height of the Roman Empire. It is neither brilliant nor especially memorable, but there are certainly worse movies out there. That is exactly what I got, along with some surprisingly breathtaking locales. I had really wanted nothing but an action-adventure yarn with some great costumes and pretty females.
But then, I didn't have very high expectations for it.
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