476 A.D. Chapter One: The Last Light of Aries

Plot synopsis:
After General Flavius Aëtius' Last Victorious Campaign against Attila the Hun, at the Battle of Chalons in 451 A.D. Once again, Order and Safety is restored within the Roman Empire. However, with increasing political power and popularity of General Flavius Aëtius, known as "The True Savior of Rome", Flavius becomes a threat to Caesar and the Senate of Rome. This brings the corrupt Caesar Valeninian III to eventually murder Flavius Aëtius, the Last of the Old Generation of Roman Generals. From here on, Rome endures two decades of intense turmoil and corruption, leading the way to the final inevitable Demise of the Empire.After 12 centuries of power, Rome finally reaches it's sunset, on the eve of September 4th, 476 A.D. The Eve of an Ancient Age, and Donning of the New Dark Ages. The last day of the Mighty Ancient Rome that once Ruled all the Known World, from the borders of Scotland, to the Deserts of Arabia. Flavius' son, Aetius Patrius Majorian, now a grown man, and a Commander of all the Roman Armies, gathers the Last of Roman Legionnaires, for One Final Battle of Rome against the invading Barbarians.As the Last Roman Caesar Romulus Augustulus, helplessly sits on his throne in Rome, the Germanic Ostrogoths, under their Chieftain Odoacer, sack the City of Ravenna, the last stronghold North of Rome, thus leaving the path to Rome completely open for attacks. With the end now inevitable, General Aetius Patrius Majorian appeals to the Senate in order to evacuate the city. However, his attempt is arrogantly ignored, as possibility of Rome falling, seems practically inconceivable to the overly confident Senate. With a popular tradition of holding Barbarians in contempt, there is a misconception of false hope and safety for the "Eternal City of Rome". This takes away from the actual real danger of destruction that stands in the way of Evacuation of Rome. However the cunning and corrupt Senator Magnus, aware of danger, secures his safety and that of the Senate, by proposing negotiations with Odoacer, following the usual tradition of Senators swearing loyalty to whom ever wins and takes control. While, at the cost of their own safety, the Senate leaves the People of Rome completely at the Mercy of Barbarians, and the young Caesar Romulus as a Scapegoat FIgure for the Coup d' état.With the Last Roman Stronghold of Ravenna destroyed, North of Rome is completely undefended, and the Ostrogoths finally do reach the Outskirts of Rome, ready to fulfill their centuries old dream of crushing the City once and for all. General Aetius Patrius Majorian is finally left with the Last of the Roman Patriots, including his Father's Loyal Centurions, to defend the City, Although forsaken by the Senate, and greatly outnumbered, young Aetius is surrounded with the Last of the Best, until the Very End. Thus One Last Stronghold remains to fulfill the Final Chapter, between Barbarians, and the Eternal City of Rome.By
Ivan Pavletic

Tags: violence, murder, romantic, flashback

Review:
It's definitely not the best movie out there, but when you take in consideration the ultra low budget behind its creation, which according to IMDb was at only 100k, it's actually not bad at all.
According to the cinematographic quality, from the very beginning, it is obvious that it is a low budget art/indi film, however once you accept it for what it is, it is actually rather interesting, and seems to suck you in about half way in to the movie.
For instance, the first 10 minutes, there is not a single word spoken, in fact it feels overly artsy and slow, and even comic in a way, however, it is very rich in imagery, which makes up for it's slow paste, and gradual rise.
Another element that comfortably surprised me, was the fact that at every moment, there is some kind of a soundtrack playing, is it just some barely heard ambient sound, or a classical symphony, there is hardly a second in the movie without music.
From the beginning until the end, the film never leaves its tempo, which it manages to hold until the very end.The film doesn't really start to pick up in its story until about half way in, which I felt was cleverly done, as majority of the new high budget blockbusters reach their peaks at the beginning, and then just ride that left over echo throughout the entire movie.
This, I find to be a grossly cheap solution for a quick money making gimmick with today's high budget blockbusters.
Here the slow gradual rise to its peak was rather interestingly done, where I felt the gradual transition in its tempo and dynamic of the story was original, in the way that it didn't use the usual formula that many others do.
