Vercingétorix

Plot synopsis:
In the year 60 B.C. a group of Druids, including the arch-druid Guttuart (Max von Sydow), witness the passing of a comet and interpret it as the sign of the coming of a king for their country Gaul, which has not had a king for a long time. Guttuart goes to Gergovia, the capital of the Arvernes tribe, to attend a meeting of Gallic tribal chieftains. The young boy Vercingetorix, along with his friend the young girl Eponia, sneak into a large cavern where Celtill, Vercingetorix's father and chieftain of the Arvernes, hosts the meeting of chieftains with the intention of proclaiming himself king of all Gauls. When Celtill shows off the crown once worn by the old kings of Gaul, an arrow from two Roman spies (dressed as Gauls) hits Celtill in the back. Gobanittio, Celtill's brother, places Celtill under arrest while the Roman spies flee with the crown. Vercingetorix tries to rush in to help his father, but Guttuart prevents the young boy from intervening and explains that destiny requires Celtill to meet his fate. The young Vercingetorix, while watching his uncle burn his father alive, swears revenge.
Many years later, the grown up Vercingetorix (Christopher Lambert), having been educated among the druids, continues to seek revenge against his uncle. He and Guttuart go to a road being built by the Romans, but Guttuart flees upon seeing the approach of Julius Caesar (Klaus Maria Brandauer) and an entourage of Roman legionaries. Caesar, who held the position of proconsul of Transalpine Gaul, invites Vercingetorix and the Arvernes to participate in an invasion of Britain and gives Vercingetorix a horse to ride back to Gergovia. Upon his arrival at Gergovia, Vercingetorix first avenges his father's death by killing his uncle and then tells his tribe of Caesar's offer to give one half of the booty if the tribe joins in the expedition to Britain. At Bibracte, capital of the Eduens tribe, various chieftains gather to hear Caesar speak of his planned invasion of Britain. Dumnorix, chieftain of the Eduens, (Bernard-Pierre Donnadieu) is skeptical of the Romans and tells Caesar that he does not want to go, but Caesar takes his children as hostages anyway. Later, Vercingetorix is reunited with his childhood friend Eponia (Ines Sastre) in a private meeting with Caesar, who shows to Vercingetorix and Eponia the old crown of the kings of Gaul. Caesar suggests that the numerous Gallic tribes should be united under one king chosen by Rome, but Vercingetorix refuses Caesar's offer by saying that the king of the Gauls should be chosen by destiny. After Dumnorix attacks a Roman garrison, Caesar orders Vercingetorix to capture him. When Vercingetorix confronts Dumnorix, the latter tells him that it was the Romans who orchestrated Celtill’s death. Two Roman officers have been following Vercingetorix, and one of them kills Dumnorix instantly with a sling stone to the forehead. Vercingetorix kills the Roman who slew Dumnorix and sends the other one back to Caesar, who learns that he has made an enemy with someone whom he would rather have as an ally.
Vercingetorix, after being elected as leader of the Arvernes at Gergovia, uses scorched earth tactics against the Romans, but he reluctantly spares the city of Avaricum from the torch. Caesar orders the massacre of Avaricum’s inhabitants and leads his army to Gergovia to attack Vercingetorix and the Arvernes. The Eduens also arrive at Gergovia, but they abruptly end their alliance with Rome because of Caesar's massacre of Avaricum. A terribly disappointed Caesar curses all the Gauls and his army is forced to retreat. While the Gallic chieftains elect Vercingetorix as commander-in-chief of a united Gallic army, Caesar forms a pact with the fearsome Teutons at the Rhine River. The Teutons ambush two of the Arvernes and the presence of the Teutons concerns Vercingetorix. Vercingetorix goes to Alesia but Caesar also arrives there with a large army to besiege the city. During this Battle of Alesia, the Romans quickly build a circle of fortifications around the city and this forces Vercingetorix to wait inside the city for a Gallic relief army to arrive. Problems in the election of a commander for this relief army delays its arrival at Gergovia. When the relief army finally arrives, Vercingetorix orders that the Gauls simply surround the Romans, who are now trapped in their own fortifications, and not attack them. Caesar is aware that his army will starve to death if the Gauls do not attack, but he is confident that destiny will play its part. The Gauls clamour for one big battle and Vercingetorix reluctantly agrees to lead them in the fight. Gallic warriors rush towards the Roman fortifications, but the Romans shoot them down with volleys of arrows and javelins. When Caesar unleashes the Teutons into battle, all was lost for the Gauls and they withdraw amidst the large field of dead bodies. Vercingetorix resigns in the fate of the conquered Gauls and rides out to give himself up to the Romans at their fort, where he lays down his weapons and kneels before Caesar.
