Centurion
The Roman themed movie has been very few and far between in recent years but is back with a bang this week as Centurion hits the big screen.
The movie is the latest project from British filmmaker Neil Marshall, the man who brought us Dog Solider and The Descent, and brings together a great cast of Michael Fassbender, Dominic West, Noel Clarke, David Morrissey and Olga Kurylenko.
AD 117. The Roman Empire stretches from Egypt to Spain, and East as far as the Black Sea. But in northern Britain, the relentless onslaught of conquest has ground to a halt in face of the guerrilla tactics of an elusive enemy: the savage and terrifying Picts.
Quintus Dias (Fassbender), sole survivor of a Pictish raid on a Roman frontier fort, marches north with General Virilus' (West) legendary Ninth Legion, under orders to wipe the Picts from the face of the earth and destroy their leader Gorlacon.
But when the legion is ambushed on unfamiliar ground, and Virilus taken captive, Quintus faces a desperate struggle to keep his small platoon alive behind enemy lines.
Enduring the harsh terrain and evading their remorseless Pict pursuers led by revenge-hungry Pict Warrior Etain (Kurylenko), the band of soldiers race to rescue their General and to reach the safety of the Roman frontier.
So to celebrate the release of the movie we take a look at some of the Roman themed movies that have graced the big screen over the years.
- Ben Hur
Ben Hur still remains one of the greatest movies in the sword and sandal genre to have graced the big screen. The movie still holds the record for the most amount of Oscars won, along with Titanic and Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, when it scooped eleven gongs, including Best Picture.
In the Roman province of Judea, Jews return to the city of their birth for the census. A bright star in the night over Bethlehem marks the birth of Jesus Christ.
Years later, Roman commander Messala (Stephen Boyd), who was brought up in Judea, takes command of the Roman garrison in Jerusalem. His Jewish boyhood friend Judah Ben-Hur (Charlton Heston) greets him. Messala is delighted.
But when Judah refuses to name Jewish patriots, Messala sentences him to the slave galleys and imprisons his mother, Miriam (Martha Scott), and sister, Tirzah (Cathy O'Donnell). Judah vows revenge.
The chariot race still remains one of the most exciting and spectacular action sequences ever committed to film.
- Gladiator
The most successful movie in this genre came in 2000 when Russell Crowe took on the role of General Maximus Decimus Meridius in Gladiator.
Directed by Ridley Scott, the beginning of a successful partnership between the pair. In the final days of Marcus Aurelius' reign, the aging emperor angers his son Commodus by making it known that he wants Maximus, a fearsome and respected Roman general, to be his successor.
Power-hungry Commodus kills his father and orders the death of Maximus. But the latter flees, only to discover that his wife and child have been murdered by Commodus.
Captured, Maximus is forced into slavery, where he is sold to Proximo, a former gladiator who serves as both mentor and slavemaster. Maximus trains as a gladiator in the arena, where his fame grows.
He goes to Rome, intent on avenging the murder of his wife and son by killing the new emperor Commodus. Maximus has learned that the one power stronger than that of the emperor is the will of the people, and he knows he can only attain his revenge by becoming the greatest hero in all the empire.
Gladiator was a huge hit, both critically and commercially, when it was released, it went on to gross over $457 million at the global box office.
The film also saw Russell Crowe become a Bone fide leading man as he picked up the Best Actor Oscar for his performance, the movie also won Best Picture.
The movie also sparked a revival in the historical epic as 300, Kingdom of Heaven and Troy all hit the big screen.
- Spartacus
Released in 1960 Spartacus followed the rebellious slave, who has never been free, forced to be a gladiator.Starring Kirk Douglas the film was based on Howard Fast's novel and directed by Stanley Kubrick it is widely regarded as one of the best sword and sandal movies of all time.
After Varinia, the woman he has fallen in love with, is bought by Crassus (Laurence Olivier) Spartacus leads a slave uprising across Italy that soon has thousands marching on Rome, recruiting people as they go.Rome sends army after army to squash the rebellion but Spartacus and his army, who are heading to the coast to escape on the ships if Cilician pirates, defeat them all.
But the pirates have been bought by Rome and offer to take only Spartacus, the pregnant Varinia and Spartacus's senior officers, to Asia to live like kings.
But Spartacus refuses to leave behind the rest of his men and they find themselves surrounded by three Roman armies.
They fight for their freedom but the rebel army is defeated.
In the movie's most memorable scene the surviving members of the rebel army are told that they will not be harmed if they identify Spartacus.
One by one they all stand up claiming they are Spartacus and they are condemned to crucifixion. Spartacus dies a martyr, a symbol for the free man, knowing that his son will grow up free.
- King Arthur
Attempting to follow in the successful footsteps of Gladiator in 2004 Clive Owen took on the role in Antoine Fuqua's 2004 movie King Arthur.
The movie brought together a cast that included Keira Knightley, Ioan Gruffudd, Mads Mikkelsen, Ray Winstone and Stellan Skarsgard.
