Орел девятого легиона. I have found some Russian Tweets about The Eagle film which they call, like the book, The Eagle of the Ninth Legion! Thus for example this qualified welcome!
Орел девятого легиона – не совсем классический, но довольно интересный фильм про римскую империю. Честь, доблесть, судьба и все такое.
translated is
Eagle of the Ninth Legion – not quite a classic, but quite an interesting film about the Roman Empire. Honor, courage, destiny and all that.
On Thursday, a day before it opened in the US, The Eagle was released in Russia. (In the last three days there have been more referrals from the Russian language version of Wikipedia than the American/English one). Does anyone who reads this read Russian or know Russian friends who may have seen the film? Using Google to translate has its limitations, and takes much toing and froing, but for example one review ended:
Однако Кевин МакДональд, прежде не работавший в таком сложном жанре, может быть доволен своей работой.
which Google translates as
However, Kevin McDonald, had never worked in such a difficult genre, can be satisfied with his work.
I am as intrigued to know the film is being received and written about there as in the US. And they (like the French and German) keep the title of the book as the title of the film! I do wish the Americans had done, then it would be properly entitled here!
Writing about The Eagle film of Rosemary Sutcliff‘s historical novel The Eagle of the Ninth movie editor Barbara Vancher of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette interestingly picks up on the remarkable imagination of a severely disabled author. She comments that, shot in Hungary and Scotland:
The Eagle takes flight near the end when the young men have a chance to test their skills as strategists, survivalists, leaders and friends.
With ritualistic tribal dances in what is now the Scottish Highlands and breathless chases and battles, it’s all the more remarkable considering that Ms. Sutcliff contracted a wasting disease at age two and spent most of her life in a wheelchair. But her imagination soared like an eagle.
Source: Uneven ‘Eagle’ finally takes flight in second half.
Perhaps Dom Coyote (first-cousin-twice-removed of Rosemary Sutcliff) has inherited some story-telling genes. Currently expressed through music.
A recent tweet from an archaeologist about The Eagle film refers to it being like a Western. ‘Interesting’, because this was partly what was in the Director’s mind (see here). It seems for this film-watcher Kevin Macdonald succeeded in his intention! And Rosemary Sutcliff herself loved Westerns.
ROSEMARY SUTCLIFF (1920-92) 