Skip to content

Posts tagged ‘swords and sandals’

The Fall Of The Roman Empire (1964)

Directed by: Anthony Mann

3 stars

Treading much of the same historical ground as Gladiator, but with very different intentions, this long movie by Anthony Mann is an occasionally entertaining, but generally plodding, tale of the rivalry between Commodus (Christopher Plummer)and General Livius (Stephen Boyd), favourite and chosen successor of the Emperor Marcus Aurelius (and lover of his daughter, Lucilla). Read more

The Eagle (2010)

Directed by: Kevin Macdonald

3 stars

Marcus Flavius Aquila (Channing Tatum) is a young Roman commander with a big chip on his shoulder: 20 years earlier, his father had been an officer in the Ninth Legion which disappeared in the north of Britain, losing the legion’s precious golden eagle standard in the process. Invalided out of the army after some heroics of his own, Marcus heads north accompanied by a British slave, Esca (Jamie Bell, of Billy Elliot fame), to learn what happened to the legion, recover the eagle and with it his family’s honour. Read more