The Eagle

[shapinglight]

S is away for a few days and I have (completely on a whim) decided to plough my way through all the movies dealing with the supposed destruction of the Roman Ninth Legion in the wilds of Caledonia. There are only three of them, so it won't take long.

Should have done my research a bit better before I started, I suppose, because I'm probably going to end up watching them in reverse order of when they were made.

So today, I watched The Eagle.



Probably, it was best to start with this one anyway, because if what I just read on Wikipedia about the Ninth is at all true, Rosemary Sutcliff's children's novel, on which the film is based, The Eagle of the Ninth, has played a large part in perpetuating the myth that the legion marched off into the wilds of northern Scotland and was never seen again, probably massacred by the Picts.

But sadly, it seems it's all speculation, not just on Sutcliff's part, but on that of serious scholars trying to work out why the legion just vanished from the records. Oh well, it's a good story.

Anyway, I loved the book as a kid and as a consequence have been a little wary of watching the movie. However, though there are lots of similarities, there are enough differences for you to be able to treat it as a whole different animal if you want, and I enjoyed it.

I mean, it's not a great movie, but it's not bad either, and there's some impressive stuff in it - not least Tahar Rahim, the French-Algerian actor, cast as a Pictish prince, rattling away very confidently in Gaelic, not to mention a very unshowy turn from Donald Sutherland as Marcus's uncle, which impressed me because I thought he'd turned into a scenery chewer lately. I wasn't sure about the casting of Channing Tatum to start with, but he was surprisingly okay as Marcus Aquila (just as he was a surprisingly good dancer in Step Up, which I got dragged to by M many years ago). Also, the scenery was beautiful.

Next up: Centurion with Michael Fassbender, which I've a horrible feeling is going to turn out to be quite violent. :(

Comments

[makd.livejournal.com]

Caught The Eagle a couple of years ago, IIRC, on very late night TV. Like you, I was surprised; I enjoyed it so much I wound up watching all the way through.

[shapinglight]

Yes, it's very watchable.

[deborahw37.livejournal.com]

I loved The Eagle of The Ninth; Was disappointed in the film because it didn't need to go that far from the book.

There was a wingless Eagle found under the floor of a villa and that, I believe, is were the idea for the book came from

[shapinglight]

There was a wingless Eagle found under the floor of a villa and that, I believe, is were the idea for the book came from.

Yes, I remember that.

[ex_peasant441]

In the extras on the DVD is the chariot race scene, which they stupidly cut from the final version. Such a shame because it was always one of my favourite scenes in the book and it explains a lot of backstory.

I liked the film more than I expected to, considering the book is practically a sacred text for me. As you say, you have to take it for itself not as an adaptation of the book.

Centurion is very violent, but I managed to watch it so you should manage ok. At least I think I managed it - I can't say I can remember much about it.

[shapinglight]

In the extras on the DVD is the chariot race scene, which they stupidly cut from the final version. Such a shame because it was always one of my favourite scenes in the book and it explains a lot of backstory.

I didn't watch any of the extras (I hardly ever do) and to be honest, had forgotten about the chariot race so I didn't miss it. Now you mention it, I vaguely remember such a scene in the book but it's a very long time since I read it.

I'd also forgotten about Guern (?) until the character showed up. A bit disappointed they didn't hear him singing (or was it whistling?), but I suppose it was a bit of a coincidence in the book the way they bumped into him.

Centurion is very violent, but I managed to watch it so you should manage ok.

Okay, will take that under advisement.

[kathyh]

I delayed watching The Eagle for ages because I loved the book so much, but I ended up enjoying it far more than I thought I would. As you said there was enough divergence from the book for me to think of it as an AU version of Marcus and Esca rather than be annoyed by the things that I missed. Donald Sutherland was actually very much as I imagined Uncle Aquila to be, which was a pleasant surprise.

[shapinglight]

Donald Sutherland was actually very much as I imagined Uncle Aquila to be, which was a pleasant surprise.

Yes, agreed. I also thought the fight at the fort near the beginning was very well done, and found Marcus's prayers to, Mithras, was it? quite moving.

[avidrosette.livejournal.com]

That's good to hear! I was afraid to watch The Eagle, but now I'll have to give it a try. The movie spawned a bunch of fic that popped up around my flist - a lot of it by excellent writers whose other works I've enjoyed. (I haven't read it, though.) I love your icon - how appropriate!

[shapinglight]

Thank you. :)

I hope you enjoy it if you watch it.

Doubt I'll be reading the fic, btw. I find my slash goggles don't really work these days.

[thismaz.livejournal.com]

As others, I loved the book as a child, so was cautious about the film, but I also enjoyed it. And its release led me to re-read the book, so that was a plus *g*

[shapinglight]

I'd do the same, if it weren't that my copy of the book is in storage. :(

[kassto.livejournal.com]

Am a huge fan of Sutcliff. Worshipped her as a kid and have often reread The Eagle of the Ninth and others since. Find Roman Britain right up to the supposed Arthurian era when a final Romano-Celtic leader held off the Saxon invaders for a while quite compelling. Whether she's historically accurate, well, I really don't know, but I love her story-telling. I think The Lantern Bearers would be my favourite.

Was wary of the movie but might give it a go, based on your judgement here...

[shapinglight]

The movie is fine. I think you and the boys would all enjoy it, and it doesn't spoil the book at all.

The Lantern Bearers is one of my favourites too. I also like Dawn Wind very much.

Whether she's historically accurate, well, I really don't know, but I love her story-telling.

I think she tried to be as accurate as she could, but possibly the thinking about the era has moved on somewhat since the books were written. For instance, it used to be thought that the Anglo Saxons killed all the original Celtic inhabitants of England, or drove them off to the margins, but I believe DNA has proved that's unlikely to have happened, and instead many of them just intermarried and assimilated.