While at the same time, never loosing its art experimental feel and style of the film.
This is something that I found very interesting in a low budget film, because very little filmmakers still manage to do this in a transition of the story, yet stay consistent to it's style and genre.Overall, despite the lower budget lack of quality in its cinematography, compared to many today's blockbusters, this movie somehow never lost me, and managed to keep my attention until the end.
Which for a low budget film like this, is very impressive in my opinion..
Spartacus Fan. If you like this kind of period piece and similar big stories like 'Spartacus', 'Rome', '300', 'The Immortals' etc...then you'll love this film.
By Ivan Pavletic, a great up and coming Denver based Actor who comes off more like a chameleon and less like a human.
Support Independent Film Making and rent '476 A.D. Chapter One: The Last Light of Aries' today!!
Featuring a terrific and talented cast, this feature film is set in the first century with great costume and production design.
476 AD: chapter 1 a great film that begs to be seen..
At a time when The Roman Empire was in its last throws of collapse, Aetius brought glory to its people.
Ivan Pavletic's portrayal of Aetius, who fought the Huns and returned a hero, highlights the reality of what led to the down fall of the empire and meeting an enemy on a battlefield may very well be the easiest fight.
The making of this film is a great example of why independent films continue to prove that big money and the Hollywood formulas aren't necessary to create a movie of quality and importance.
I enjoyed watching this movie and felt that it was a well crafted combination of talent and skill comes together in Pavletic's film, giving it the right recipe for success..
The movie sort of feels like a 1970's/80's TV film, and with the type of the shots and theatrical acting, reminds me a little of a low budget version of the 1970's BBC series "I'Claudius".
Possibly, one of the most underrated of his films, and other then the 1969 "The Wild Bunch", possibly the best of director Sam Peckinpah.Although the quality of 476 A.D. The Last Light of Aries might have been compromised by the very low budget production, its realistic acting and original mystique dynamic, definitively makes up for its misses as the low budget indi, which it is.
If you are a fan of big budget Hollywood blockbusters, then perhaps this might not be for you, but if you are a fan the European low budget art house films, then this is definitively a movie for you..
This is a big story that brings the audience in quickly and purposefully..
Ivan did an excellent job bringing this big story to life with great attention to detail and setting.
Though this is not a high budget film, it came across as a very professionally created film.
The costumes and setting brought an important authenticity to the production, making it simple for the viewers to connect with the story.
The film was shot on location in Europe, as well as in the US, which helps to set the intended tone for the movie.
Ivan is a very talented film director, writer and actor.
I look forward to seeing the next part of this film when it comes out..
It seems that the history of man is locked loop that keeps the man inside if your own vanity, selfishness and greed history is the mirror that shows us clearly that our present but our good if we only have the clarity reflector an abyss our limits to see just one step away, we bend our weaknesses and condemn us to repeat our mistakes inevitably condemning us to an endless sedition and human torture ...
Ivan Pavletic having sensitivity to delve into these issues in his film recounts story that the past is a clear window of life that still continue to choose the difference is only the loss of time that will never ever recover .......
This is one of those bizarre low budget indi films that somehow grows on you.
I bought it on Amazon a month ago, and didn't really care much for it then, but I decided to watch the whole thing again, and the second time I actually really liked it, and simply got hooked on it.
There is just something about this film that talks to you in its own hypnotic bizarre language, to the point that it made me open my Italian Red Malvasia wine.The film is obviously low budget, as it is lacking in cinematographic quality, when it comes to the special effects, and computer graphics, but that is exactly what makes it interesting.
Even though it starts really slow, at moments even corny, and just simply bizarre, if you watch it with an open mind, I promise you will love it by the end.
In an unorthodox way, it get to its own by the second act, as it catches up in its richness and novel like dynamic.
It sort of feels like listening to those audio books, only instead of the voice, the atmosphere is expressed through the collage of plentiful rich and colorful images, almost like looking at classic paintings, and somehow you just can't take your eyes and ears of it.
The film manages to take you to the Mediterranean life it self, to the point that you feel you are actually there.
