A debut novel that reinterprets Homer's Iliad is the latest in an array of works to be inspired by the classics
When Madeline Miller won the Orange prize for fiction last week for her debut novel The Song of Achilles, it seemed only natural to wonder how the mythical Greek hero of her book might celebrate. "I think he'd do it in a very epic way," she says, laughing. "And luckily one of the lovely sponsors [of the prize] gave me a very large bottle of champagne."
Miller's book, written in her spare time while she taught Latin in Us secondary schools, is based on Homer's Iliad and vividly reimagines the story of Patroclus, the brother-in-arms of Achilles. Although Miller's inspiration was ancient, her themes are undoubtedly modern: The Song of Achilles charts the deep and loving relationship between these two, same-sex characters in a time of war and brutality.
"I...
When Madeline Miller won the Orange prize for fiction last week for her debut novel The Song of Achilles, it seemed only natural to wonder how the mythical Greek hero of her book might celebrate. "I think he'd do it in a very epic way," she says, laughing. "And luckily one of the lovely sponsors [of the prize] gave me a very large bottle of champagne."
Miller's book, written in her spare time while she taught Latin in Us secondary schools, is based on Homer's Iliad and vividly reimagines the story of Patroclus, the brother-in-arms of Achilles. Although Miller's inspiration was ancient, her themes are undoubtedly modern: The Song of Achilles charts the deep and loving relationship between these two, same-sex characters in a time of war and brutality.
"I...
- 6/2/2012
- by Elizabeth Day
- The Guardian - Film News
Kevin MacDonald’s The Eagle came out on Blu-ray and DVD this week and as part of the included special features there is a forty-five minute ‘Making of’ documentary covering the entire production process beginning with the novel, through to the challenges encountered whilst shooting, to the finished film.
The sense of passion on set is palpable, and in this short tease we hear from cast and crew about the production, notably from MacDonald and producer Duncan Kenworthy who spoke to us earlier this week about his own journey to bring Rosemary Sutcliff’s novel to the big screen.
Please note that this extended documentary is available on all Blu-rays of The Eagle but only on DVDs bought from Sainsburys stores so if you’re after this on DVD do check there. My DVD review copy didn’t have the full thing, but I hope to be able to bring...
The sense of passion on set is palpable, and in this short tease we hear from cast and crew about the production, notably from MacDonald and producer Duncan Kenworthy who spoke to us earlier this week about his own journey to bring Rosemary Sutcliff’s novel to the big screen.
Please note that this extended documentary is available on all Blu-rays of The Eagle but only on DVDs bought from Sainsburys stores so if you’re after this on DVD do check there. My DVD review copy didn’t have the full thing, but I hope to be able to bring...
- 7/28/2011
- by Jon Lyus
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
The Eagle, Kevin MacDonald’s adaptation of Rosemary Sutcliffe’s popular novel, is out on DVD this week and we had the good fortune to speak with the film’s producer, Duncan Kenworthy.
The man behind Four Weddings, Love Actually and, most importantly, a couple of series of Fraggle Rock back in the early 80s tells us about his relationship with the source material, the casting of the two leads, Channing Tatum and Jamie Bell, and the current state of the British Film Industry as he sees it.
HeyUGuys: What’s your history with the book? What struck about the story that made you want to adapt it for the cinema?
Duncan Kenworthy: I must have first read the novel as a teenager – I loved historical fiction and read all of Rosemary Sutcliff’s Roman and Dark Ages novels – though I definitely wouldn’t describe The Eagle Of The Ninth...
The man behind Four Weddings, Love Actually and, most importantly, a couple of series of Fraggle Rock back in the early 80s tells us about his relationship with the source material, the casting of the two leads, Channing Tatum and Jamie Bell, and the current state of the British Film Industry as he sees it.
HeyUGuys: What’s your history with the book? What struck about the story that made you want to adapt it for the cinema?
Duncan Kenworthy: I must have first read the novel as a teenager – I loved historical fiction and read all of Rosemary Sutcliff’s Roman and Dark Ages novels – though I definitely wouldn’t describe The Eagle Of The Ninth...
