The Eagle (***)

Directed by: Kevin Macdonald

Starring: Channing Tatum, Jamie Bell, Donald Sutherland, Mark Strong, Tahar Rahim

Seen: April 10^th 2011

*** Out of ****

The Eagle is a surprisingly good middle-ages war/adventure movie. It isn’t perfect, but it’s a great way to spend 2 hours any day of the week, with battles against disheartening odds, displays of honour, and army power struggles to excite and intrigue.

 

 

Marcus Flavius Aquila (Tatum) is a young Roman Centurion who chose a posting in Britain to serve for the first time in the capacity of garrison commander; as this position is closest to where his father and his command, the infamous Ninth Legion of Rome disappeared nearly 20 years ago and also lost the Eagle Standard of Rome, a mounted golden eagle riding at the head of a garrison signifying the might of Rome. Aquila is doubted as leader, but soon after his arrival at the outpost he is instrumental in almost single-handedly saving the garrison from being overrun by a ravenous Celtic tribe. He suffers a severe leg injury and in conjunction with his being highly decorated for his gallantry, he is also honourably discharged, to his deep disappointment.

As civilian, Marcus recovers from his injuries while going about normal Roman life. At a gladiatorial event, he swings the tide in favour of a slave’s life being saved, and his uncle purchases this slave for Marcus. Esca (Bell) pledges his allegiance to Marcus for saving his life, but an undertone of distrust mars the relationship between slave and master, as both hold back convictions and information for/against finding The Eagle. When rumours of Eagle sightings filter through to Marcus now living at his uncle’s (Sutherland) estate, he takes Esca north with him, his reasoning being that two men can infiltrate the dangerous region easier than an army can. Their travels take them past the massive Hadrian’s Wall, constructed to protect the northern edge of the Roman Empire, and takes them closer and closer to an eventual showdown with the intimidating Seal people. The only way they manage to find the Seal People is through the assistance of Guern (Strong), a surviving member of Aquila’s father’s garrison now living with the Selgovae Tribe as one of them. When things get heated, allegiances are questioned, and for a while it is uncertain how Aquila’s coin will fall.

The Eagle is entertaining, with good battle scenes not overly bathed in blood. There is elements of the brutal nature of battle, but the focus is more on Roman tactical superiority at the time, showing few Roman guards defeating large Celtic groups through tactical dominance. The portrayal of the Roman tortoise is especially striking, the scene is well-filmed and -executed. Channing Tatum might not be the best actor Hollywood has to offer, but he is building up quite a filmography. Jamie Bell is a very strong actor and he manages to carry scenes even where he is only a lowly slave while Mark Strong surprises by not being a heavily sinister villain for once – he’s a great actor capable of almost anything. While The Eagle will not win many awards or end up on many top 10 lists, it is enjoyable and thrilling, as the pace never slows down to anything resembling boring as battles are waged and as men flee for their lives from small armies while battling injuries and other adversities. The Eagle is pure escapism, and one of the better entries in this genre for a while.