The film ends with Guttuart’s narration that Caesar was assassinated on the Ides of March 44 B.C. on the steps of the Roman Senate and that Vercingetorix, imprisoned in Rome, was executed two years earlier by order of Caesar.

Tags: violence, murder

Review:
And this explains why, some time later in the movie, Christophe Lambert says, giving a horse back to a roman soldier: "I give back to Caesar what belongs to Caesar." I'd say the following things to people who have the opportunity to see "Druids" (by the way, what druids?
Relentlessly Bad. Now I'm a great fan of historical epics, and I am willing to forgive a lot of historical inaccuracies in the name of cinematic expediency, especially with regard to a Celtic hero like Vercingetorix.
It makes a game attempt at historical accuracy (at least history according to Ceasar which is all we have to go on) by portraying Vercingetorix as someone who is willing to deal with the enemy then betray them, and there are some scenes such as the breast-baring women distracting the Romans which have a basis in writings of the time.
Much as I generally enjoy watching good old Mr. Lambert messing about in the usual mindless, middle-of-the-road sci-fi shenanigans that he likes to frequent, I get no satisfaction whatsoever from seeing him jump up and down violently on what's left of his career in a sick-makingly irredeemable cinematic dog such as this.Like so many reviewers before me, I just don't know where to begin.Let's see: a shockingly bad soundtrack, editing the likes of which I've never seen, pointless, half-finished subplots, props and costumes that look like they were bought from the joke shop down the road (well, from some comedian in the nearest Bulgarian farming village, anyway), the criminal comparison to Braveheart on the video sleeve, dialogue that makes Hellgate and Slugs sound like they were written by David Mamet, and the most Austrian Austrian they could find to star as the most Roman Roman of all time, Caesar.
Like Frankenstein on a bad hair day.For what it's worth, Klaus Maria Brandauer did a good job (if you envision Caesar with a German accent) and Max von Sydow was, well...Max von Sydow.Oh, and one of the tribes (a little over halfway through the move) all had pink hair and looked like some type of mutant's escaped from a Wendy's restaurant!
Rather than bash what has already been destroyed by the filmakers, I just recommend anyone who would see Druids solely as a Lambert fan to save their time.This film has all the look and feel of a college, maybe highschool film project.I've seen 18 of Lambert's movies; a number of them over again; and this one (which for some odd reason took a month to be available in my local video store because of rentals on it) I fell asleep during at 9 o'clock at night!!
There was not one redeeming thing to this film, let alone the cheap wigs and fake moustaches, Klaus Maria Brandauer doing Julius Caeser and sounding like Marlon Brando in the Young Lions as a Nazi officer, and the intro and exit with the view from space that looked like the schlock film "Hercules goes to New York" with Arnold Schwarznegger back in the early 70's.If you haven't seen it, save your rental fee...they must have burned theaters in Europe when it came out.Sorry, Christophe....
I love how the young Vercingetorix, who speaks with a distinct American accent, grows up to be Christopher Lambert, who barely manages to spit out vaguely understandable English, warped by a grating French accent that could peel paint.Bad sets, bad costumes, bad cinematography, bad casting, bad direction, bad acting, bad editing, bad research, bad music, bad hair.
