The Eagle film was much covered in earlier years on this blog. It was shown again in the UK on Film 4. Posts here. Last night I was moved to tweet about it too at www.twitter.com/rsutcliff
Ghost Story, a film directed by Stephen Weeks in 1974, was co-written by Rosemary Sutcliff; or at least she has ‘story’ and ‘screenplay’ credits. Marianne Faithfull was in it. (Source: IMDb).
In 1984 Rosemary Sutcliff helped write Sword of the Valiant – The Legend of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight – starring Sean Connery. It was directed by Stephen Weeks. The film also starred Trevor Howard. (Source)
Now that it is several years since the making of the film The Eagle (2011) of the historical novel The Eagle of the Ninth (1954) by Rosemary Sutcliff, Ipost here in a post some of the material I originally gathered as a separate page on this http://www.rosemarysutcliff.com blog.
The Eagle is the title of the film (movie) based on world-renowned historical novelist Rosemary Sutcliff’s famous historical novel – The Eagle of the Ninth. Academy award-winner Kevin Macdonald directed it; Duncan Kenworthy produced it. Channing Tatum (other films before then included G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, Dear John) lead the cast, with Jamie Bell (Defiance, Jumper), Donald Sutherland, Mark Strong (Sherlock Holmes, Robin Hood, Kick Ass) and Tahar Rahim (The Prophet). Jeremy Brock, BAFTA Award-winning screenwriter of Macdonald’s 2006 film The Last King of Scotland, adapted the screenplay of The Eagle from Rosemary Sutcliff’s classic novel. Read More »
There is a brief mention of The Eagle film from Rosemary Sutcliff’s The Eagle of the Ninth in an article by Jonathan Romney about actor Tahar Rahim who played The Seal Prince.
Strangest of all was the Celts-and-Centurions swashbuckler The Eagle, for British director Kevin Macdonald. Rahim played the Seal Prince—shaven-headed, covered from head to foot in loam, and speaking ancient Gaelic.
Prompted by Feona Beoney on Twitter, I am much taken with the new label ‘celts-and-centurion swashbuckler’, especially the celts-and-centurion phrase (although ‘swashbuckler’ is perhaps not right, since it reeks of pirates and the sea!). Better than sword(s) and sandal.
Source: Tahar Rahim: ‘I’ve always refused to play terrorists’ | The Observer.
Recent showings on Film 4 in the UK of ‘The Eagle’ film, based on Rosemary Sutcliff’s historical novel The Eagle of the Ninth, have reminded me of my frustration and disappointment that the film was not itself called The Eagle of the Ninth. For many months during filming and productionthe it had the full title, but after test-marketing in the USA, the US film studio Focus Features insisted on shortening the title – because US audiences seemed to think The Eagle of the Ninth might be about golf! (I am not joking).
At the time I wrote that I chose to believe that the studio knew its business and its market, although the subsequent failure of their marketing in the US lead me to wonder a little more. The (standard) contract for the book rights gave those of us responsible for Rosemary Sutcliff’s book no veto or locus in the decision.
In many, but not all, countries the title was a full translation of the original title. In others, of ‘The Eagle’. So far I think I have found:
Brazil: A Aguia da Nova
Bulgaria: Орелът
Croatia: Orao
Finland: Kotka
France: L’ Aigle de la Neuvième Légion
Germany: Der Adler der Neunten Legion
Greece: O aetos tis aftokratorias
Hungary: A sas
Iceland: Örninn
Japan: 第九軍団のワシ /
Lithuania: Devintojo legiono erelis
Poland: Dziewiaty legion
Portugal: A Águia da Nona Legião
Romania: Acvila legiunii a IX-a
Russia: Орел Девятого легиона
Spain: El águila de la novena legión
ROSEMARY SUTCLIFF (1920-92) 