There is a very interesting Pagan “anti-war” movie in Centurion, which opened today in an arts-house release in Manhattan. Set during the Roman occupation of northern Britain (what we call Scotland) in 117 CE, it intrigues as a Pagan All Quiet on the Western Front, or Platoon, or Saving Private Ryan; it should appeal to both Pagans who identify with Classical culture, as well as those who do so with Celtic (or in this case, Pictish). (Pagans who have mastered the Celtic languages may find it agreeable that the Picts’ lines are spoken in Scot Gaelic, sub-titled into English.) Fair warning, though- to sit through this movie is to endure an exceptional amount of graphically rendered, gory violence. It should be noted for two striking female characters: (1) a nigh-supernatural hunter/tracker, and a warrior-woman of Xena-like skill (if one knows Celtic mythology, one would compare her to Scathach), and (2) a Witch, a herbal healer, who lives outcast in the forest.
Warning: This way lie Spoilers-
Like the recent Valhalla Rising (which it superficially resembles), this is a Pagan movie (meaning, a movie self-consciously located within a Pagan time) that luxuriates in landscape shots. Whether fleeting over majestic, snowy clefts, or gliding through the hush of misty forest, Centurion’s camera adores Nature. Also like Valhalla Rising, the film is constantly finding new ways to mutilate the human body.
Centurion differs from Valhalla Rising in that it enjoys an intelligent script. The violence one can argue is necessary, for this is a movie that means severely to challenge any noble notions of war- save for the ferocious acts of gallantry that soldiers in the field will exhibit. We slowly become desensitized to the grotesque horror of people hacking one another to death- but a point of the film is the dehumanizing toll savage warfare will induce.
The treachery of the battlefield, as well as the heroism; the cynical reasons for which leaders will start wars which they will never fight personally; the bonding of soldiers in camp and battle; the wearying, stupefying effect of occupying a hostile foreign land, and the fierce determination of guerrilla freedom-fighters to push invaders from their territory- the exciting tale of warriors trapped behind dangerous enemy lines, trying to regain their comrades, and safety, and finally home: all are among the themes explored in this extremely literate, at times coarsely funny, at times poetic, script. (Best line: “That’s Hadrian’s big fucking plan- a wall!?”)
Centurion is timely, dealing as it does with enlisted men, thousands of miles from their home, trying to finish a brutal job imposed upon them by someone else’s idea of “empire”; as well as with a proud and angry indigenous people, defending their homeland with every covert, insurrectionary tactic that they can find. The killer of it all is the futility of it all by the end. “Rome has given up on this shit-hole of a country.”
“Then we fought for nothing.”
“The conquest of Britain is a lost cause- this is the graveyard of ambition.”
Two quick shots (so keep your eyes peeled) amused me. In one of the “life in the Roman military camp” sequences, a soldier is briefly seen juggling balls. Hey, I thought- a Juggler!
Then- this was cool- in the ambush scene in the woods, when the Picts trap the Romans- watch for a Pict who hurls a spear: with the Antlers of the Horned One upon his head.
For one brief moment- the Horned God was in the movie.
Pagan audiences will find interesting Etain, the Wolf-identified warrior-woman who tracks the Roman soldiers with Scathach-like prowess. (Quick- who can identify the Celtic Goddess/ Mythological figure Etain? Kudos to those who said, supernatural wife to King Midhir of the Faerey-Land.)
Also of Wiccan and Pagan interest is the Witch Arianne, who shelters and performs healing on the Romans. Accused by the Pict chieftain of Witchcraft, scarred, and exiled, Arianne harbors no good will towards her former tribes-people; fear of her “necromancy” gives her privacy, and alarm over her curses keep the Picts from entering her house. ”Witch” and “Roman” become the mutual pet-names of Arianne and the Sexy Lead Roman (Quintus), as in, “Has the Witch worked her Magick?” and, “It seems as if my life is in your hands once again, Witch.”
This is an exciting, intelligent, and well-done movie (set in a Pagan environment), with some very compelling points to make. There is an incredible amount of horrific violence- but the film’s intention is to decry warfare. Pagans who can handle screen violence, and who cannot locate this movie in a venue near them, may wish to check out Centurion on DVD.
Thanks for the review! Rotten Tomatoes gave this movie a low rating (last I checked, anyway) but your review makes me really want to see it! Thanks for sharing.
But the Picts weren’t Irish or Scottish–they didn’t speak a Q-Celtic (or “Goidelic”) language, and so wouldn’t speak Gaelic or have people named Etain. They probably spoke P-Celtic (or “Brythonic”), if we go by placenames:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pictish_language
Yeah, it’s Wikipedia, but they do have pretty good citations of the debate over whether Pictish was P-Celtic or another language, coming down on the side of P-Celtic But Not Gaulish.
Frankly, it just sounds like they made the Picts into savages again. It’s nice to be anti-imperialist and all, but not at the expense of the characterization of indigenous peoples.
Thanks for the useful info on Celtic languages- not something I know so much about (I understand there were Celts; they had language-) If the Picts (and the Picts aren’t even Celts, right? The Picts were like aboriginal Scots people, right?)- if the Picts in Centurion are savages- the Romans are equally savage. The movie is clear that a number of the Picts are motivated by revenge for various brutal Roman atrocities. It is not a “Noble Roman” versus “Savage Pict” movie- It’s actually “Savage Pict retaliating against Savage Roman aggression.” The movie finally (to me) seems to say, that there is an appalling tendency in humans towards savagery- therefore the savagery of warfare should be foresworn at all costs.
I suspect the last point Tlachtga was trying to make is that depiction of a group or individuals as “savages” is still distilling the character of a people and their culture into the idea of “primitive” and suchlike…it’s not a matter of “noble” versus “savage” it’s a matter of “obviously these people aren’t as advanced as these other people.” The “Noble Savage” stereotype of NA people was/is just as damaging in its way as the “these people are like animals, and too stupid to recognize that OUR way is better than THEIR way” variety. “Savage” in this instance is not used as a descriptor of morality/behavior(savage vs. noble) but in terms of primitive and uncivilized and “lesser”.
Bren and I watched this movie and really enjoyed it.
The claims of how the Picts are depicted as stupid and savage are obviously made by people who have NOT seen the movie. The Picts are portrayed as a people absolutely desperate to protect their lands and their own people, driven to “savagery’ by years of abuse, invasion and brutal conquest. They are also shown as spiritual and superstitious, cunning, clever, organized, skilled in tracking hunting and fighting and also really REALLY pissed off.
The Romans are shown partly as a desperate group of soldiers racing through harsh lands trying to reach safety. But they are also portrayed as brutal invaders who look down on those they seek to conquer, sometimes traitorous, crass, political, and ambitious. With an even amount of surprising loyalty and great survival-ism within our little band of soldiers.
Basically, there are no clear good guys or bad guys in this film. I found myself cheering both the Romans and the Picts at different times in the movie. This made the film much more enjoyable and believable, because in real life things are never black and white. Really the only person in the film I felt was 100% a “good guy” was the witch!
Great film , fast paced and exciting, very beautifully shot and very thoughtful, and well worth watching.
Also, the concerns about the use of language is just nit-picking. No one speaks Brythonic any more, but there were places int he film where they needed a language barrier, so they used the Gaelic. I was sitting beside a man with a PhD from Ireland who speaks a little Irish and he was delighted. I’m sure the Latin spoken was less than perfect as well. But its a movie not a historical documentary.