Vercingetorix provokes a general rebellion against Roman domination , he rallies his people and tribes when they are threatened by an army commanded by Julius Caesar (Klaus Maria Brandauer) , as an entire nation's destiny lies in the hands of one man.
He seeks peace ,order , justice and victory by winning freedom for Gaul from the invaders Romans , and soon he raises an army of his own to defeat Julius Caesar , but in time Vercingetorix is betrayed by a great leader and he joins a powerful army to vanquish Caesar and bring Guttuart's prophesy to life.
Some of those who have seen it said the actors, especially Lambert, had bad hair in the movie, as though they were rock stars of the eighties.
Of course this is 60 BC, so we don't know if French men all sounded like Maurice Chevalier.Nothing should surprise a person on the world wide web, and certainly nothing on IMDb should shock a person, but the ridiculous reviews that abound here are embarrassments to the people who wrote them.This epic film worked on all levels.
Such fatalism is entirely alien to American movies, and probably hard for many viewers to swallow.So, DRUIDS offends action/fantasy fans, and it may also disappoint hardcore history buffs, because of the liberties it takes with the details of Caesar's war against the Gauls.
(However, the scene with bare-breasted women taunting and distracting the Roman soldiers is actually based on history.) The arch-Druid, played by Max von Sydow, is cryptic to a fault; Lambert is too old to play the hero in the early part of the action.
Come on, this isn't a bad movie as so many of you make it out to be.It's an european film, for an european audience.
Julius Caesar's "Gallic Wars" remains my favourite book, and it's nice to see part of it on film.I mean, you bash C.L.'s haircut, yet are willing to look the other way at Pearl Harbor's "nuclear" aircraft carriers, jet-like P-40's, and other such nonsenses."Druids" is a good little historical film that should be watched for what it is..
I read Caesar's own account of the Gallic Wars recently, so for me it was very interesting to see the events of the memoirs acted out before my eyes, in very beautiful and - for the most part - historically accurate pictures.Everything is not right: Vercingétorix' wife was NOT Caesar's mistress in reality (at least nothing like that is taken down in the annals anywhere) - but this is not more odd than the fact that Spartacus' woman was Crassus' mistress in the highly approved movie "Spartacus" from 1960!
If all you die hards out there would read a little history and think of how movie makers screw up the real history or facts, you could tell they did it to this film.
Christopher Lambert (Highlander) is well-cast here as Vercingetorix, a Gaul who united his people against Julius Ceasar during the Gallic wars.
Klaus Maria Brandauer (Out of Africa) plays Ceasar and other than Rex Harrison in "Cleopatra" I don't think any actor has done better.For a change in this file every character feels real, they are all flawed and make horrible mistakes, but all are trying to help their people.
The action scenes are good and the pacing of the film is fine, though it is a bit too long.Ines Sastre does nicely in a very underwritten role as Vercingetorix' Queen.
Vercingetorix is not a great movie; it has serious structural and scenographical problems, and the plot is plodding along with little tightness or coherence, and some of the characters are made up to look rather ridiculous (particularly the Teutons, sporting neon-red hair-buns over naked torsos, making them look rather like half-naked drag-queens).
This movie gets too many bad reviews mostly i think just cause people read how bad the movie is.Well i liked it cause it is a very good historic epic movie.The fight scenes which is what americans care most about i think were ok.The drama in it was pretty good also.It was not as big as a Gladiator or Braveheart maybe but i think they may not have hasd the same amount of cash the others had,I would not be surprised if compared with other European historical movies this was pretty good.If you compare it with big movies with lots of green-screen action in it you may think it not so good.But it is not some fantasy movie this is an effort to make a historical epic movie and it has succeeded pretty well i think.But i guess alot of peopel now would call Shakespeare a bad writer.The movie is fine i just deserves another audience..