- 7/26/2011
- by Jon Lyus
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Oranges and Sunshine; Justin Bieber: Never Say Never; Rango; The Eagle; The Lincoln Lawyer
The ironically upbeat title of Jim Loach's impressive and arresting feature debut, Oranges and Sunshine, (2010, Icon, 15) refers to the bright new future promised to British children shipped to Australia in one of the most alarming chapters of this country's recent past. Assured (often erroneously) that their parents were dead, these forgotten unfortunates arrived wide-eyed down under, where they faced a life of slave labour – and worse. Inducted into institutions where child abuse was rife, they suffered at the hands of anonymous authorities and closed-rank religious orders, their plight a grotesque secret shrouded in an all-encompassing silence.
Inspired by the real-life investigations which led to belated (and all-too-recent) official apologies, Loach's powerful movie strikes an exemplary balance between personal journey and wider political parable. Emily Watson is terrific as social worker Margaret Humphreys, the reluctant heroine...
The ironically upbeat title of Jim Loach's impressive and arresting feature debut, Oranges and Sunshine, (2010, Icon, 15) refers to the bright new future promised to British children shipped to Australia in one of the most alarming chapters of this country's recent past. Assured (often erroneously) that their parents were dead, these forgotten unfortunates arrived wide-eyed down under, where they faced a life of slave labour – and worse. Inducted into institutions where child abuse was rife, they suffered at the hands of anonymous authorities and closed-rank religious orders, their plight a grotesque secret shrouded in an all-encompassing silence.
Inspired by the real-life investigations which led to belated (and all-too-recent) official apologies, Loach's powerful movie strikes an exemplary balance between personal journey and wider political parable. Emily Watson is terrific as social worker Margaret Humphreys, the reluctant heroine...
- 7/23/2011
- by Mark Kermode
- The Guardian - Film News
This is a DVD review of The Eagle, starring Jamie Bell and Channing Tatum, directed by Kevin MacDonald (The Last King of Scotland, Touching the Void) and also starring Donald Sutherland, Tahar Rahim and Mark Strong. The Eagle is the new film from acclaimed director Kevin MacDonald (The Last King of Scotland, Touching the Void). Being of Scottish origin himself, he was interested in the opportunity to film on location in Scotland - a key setting in Rosemary Sutcliff´s much-loved historical novel, The Eagle of the Ninth. It tells the story of Roman legions in ancient Britain, who fail to conquer the Caledonian lands of the north and lose their emblem, a golden eagle, in the process. A young Roman soldier, Marcus (Channing Tatum) takes a post in Britain with the goal of recovering the precious symbol that was lost by his father decades before. He takes an enslaved Briton,...
- 7/16/2011
- by Suki Ferguson
- Pure Movies
The Eagle
Stars: Channing Tatum, Jamie Bell, Donald Sutherland, Mark Strong, Denis O’Hare, Tahar Rahim | Written by Jeremy Brock | Directed by Kevin Macdonald
The Eagle, based on Rosemary Sutcliff’s children’s novel, is a departure from the type of films Kevin Macdonald (State of Play, The Last King of Scotland) has previously directed. While he is a good director, there are a lot of elements that don’t work in this. Part of the issue could be the source material being aimed at children, whereas the film is obviously not.
Channing Tatum plays Marcus Flavius Aquila, a Roman officer, goes in search of the lost Eagle of the Ninth, along with his slave, Esca (played by Jamie Bell). Marcus’ father was the last to hold the Eagle, before the disappearance of the Ninth legion, and returning it to Rome would restore honour to his family’s name.
There...
Stars: Channing Tatum, Jamie Bell, Donald Sutherland, Mark Strong, Denis O’Hare, Tahar Rahim | Written by Jeremy Brock | Directed by Kevin Macdonald
The Eagle, based on Rosemary Sutcliff’s children’s novel, is a departure from the type of films Kevin Macdonald (State of Play, The Last King of Scotland) has previously directed. While he is a good director, there are a lot of elements that don’t work in this. Part of the issue could be the source material being aimed at children, whereas the film is obviously not.
Channing Tatum plays Marcus Flavius Aquila, a Roman officer, goes in search of the lost Eagle of the Ninth, along with his slave, Esca (played by Jamie Bell). Marcus’ father was the last to hold the Eagle, before the disappearance of the Ninth legion, and returning it to Rome would restore honour to his family’s name.
