Futility of Invasion: A Lesson Yet Unlearned

Rating: 8/10 (30 August 2010)

CENTURION may not be a great movie - very entertaining, but not great - but it does make some points that are worth considering today. The concept of a big power (here the Roman Empire AD 117) making a preemptive war on a smaller, 'different' culture (the Picts of Scotland) cannot help but muster comparison to current US preemptive (and unsuccessful) attacks in the Middle East. Though it is doubtful that the writer director Neil Marshall's cinematic vision included this idea, the historic decimation of the Roman Ninth Legion's failure to conquer the Picts is poignant food for thought.
But on to the story. In 117 AD one of the few areas not controlled by the Roman Empire was the northern portion of the British Isles, land of the Picts, a strange tribal like people with determined, terrifyingly ferocious fighting techniques. General Titus Flavius Virilus (Domenic West) is given orders from the Roman Emperor to capture that stronghold, and he is off with the Ninth Legion to conquer. A born leader and beloved by his troops, Virilus fights valiantly but is captured and there is only one man deemed his replacement - former gladiator Centurion Quintus Dias (Michael Fassbinder, a major actor remembered for this disparate roles as in 'Hunger', 'Inglourious Basterds', '300', 'Band of Brothers' etc). Centurion is finally left with a handful of men (JJ Field, Lee Ross, David Morrisey, Liam Cunningham, Noel Clarke, Dimitri Leonidas, Riz Ahmed) who attempt to complete the mission. One mute female warrior Etain (Olga Kurylenko), a Pict turned Roman Guide, quickly turns her allegiance to her homeland and becomes the most treacherous fighter of them all. At one point the son of Gorlacon (Ulrich Thomsen), the leader of the Picts, is killed by a Roman and the ferocity of the battle is heightened. The Roman troops endure untold hardships, are given hospitality by a Pict castaway Arianne (Imogen Poots) with whom Centurion becomes enamored, and eventually only Centurion remains as the sole survivor of the Roman Ninth Legion. The effect of his experience and knowledge of the war failure causes the Roman Empire to decide a fate for him and the rest is best left unsaid.
There is little dialogue, but what there is is solid. The battle scenes are appropriately gory and the cinematography by Sam McCurdy and the musical score by Ilan Eshkeri sustain the atmosphere. Michael Fassbinder proves that he is indeed a major talent, and the entire cast is excellent. It is a great little film for diversion, it could easily have been extended (only 98 minutes) for better fleshing out of the characters, but the final words of the Centurion suggest that there likely will be sequels.
Grady Harp