Recently I rented Druids, Vercingetorix, to go along the ancient Roman/Greek theme movies that I had been watching.
The one actor that I disliked in the film was the guy who played Ceaser, true he did do a good job, but his body stature was not what I picture Ceaser to look like.
Still, that would only explain the technical problems, not the entire mess.The most embarrassing in the end is to see that the entire movie theater is laughing out loud while watching this chaotic nonsense and, then, to discover that this actually cost money (80M Francs) and may be shown overseas as a "piece of french cinema"....
Beer is required to lower your judgement so you are more likely to accept things, and coffee is needed to keep you awake for the 2 hours it takes to complete this.I like the Gauls, and I liked the costumes and visual look of the movie, but the editing was terrible.
Vercingetorix seeks revenge over the death of his father and also pursues to overthrow Julius Caesar after he has been betrayed.Druids is a horribly boring and dull "direct to video" movie from the early 2000s.
Christopher Lambert's wig also constantly changes and he also manages to grow a moustache half way through the movie for no rhyme or reason.What's most painful is the film goes for roughly two hours!
Released to video in 2001 and originally titled "Vercingétorix" (also known as "The Gaul"), "Druids" relays the story of Vercingétorix (Christopher Lambert) who unites the people of Gaul (Northern France, Luxembourg, Belgium, most of Switzerland, parts of Northern Italy, as well as areas of the Netherlands and Germany) and led them against Roman domination at the hands of Julius Caesar in 52 BC.
Max Von Sydow plays a Druid sage who advises Vercingétorix (VER-sin-JET-er-ix).This is a low-budget France/Canada/Belgium production that lacks the technical excellence of films like "Braveheart" and "King Arthur," which explains why it was released straight-to-video.
The cinematography's weak, however, as are several of the peripheral cast.What's good about "Druids" is that it does inspire you to research the real-life story of Vercingétorix and his struggle to free the Gauls from Roman rule, as well as other items in the movie, like the Teutons, which are depicted in an almost laughable manner in the movie.
I briefly read about the Gauls and Vercingétorix in college, but it was long forgotten until seeing this movie.FINAL WORD: While "Druids" has some points of interest, like Rhia and the locations, it's really only worthwhile in a so-bad-it's-good way, although some people might be able to adjust to the cheesy presentation and take it seriously (I did, but only to a degree).
People come to IMDb to find information on a particular movie or a particular actor or character and if we are unable to find what we are looking for under the name we know it to be, then that becomes a problem.
Oh God, I don't know where to start, this movie is a total flop, agarbage and a total waste of money, on top of that Christopherstarted is career as a not good actor, to go to bad actor, then toterrible and now with this movie he just won the price of thehorrible actor, Ines Sastre who is just beautiful was the only nicething about this movie, they used some scene about 3 to 4 timesin a sequence without worrying if we would notice it or not, like ifwe were that dumb.
We all know Christopher Lambert isn`t the biggest, hottest or best guy in town, but Chrissy, even you can do better than this.If you are gonna see every movie every movie that has ever been made, make sure to leave this one out, it sucks 2 hours out of your life that you would rather have spent on watching grass grow.
There is random, pointless nudity in the film which is completely absurd, and I feel was added to the story, simply so the film would earn an "R" rating.Please don't watch this movie unless you want a good laugh.
I saw the teasers and thought "hey, kinda Braveheart-ish in a Gladiator kind of way" and hoped that Lambert was returning to original and good movies (hey, it had Von Sydow in the cast for christ's sake).
I felt the movie should have come with a person to stand in front of the TV, telling me about all of the important events that occurred "off-camera", explaining to me the inexplicable time lapses, and finally begging forgiveness as I beat him senseless for the time I wasted watching this fetid pile of crap.The action scenes in this film were at best, tedious.