There...
- 7/14/2011
- by Maahin
- Nerdly
Channing Tatum puts on his best Maximus face for his role as Roman soldier Marcus Aquila in a quest to restore his family's honor in The Eagle . an adventure set in the mountains of Scotland following the disappearance of the entire Ninth Legion. Based on Rosemary Sutcliff.s classic novel The Eagle of the Ninth (which I haven.t read), the film features a screenplay from Jeremy Brock (The Last King of Scotland and Her Majesty, Mrs. Brown) and was directed by Kevin Macdonald (State of Play). Along with Tatum, the film stars Jamie Bell, Julian Lewis Jones, Denis O'Hare, Mark Strong and the great Donald Sutherland. The film opens with a quick history of Rome and how...
- 7/12/2011
- by Patrick Luce
- Monsters and Critics
Starring: Channing Tatum, Jamie Bell, Donald Sutherland
Director: Kevin Macdonald
The Scoop: "G. I. Joe"'s Tatum takes on the role of a very different kind of soldier, playing a Roman centurion on a mission to solve the mystery of what happened to his father and the rest of the Ninth Legion, which vanished without a trace in northern Britain during the second century. Assisting him is none other than "Billy Elliot" himself, Bell. The movie is based on the 1954 historical novel "The Eagle of the Ninth," by Rosemary Sutcliff.
Rated PG-13, 114 min. | Watch the trailer...
Director: Kevin Macdonald
The Scoop: "G. I. Joe"'s Tatum takes on the role of a very different kind of soldier, playing a Roman centurion on a mission to solve the mystery of what happened to his father and the rest of the Ninth Legion, which vanished without a trace in northern Britain during the second century. Assisting him is none other than "Billy Elliot" himself, Bell. The movie is based on the 1954 historical novel "The Eagle of the Ninth," by Rosemary Sutcliff.
Rated PG-13, 114 min. | Watch the trailer...
- 6/21/2011
- by NextMovie Staff
- NextMovie
Sutcliff's best books find liberal members of elites wrestling with uncomfortable change. They might even have been Guardian readers
Favourable reviews of Kevin MacDonald's newly released film The Eagle are spinning over into renewed sales of the book on which it is based, Rosemary Sutcliff's 1954 children's classic The Eagle of the Ninth. Still in print more than 50 years on, The Eagle of the Ninth is the first of a series of novels in which Sutcliff, who died in 1992, explored the cultural borderlands between the Roman and the British worlds – "a place where two worlds met without mingling" as she describes the British town to which Marcus, the novel's central character, is posted. Marcus is a typical Sutcliff hero, a dutiful Roman who is increasingly drawn to the British world of "other scents and sights and sounds; pale and changeful northern skies and the green plover calling". This existential...
Favourable reviews of Kevin MacDonald's newly released film The Eagle are spinning over into renewed sales of the book on which it is based, Rosemary Sutcliff's 1954 children's classic The Eagle of the Ninth. Still in print more than 50 years on, The Eagle of the Ninth is the first of a series of novels in which Sutcliff, who died in 1992, explored the cultural borderlands between the Roman and the British worlds – "a place where two worlds met without mingling" as she describes the British town to which Marcus, the novel's central character, is posted. Marcus is a typical Sutcliff hero, a dutiful Roman who is increasingly drawn to the British world of "other scents and sights and sounds; pale and changeful northern skies and the green plover calling". This existential...
- 3/28/2011
- The Guardian - Film News
A young Roman soldier begins a dangerous quest to clear his family name in this accomplished action-adventure movie
First published in 1954, The Eagle of the Ninth, Rosemary Sutcliff's novel for older children, is now regarded as a classic. Her title refers to the standard carried by the Ninth Legion of the Roman army that disappeared in the north of Britain in the second century Ad, and it's the story of how the young Marcus Aquila later sets out to discover what happened to its leader, his father Flavius Aquila, and the 500 men he led. When the book appeared I had long passed the 12-16 age group at which it was aimed, though I was acquainted with an equally exciting, if less respectable yarn published exactly a decade earlier, also by the Oxford University Press: Captain We Johns's Biggles – Charter Pilot.
In Johns's book (a first edition of which was...