This is something I caught right away, because I lived in Italy, which I try to visit at least once a year, and if anything, one thing this indi film caught very well, was the true Roman Mediterranean vibe.
I had a great opportunity to see this film at it's premier.
Everyone enjoyed it and had a great time.
The story meant a lot to him and think that passion was projected quite well in the finished product.
Great movie.
Great movie.
Great story.
I really liked this film.
It makes me wonder what it must have been like to live in 476 A.D. I really like this films sensibilities.
It reminds me of the way Fellini's movies made me feel when I first saw them.
I feel so numb watching most of the shlock that Hollywood is selling these days.
476 A.D. is the type of movie I can watch over and over.
Historical Film with Historic Story.
To see this film take shape was a treat, but when I got to watch it for the first time..
Great story line, & to see these guys do it on such a tight budget was something else.
Loved the feel of the battle scenes, really made you feel like there were many more on the field, & done with true style for a low budget film...Ivan Pavletic is a true artist, & I can't wait for Chapter 2 to come out...
let's make it a series guys!!!Check out Ivan's other projects as well, his film Tesla looks to be another hit...
I decided to give 476 A.D. a shot at the recommendation of a buddy of mine, and from the look of the trailer I was expecting to sit through 75 minutes of repetitive imagery, sub-par scores and stiff acting.
So while the film isn't necessarily devoid of all low budget clichés, its directorial direction is astoundingly clear, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone with an evening to spare..
My compliments dear sir Pavletic to the overall artistic impression of the film.
Once again congratulations for a great movie.Dragica Petrovic, Zagreb; Croatia adu-951-17475.
Love the historical accuracy and attention to detail.
Ivan did an excellent job with this film.
From the script writing and directing to the actors & settings there was great attention to detail in all things.
I love that it was filmed on location as much as possible.
Great job Ivan.
Make sure to look for Ivan in other projects as an actor as well as Director and writer.
This tragedy of a film is the most horrendous watch I ever seen.
A film that was shot with a early 2000 camera phone.
It looks like a someone mashed together footage from a renaissance festival and mixed it in with some shitty dialog that doesn't make any sense.
This has inspired me to make a film because if these douche bags can do it anyone can...cause it shows..
I came across this movie on Amazon Prime, and gave it a shot, based on the reviews on Amazon that I saw, and two thirds of people seem to either really hate it, or really love it.
I personally have to admit, I did not like this film, despite the fact that it is a low budget artsy experimental indi film, however, I can not say I hate it either.
This is an unusual low budget film, yet very interesting for its underground historic genre.
The presence of the obvious nostalgia for the old 1960's European cinema is very evident while watching this.
It is evident in its intentional old look, and slightly distorted type of sound, that hasn't been heard in films, in the last 40 years or so.Even the whole dynamic of the film seems to feel a bit distorted, seeming to cater more to atmosphere, rather then story line.
Hence making it confusing at moments, but enjoyable from the ambiance point of view.Although the style of storytelling is rather unorthodox, it doesn't come across as a deliberate protest against the norm, but rather its own path of story telling.
This I found interesting, because such type of a more free and no rule following approach is often seen in the Italian cinema, especially in the earlier Fellini films from the 1950's, such as La Strada, or The White Sheik, from 1952.476 A.D. Chapter One: The Last Light of Aries is definitively not your pop-corn flick that you will watch in a main stream movie theater, but its own hermit.
It is not a type of a film that is made by any fashion of the presently accepted module, but rather off the grid type experimental expression.
It is definitely an art-experimental type of a film, that holds its virtue based on its one of a kind originality.
Sort of like a modern art painting, painted in the moments of passion, that seems to speak only to the similar viewing minds..
476 A.D. an epic Roman feeling.
This film brings out a personal feeling rather than a regurgitation of history.
Unlike 300, this Roman epic is riddled with historic accuracy with the personal feelings that the director portrays within his vision.
Watching this movie, I believe it is safe to say that the personal feeling is nostalgia.
The director, Ivan Pavletic makes one feel like they are transported from the current era and placed in the Roman era.
This entertaining film is one for the ages, Roman and current era alike..
This is a true artistic film!
