An interesting tale to tell

Rating: 8/10 (27 February 2011)

At first when you see the gore, the blood and hacked off limbs, you think this is going to be another rip off of Ridly Scott's "Gladiator". Then you see the blue paint on the warrior's skin and their axe wielding ways, and it's a rip off of "Braveheart". Well it's not. Centurion is about the legendary 9th legion, marched under orders, into the heart of the Picts and was never heard of again. 6 soldiers survive only to be hunted down by a vengeful Etain and her warriors.
I have enjoyed this movie because firstly the one big thing I noticed was the cinematography and the use of the wide lens to capture the wilderness of the Scotish highland. Sam McCurdy vision is sublime. Not a soul to be seen for miles, the scenery looked beautiful yet at the same time dangerous as you can see the actual cold shivers of the actors and the breath coming from their mouths. (That's were most of my 6 of my star votes going to).
Secondly, costume and set design, looked all authentic, even down to the shoes. I found the Picts garment to be well suited to the climate, while the Roman's wore a much more sturdier clothing. Not overly powering elaborately designed as in Gladiator, but that's the difference between a Hollywood budget and the British Film industry. The props were cleverly done as was the set for Roman garrison and the village of the Picts.
Thirdly, the actors: Olga Kurylenko as Etain was a much more realistic character then the skinny, barely covered Kiera Knightly in 'King Arthur" (2004). She's tough, resilient and vengeful, not one part of her is soft, vulnerable and feminine. Being mute made the actor rely on other methods to convey her feelings; she stand her own ground when it comes to fighting with the men. Centurion Quintus Dias played by Michael Fassbender,certainly looks the part of a Roman soldier. Strong, dependable, loyal and sturdy. His acting was very good and I can only put it down to the harsh conditions the actors were in on location shooting. The supporting cast are good, wonderful to see Liam Cunningham as the veteran fighter, full of wisdom. The man is a GOD!!!
Lastly, although this production is flawed (i.e. actors riding saddles) and too much blood and gore, this is overall a very entertaining film. This is not an Hollywood epic nor a history lesson, it has a simple plot and action...don't take it too seriously.
There is one thing that I disliked about the film is the ending; not one of it's strong points. It was cheesy, clique and pointless...I won't put a spoiler comment, only you have to see it yourself.