First published in 1954, The Eagle of the Ninth, Rosemary Sutcliff's novel for older children, is now regarded as a classic. Her title refers to the standard carried by the Ninth Legion of the Roman army that disappeared in the north of Britain in the second century Ad, and it's the story of how the young Marcus Aquila later sets out to discover what happened to its leader, his father Flavius Aquila, and the 500 men he led. When the book appeared I had long passed the 12-16 age group at which it was aimed, though I was acquainted with an equally exciting, if less respectable yarn published exactly a decade earlier, also by the Oxford University Press: Captain We Johns's Biggles – Charter Pilot.
In Johns's book (a first edition of which was...
- 3/27/2011
- by Philip French
- The Guardian - Film News
Color me surprised and impressed. I was not looking forward with a great deal of anticipation to seeing lunkhead Channing Tatum as a soldier in Roman-era Britain, except beyond the obvious likelihood that such an endeavor would be processed Hollywood cheese, and hence hootingly entertaining. But while he ain’t exactly Russell Crowe in Gladiator, Tatum acquits himself admirably here, in a film that clearly intends to ensure Hollywood cheese is the last thing that comes to mind... and it succeeds admirably, too. Working from the young-adult novel by Rosemary Sutcliff [Amazon U.S.] [Amazon Canada] [Amazon U.K.], director Kevin Macdonald (State of Play) and screenwriter Jeremy Brock (Macdonald’s The Last King of Scotland) have crafted an earnest period action drama that stubbornly clings to old-fashioned craftsmanship in character and storytelling -- that’s sort of a radical notion at the moment...
- 3/25/2011
- by MaryAnn Johanson
- www.flickfilosopher.com
This adaptation of the popular kids' book about Romans in Britain is a solid, watchable piece of storytelling
Kevin Macdonald has made a decent, forthright, if finally uninspired sword'n'sandal drama, based on Rosemary Sutcliff's 1954 children's novel The Eagle of the Ninth. It is set in AD140 in Roman Britain, and Channing Tatum stars as Marcus Aquila, an ambitious young commander who has accepted a posting to this barbaric place for one reason – to save his family's honour. Using as his pathfinder a British slave called Esca (Jamie Bell) whose life he spared, Marcus sets out on a personal mission in hostile territory to rescue the Ninth Legion's golden eagle standard, lost when his own father led this legion up into the mists of north Britain, only to vanish without trace. (Furious at this humiliation, Emperor Hadrian is because of this supposed to have built his famous wall to mark...
Kevin Macdonald has made a decent, forthright, if finally uninspired sword'n'sandal drama, based on Rosemary Sutcliff's 1954 children's novel The Eagle of the Ninth. It is set in AD140 in Roman Britain, and Channing Tatum stars as Marcus Aquila, an ambitious young commander who has accepted a posting to this barbaric place for one reason – to save his family's honour. Using as his pathfinder a British slave called Esca (Jamie Bell) whose life he spared, Marcus sets out on a personal mission in hostile territory to rescue the Ninth Legion's golden eagle standard, lost when his own father led this legion up into the mists of north Britain, only to vanish without trace. (Furious at this humiliation, Emperor Hadrian is because of this supposed to have built his famous wall to mark...
- 3/25/2011
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
Kevin MacDonald’s Roman actioner The Eagle is finally released in the U.K. today and looks to be the top choice of the week’s new releases. The movie tells the story of a young Roman officer (Channing Tatum) who alongside a slave he has freed (Jamie Bell), seeks out to recover the lost Roman eagle standard of his father’s legion in Northern Britain. The Eagle is the second high profile release in a year centered around the infamous Ninth Roman legion after Neil Marshall’s Centurion but this one is adapted from Rosemary Sutcliff’s excellent adventure novel The Eagle of the Ninth, a tale I’ve loved ever since I covered it in school.
Obsessed With Film’s Mike Edwards recently sat down with the film’s Oscar nominated producer Duncan Kenworthy, best known for bringing the Richard Curtis rom-coms Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill...
Obsessed With Film’s Mike Edwards recently sat down with the film’s Oscar nominated producer Duncan Kenworthy, best known for bringing the Richard Curtis rom-coms Four Weddings and a Funeral, Notting Hill...