I love the artistic drive of Ivan Pavletic.
Independent film is a growing art form that needs it's place and 476 A.D. delivers!
This film gets to the real foundation of the human story at a crucial event in history.
The end of the Roman Empire and how it felt to those who lived it.
I am at a loss when reading the other reviews of this film...as if it is a masterpiece.
It most certainly isn't.The film is rated one star on Amazon Prime and I can see why.The credits, story-line scroll, dates, more credits are still rolling after 13 or so minutes!The first 20 minutes is dominated by extreme close-ups (head shots) of people...nodding, looking around them, smiling, looking shifty, drinking...no dialog, no explanation of who they are.
It takes nearly 22 minutes before one of the heads talks!The sound is awful, sounds like the voice recording was made in a cupboard.The framing is so close that the director didn't need sets...you simply can't see them in the first part of the film.To be fair there are some nice shots of the sun, the moon, some tops of trees and the sky...The crowd scenes are blurry, I think deliberately so that you cannot see who they are, what they are dressed like.There are too many fades, cuts and panning shots to make this a film that is easy to watch and I cannot believe that it took two years to film (reading the descriptions on IMDb).
It has the look and feel of something shot in two weeks.The main problem with this film is that the visuals and audio detract from the story-line...you concentrate more on how bad those things are than trying to listen and understand what is going on.The music that rumbles on in the background feels wrong and the continued crowd noises are too high many times...adding nothing to the 'feel' of the film.
Put simply, the soundtrack is mismatched and detracts from the overall presentation.29 minutes in and you get the first long-shot...with a bit of a set, but then immediately they go into unnecessary cuts of drums playing, back to close-ups of people standing in front of what looks like a false backdrop and echoing dialog seemingly recorded in a bathroom or in the bathtub (it echoes so badly).Unsure what equipment this was filmed on, but looks incredibly poor quality and not helped by the colour grading applied (or I hope it has been applied in post).There are close-ups of people talking throughout, but no sound or real connection to the story-line, more heads turning, cross-fading shots of animals and more cuts to head-shots that are simply too close.You get the idea...the visual style gets too much in the way of this film.Oh and the acting is rather stilted and wooden.
I cannot recommend this film at all..
This year, a swords and sandals epic got released that had clunky  dialogue, cheap digital camera work, extremely wooden acting and hardly  even a dash of historical accuracy, in addition to an extremely loud  soundtrack that overpowered the dialogue (which wouldn't have been a  problem if the music weren't so overly cheap sounding).
I'm referring to Ivan Pavletic's  "epic", 476 A.D. Part 1: The Last Light of Aries  The film is apparently a part 1, yet it's hardly even 90 minutes long  and worse yet, it's hardly a movie.
For one, the film was made on a  small budget and it shows.
It boasts overly cheap and cringe-worthy  green screen effects, the audio editing is horrendous and the dialogue  sounds like it was recorded in a decompression tank.
The rather  unattractive and uncharismatic actors mumble through their lines as if  English is their ninth language, but it's hard to blame them when the  script is so paper-thin.
Speaking of the dialogue, if you love dialogue  either that appears to have been written by someone whose first  language clearly isn't English, or love cliché dialogue from films such  as Gladiator ("Rome...
Actually, while I'm at it, good luck trying to understand ANY of what  the characters are saying because it's so hideously poorly mixed  A particularly bad offender is Ivan Pavletic himself, whose accent can  be described as a drunken Croatian cyborg.
And it's obvious that there's  only forty minutes of of intent here because the majority of the film  is looped shots and stock footage.
Oh speaking of which, go on youtube  and look at the hilarious sex scene that apparently opens up part II  that makes the sex scenes in "The Room" seem like a Coppola creation.
One must wonder  if like Wiseau himself Pavletic had any intention on making more sex  scenes  But what truly baffles me most about this movie is how on earth it  managed to make it into any cinema.
It is completely unprofessional and  looks like it was thrown together in ten days.
Or are people just afraid of saying no to someone whose head  clearly isn't in the right place?
(Pavletic does rhyme with pathetic  after all) or is the film business riddled with yes men willing to  enable this guy's clearly delusional fantasies?