Centurion (2010)

Unfortunately, even if I wished having another topic this week, I didn't have the time to see something else, and I also have some other stuff to solve on my head to be able to do a memory search for an older better movie ... Anyway, I should have on my blog from time to time something for the "better avoid it" category too, don't I ? :) ...

"Centurion" wants to be something between epic, history and action. In what's concerning the middle part, we have the context set in the year 117 somewhere in Britain in what seems to have been something like a Bermuda Triangle of that time for the Roman IX-th Legion. Not until today is known what really happened with that troops, besides not being able to pose too much of a fight against the local tribes resistance. The most common theory is the one given by the movie as far as I know = the IX-th Legion disappearance was more exactly a massacre that happened somewhere in the Britain's woods and swamps. That's actually pretty much about the historic value of the movie (not 100% certain though). The rest it's about a chase where the chased are a small group of roman legionaries escaped from the slaughter, but still hunted by another small group due to the imprudence of killing the tribe's chief son. In theory, about taking sides, the movie probably wants you to care for the hunted ones. But.. if you try to consider a bit more objectively the whole situation (or mess ... it's more appropriate), you probably won't be so sure anymore who's the good guy and who's the bad one, if there is good and bad here ... thing that I don't know if it's ok or not, but for sure it can get a bit confusing.

One part that bothers is the gratuitous violence you get. And I'm not against the violence part in this kind of movie, I'm against the gratuitous one. Maybe it is about presenting a war as it is, but for me it's a bit exaggerated in the number of beheadings, eyes removed, etc. Especially considering that the whole "realistic feeling" is completely messed up by the stupidity of quite many situations that probably don't have any chance to happen as presented in the movie. It ranges from the well known and met verbal cliches up to really senseless actions. Too many to enumerate here ... I can tell only about the intelligent plans of running in the opposite direction of your own side, and figure out an U turn after, just to fool the enemy, with you being on foot, without food and with injured people, and the enemy on horses + you stick to the plan even when it's clear it doesn't work ... and you leave also a big helmet behind you, just to be sure that the best tracker in the country who's able to smell the wind to get your direction gets 100% percent chance to follow you. For the verbal cliche ... I'll better leave it without saying anything. It's enough to mention that the pict tribes speak something that's probably old Gaelic, and the roman Latin is pure English. And even more sometimes .. with Scottish accent (the area where the picts lived) - the movie is made in UK ... now ... I wasn't expecting to hear Latin, but you have to admit it's a bit ironical considering the whole context.

The only good parts from the movie are probably the score by Ilan Eshkeri (although not extraordinary) and Imogen Poots' warm blue eyes (but this is a very subjective appreciation :-p). There is also the cinematography, but this takes a dive at some points from beautiful (supported by the landscapes) to an abysmal kitsch (for the credits part, that wants to be something like a 3D stuff in a 2D movie, I'll better not comment at all). What I can say more, is that recently another movie was released, "The Eagle", based on a book, and also placed in the IX-th Legion context. I was planning to see that, but considering that IMDb ranks it even a bit lower than "Centurion" I'll probably have second thoughts on the probability to lose some time again for too less to worth it ...

Rating: 2 out of 5