Owen is 'Artorius' or Arthur, the hero of Roman and British parentage eulogized in the ancient Celtic poem. Like his loyal Knights, he sees only chaos and devastation will follow Rome's final pullout of Britain.
Although, as a dedicated Christian he is desperate to return to Rome to influence the budding religion, his first loyalty is to his pagan Knights.
Arthur sees his duty is to free them from their servitude to Rome so they may return to their ancestral homeland in Sarmatia. However, before he can, he must lead his Knights of the Round Table on one last mission, deep into enemy territory on a quest of adventure and profound enlightenment.
Here, Arthur, Lancelot, Galahad, Bors, Tristan, Dagonet and Gawain are forced to confront their traditional enemy: Merlin and his indigenous guerilla armies. Disdainfully called 'Woads' by the Knights for the Woad plant they use to dye their bodies, Arthur and his Knights will see these guerillas are the soul of Britain, devastated by generations of Roman rule.
Now, with Rome gone, and without the help of Arthur and his knights, the invading Saxons will roll over the people like an avalanche.
Under the guidance of the shaman, Merlin and the beautiful, courageous Guinevere (Keira Knightley), Arthur will struggle to find the strength to forsake his dreams of Rome to 'become a leader in this land,' and to change the face of history.
Despite the high quality cast the movie was critically mauled when it was released and was criticised for it's historical inaccuracy.
However the film did go on to gross over $203 million at the global box office, making back it's estimated $90 million budget.
Other Roman themed movies include Caligula, The Last Legion and The Fall of the Roman Empire.
Centurion is released 23rd April.
FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw
The Roman themed movie has been very few and far between in recent years but is back with a bang this week as Centurion hits the big screen.
The movie is the latest project from British filmmaker Neil Marshall, the man who brought us Dog Solider and The Descent, and brings together a great cast of Michael Fassbender, Dominic West, Noel Clarke, David Morrissey and Olga Kurylenko.
AD 117. The Roman Empire stretches from Egypt to Spain, and East as far as the Black Sea. But in northern Britain, the relentless onslaught of conquest has ground to a halt in face of the guerrilla tactics of an elusive enemy: the savage and terrifying Picts.
Quintus Dias (Fassbender), sole survivor of a Pictish raid on a Roman frontier fort, marches north with General Virilus' (West) legendary Ninth Legion, under orders to wipe the Picts from the face of the earth and destroy their leader Gorlacon.
But when the legion is ambushed on unfamiliar ground, and Virilus taken captive, Quintus faces a desperate struggle to keep his small platoon alive behind enemy lines.
Enduring the harsh terrain and evading their remorseless Pict pursuers led by revenge-hungry Pict Warrior Etain (Kurylenko), the band of soldiers race to rescue their General and to reach the safety of the Roman frontier.
So to celebrate the release of the movie we take a look at some of the Roman themed movies that have graced the big screen over the years.
- Ben Hur
Ben Hur still remains one of the greatest movies in the sword and sandal genre to have graced the big screen. The movie still holds the record for the most amount of Oscars won, along with Titanic and Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, when it scooped eleven gongs, including Best Picture.
In the Roman province of Judea, Jews return to the city of their birth for the census. A bright star in the night over Bethlehem marks the birth of Jesus Christ.
Years later, Roman commander Messala (Stephen Boyd), who was brought up in Judea, takes command of the Roman garrison in Jerusalem. His Jewish boyhood friend Judah Ben-Hur (Charlton Heston) greets him. Messala is delighted.
But when Judah refuses to name Jewish patriots, Messala sentences him to the slave galleys and imprisons his mother, Miriam (Martha Scott), and sister, Tirzah (Cathy O'Donnell). Judah vows revenge.
The chariot race still remains one of the most exciting and spectacular action sequences ever committed to film.
- Gladiator
The most successful movie in this genre came in 2000 when Russell Crowe took on the role of General Maximus Decimus Meridius in Gladiator.
Directed by Ridley Scott, the beginning of a successful partnership between the pair. In the final days of Marcus Aurelius' reign, the aging emperor angers his son Commodus by making it known that he wants Maximus, a fearsome and respected Roman general, to be his successor.
Power-hungry Commodus kills his father and orders the death of Maximus. But the latter flees, only to discover that his wife and child have been murdered by Commodus.
Captured, Maximus is forced into slavery, where he is sold to Proximo, a former gladiator who serves as both mentor and slavemaster. Maximus trains as a gladiator in the arena, where his fame grows.
He goes to Rome, intent on avenging the murder of his wife and son by killing the new emperor Commodus. Maximus has learned that the one power stronger than that of the emperor is the will of the people, and he knows he can only attain his revenge by becoming the greatest hero in all the empire.
Gladiator was a huge hit, both critically and commercially, when it was released, it went on to gross over $457 million at the global box office.
The film also saw Russell Crowe become a Bone fide leading man as he picked up the Best Actor Oscar for his performance, the movie also won Best Picture.
The movie also sparked a revival in the historical epic as 300, Kingdom of Heaven and Troy all hit the big screen.
- Spartacus
Tagged in Neil Marshall