The Eagle (2011) ” … an anti-Gladiator movie?” | The Warden’s Walk | Movie Review

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The novel The Eagle of the Ninth, by Rosemary Sutcliff, is one of blogger David Urbach’s favourite authors: “I desperately wanted to see this (film The Eagle). Been waiting for it for years”. David has commented previously here on this Rosemary Sutcliff blog, and writes his own intriguing The Wardens Walk, with reviews of fantasy and sci-fi books, movies, and webcomics. He writes a long, thoughtful analysis of The Eagle. He starts his key thoughts section:

In some ways, The Eagle is sort of an anti-Gladiator movie. The scale is realistic and human rather than epic. The locales are tangibly real instead of glitzy CGI. The heroes do not engage in superstar posturing, do not splatter their enemies’ blood at every opportunity, and do value honor and mercy over revenge. It may not be as thrilling or spectacular as Gladiator, but it’s more internally consistent, and, in its own way, wiser and more heartening.

His recommendation is:

Not a perfect movie, but very good and rather unique. For those who like movies about ancient Rome and period adventure stories, yes. Also, if you saw Gladiator (2000) and thought “Well that’s fun, but I wonder what it all really looked like,” then you should see this movie. The Eagle should appeal to movie-lovers who are frustrated with the way modern action movies prefer to ignore story and character in favor of rushing from bloody killing to bloody killing. It’s an exciting adventure that really does care about the characters and their relationship

And after a detailed analysis, in ‘quick conclusion’ he comments:

…  despite some flaws with ‘Shaky Cam’ and a bare-bones script, The Eagle is an exciting and beautiful-looking adventure, with a strong sense of place and themes that are wiser and more unique than are usually found in period Hollywood movies.

Oblicza Kultury – Trylogia Orzeł! – Rosemary Sutcliff

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The Eagle of the Ninth in PolandKolumna ludzi wśród gór posuwała się naprzód jak błyszczący, srebrzysty wąż, cętkowany szkarłatnymi płaszczami i grzebieniami oficerów. (…) Mgła ścieliła się naokoło nich i w końcu ich zasłoniła, jakby przeszli do innego świata.

Dziewiąty Legion wyruszył ku mglistym rubieżom północnej Brytanii i więcej go nie widziano. Cztery tysiące żołnierzy przepadło bez wieści, a razem z nimi ich sztandar.

Marek, rzymski centurion, postanawia zgłębić tajemnicę zaginionego legionu, którym przed laty dowodził jego ojciec. Udaje się więc na śmiertelnie niebezpieczną wyprawę w nieznane strony, zamieszkane przez wrogie plemiona. Nikt nie spodziewa się, że kiedykolwiek wróci…

„Dziewiąty Legion” został okrzyknięty jedną z najwspanialszych książek młodzieżowych XX w. i sprzedał się na świecie w nakładzie przeszło miliona egzemplarzy.
Source: Oblicza Kultury – Trylogia Orzeł! – Rosemary Sutcliff już 23 lutego!.

Atli Orvarsson’s music score for movie The Eagle evokes ‘true majesty’

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The music of The Eagle film of Rosemary Sutcliff‘s historical novel for children and young adults The Eagle of the Ninth came in for praise in a review in Boston in the US. The reviewer commented that Atli Orvarsson‘s score for The Eagle “evokes true majesty” and “brings us into the film’s world”.

Although perhaps not quite a household name within soundtrack circles, Icelandic composer Atli Orvarsson has a lot of sonic potential lurking under his belt, with his score for director Kevin MacDonald’s The Eagle serving as his best offering to date.Read More »

The Eagle is Not Your ‘Average Gone with the Wind’ Film

Anthony Lawton2 Comments

Goodness knows how it feels actually to make a film like The Eagle and put it out there, for critics and viewers to have their say – an ever more public say, with the internet. I find myself fiercely protective of the film (which I have seen once at a preview – and loved it, not just because I have to!) And of the film-makers, although they need no protection from me. At times they get criticised for what, to me, is actually all part of capturing the essence of Rosemary’s story and feel for it so well. But this concluding sentence of one broadly supportive New York review, with its comment that Rosemary Sutcliff‘s wonderful, beautifully told story was ‘tired’ , definitely got me going about the book, let alone the film!

The film won’t be taking home any big awards but it deserves credit for being enjoyable and for trying to make a tired story be a little more original. (Rating: Three out of five stars).

via The Eagle is Not Your Average Gone with the Wind – Film & Television – AllMediaNY.

Boys Rule Boys Read! goes WOW about The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutclliff

Anthony Lawton1 Comment

Over there (from here in England) at Charlotte Mecklenburg Library they work very energetically to encourage boys to read, and they are really, really enthusiastic about Rosemary Sutcliff‘s The Eagle of the Ninth

Wow.Wow …. Have you ever sat in a theatre after a movie was over, stunned and unable to get up because the movie was so great? Doesn’t happen often, does it? Well, books as great as The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff don’t come along that often either. And just like a great movie, this book left me sitting there going, “Wow.”The whole purpose of this blog is to tell you about terrific books, so I’m going to tell you guys right now that his is one terrific book!
Source: Boys Rule Boys Read!: The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutclliff.

And the in their view the book is excellent for group discussions: Read More »