The acting was horrible, Lambert trying to protray someone with leadership and chrisma, was a laughable farce, and most of the bit player were as bad.I feel violated for watching this film and it is a feeling that I wish to share with as few people as possible, so please, avoid this film like the plague..
The movie should have been released as "Vercingétorix" and not as "Druids" since there is scant mention of Druids in the film.Yes, the costumes are very inaccurate for the time historical period and location of Gaul.The casting was poorly executed, we have a number of great actors in this movie who should never have been cast for the roles they portray.
Lambert's portrayal of Vercingetorix brought feeling and purity to an historically based film about the suffering the Gauls encountered at the hand of Roman's..
Max von Sydow and the Druids barely rate as a subplot, and as far as I could tell, have no bearing on the main storyline.There are many attempts at Braveheart-style battles and it obvious the filmmakers felt they were making an "important" film, but that "importance" is it's undoing.
Lambert does sport some pretty obnoxious hair throughout the film, which is good for a laugh, as well as showing a little of the history of Julius Caesar's campaign in Gaul..
'Druids' has Christopher Lambert as the leading actor playing the role of Vercingétorix, and the cast also includes Klaus Maria Brandauer as Julius Caesar and Max Von Sydon.
'Druids' is an epic historical drama about Vercingentorix (Christopher Lambert), a chieftain of the Gauls who led a ferocious resistance against the attempts of Julius Caesar to subjugate Gaul, but who was ultimately defeated by the Roman general.
'Druids' tries to follow the example of such successful movies as 'Braveheart' or 'Gladiator' which are also epic historical dramas that present very similar themes and whose protagonist is a leader who has to fight against an oppressive force to defend his people.
Then is the acting: Of course we all know that Christopher Lambert is intent on becoming the worst actor of the world, as we saw in such blockbuster as 'Beowulf' or the sequels to 'Highlander,' but in this movie he wins hands down.
Vercingétorix never makes up its mind whether its a formula film or serious cinema.Surprising appearances (wow, fancy seeing you here) from Klaus Maria Brandauer as Julius Ceasar and Max von Sydow as the druidic cleric Guttuart, add at least a teensy bit of nuance to an otherwise forgettable movie.
The movie could have been a thrilling epic of national resistance, but falls short through a rather clunky script and the horrible miscasting of the two lead roles.Christopher Lambert is an atrocious title character, utterly lacking in the charisma and intelligence which made Vercingetorix the only man to ever unite the Gauls for a common purpose.
The "middle ages" clothing he pans closely resemble what we know about the garb of the ancient Gauls through Roman depictions and descriptions, and the great iron longswords of the Gallic warriors are exceptionally authentic in detail -- the Gauls had left the Bronze Age behind centuries before the time of this story -- they may have been tribal, but they weren't primitive.All in all, a disappointment, which is too bad because this might have been a hell of a good movie.
I loved Christopher Lambert's performance in Highlander, and I liked the movie despite its cheesiness, so I figured that this would be something along the same lines.
Christopher Lambert is beginning to prove himself an utter disappointment of an actor due to the caliber of films he has starred in recently and I will think twice before I see anything else he stars in.I am willing to bet a large sum of money that the director and producers of this movie are off somewhere laughing their heads off that people are actually taking the time to watch their movie, because really no one could possibly be serious in releasing a movie as preposterous as this.
I think it's in general, a very interesting historical moment, how he unites the Druid clans to stand against Julius Caesar.Now if I had actually been able to pick all that up from the movie..
If you want to smile, or to cry, I don't know, look at this film for its special effects: it's like if we were really at the century of Vercingetorix..
Awful movie!, Lambert has done some good films in his career , this is not one of them.
It's completely unbelievable.It's not even fun to watch like some of those horrible cheesy sci-fi films that make you laugh at how bad they are.
This actually looks like a porn movie without the porn scenes..
You'll have more fun and feel less like you are wasting your life.PS can anyone think of a film that demonstrates that Christopher Lambert actually CAN act - what exactly does he get paid to do?.