- 3/23/2011
- by Matt Holmes
- Obsessed with Film
Adapted from Rosemary Sutcliff’s much loved novel ‘The Eagle of the Ninth’, The Eagle is a handsomely mounted but flat and unmoving experience in large part because the relationship between Channing Tatum, miscast as a Roman officer on a quest to restore his disgraced father’s reputation, and the always reliable Jamie Bell is simply not interesting enough to make us care about them or the mystery they are seeking to solve.
In 120 Ad, as the legend (recently discredited) has it, the 5,000 men of the Ninth Legion under Flavius Aquila marched north in an attempt to subdue the rebellious tribes of Caledonia, and were never seen again. This humiliation led Emperor Hadrian to build the wall which bears his name, sealing off the northern territory and becoming in effect the edge of the known world. 20 years later, his son Marcus Aquila (Tatum) arrives in Britain to take command of a small fort,...
In 120 Ad, as the legend (recently discredited) has it, the 5,000 men of the Ninth Legion under Flavius Aquila marched north in an attempt to subdue the rebellious tribes of Caledonia, and were never seen again. This humiliation led Emperor Hadrian to build the wall which bears his name, sealing off the northern territory and becoming in effect the edge of the known world. 20 years later, his son Marcus Aquila (Tatum) arrives in Britain to take command of a small fort,...
- 3/23/2011
- by Ian Gilchrist
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
The latest in a recent wave of period epics, The Eagle stars Channing Tatum as a Roman standard bearer out to regain his honour. Here’s our review…
The year is AD140 and Britain is part of the Roman Empire. Sent there on his first command, young Centurion, Marcus Aquila (Channing Tatum), has a reason to be in the frontier country, as his father was the eagle standard bearer of the fabled Ninth Legion, who, twenty years previously, were lost in the northern lands of Caledonia, and all who served thought to have perished and the eagle, pride of the legion, stolen.
Marcus longs to regain his family's lost honour by making a name for himself, but while defending his fort from attack by the Celts, he is wounded and honourably discharged from the army. Sent to his uncle's estates to recuperate, Marcus feels lost and helpless to ever repair his family's name,...
The year is AD140 and Britain is part of the Roman Empire. Sent there on his first command, young Centurion, Marcus Aquila (Channing Tatum), has a reason to be in the frontier country, as his father was the eagle standard bearer of the fabled Ninth Legion, who, twenty years previously, were lost in the northern lands of Caledonia, and all who served thought to have perished and the eagle, pride of the legion, stolen.
Marcus longs to regain his family's lost honour by making a name for himself, but while defending his fort from attack by the Celts, he is wounded and honourably discharged from the army. Sent to his uncle's estates to recuperate, Marcus feels lost and helpless to ever repair his family's name,...
- 3/23/2011
- Den of Geek
Last week we were at the London press conference for Kevin McDonald’s new flick, The Eagle. If Roman action adventures are you bag then this one’s for you. Given the film’s ending and the chemistry between actors Channing Tatum and Jamie Bell, naturally talk of sequels came up. Especially since there are two further books written by Rosemary Sutcliff on which The Eagle is based.
Kevin McDonald hasn’t discounted it but one senses it’ll be a stand alone flick:
“We haven’t discussed sequels. The two books are interesting because they follow the blood line of Marcus. The next book isn’t Marcus but his descendant and the book after that his descendant. It’s intriguing.”
Producer Duncan Kenworthy does have options on the books but was equally reticent to say anything beyond “it’s interesting”:
“We have an option the books but we’ll assess it.
Kevin McDonald hasn’t discounted it but one senses it’ll be a stand alone flick:
“We haven’t discussed sequels. The two books are interesting because they follow the blood line of Marcus. The next book isn’t Marcus but his descendant and the book after that his descendant. It’s intriguing.”
Producer Duncan Kenworthy does have options on the books but was equally reticent to say anything beyond “it’s interesting”:
“We have an option the books but we’ll assess it.
- 3/22/2011
- by Martyn Conterio
- FilmShaft.com
Last week on a cold March day in London FilmShaft went down to the Soho Hotel to attend the press conference being held for Kevin McDonald’s new Roman adventure film, The Eagle. The film is released in the UK from March 23rd and you can read our review right here.
Gathered for the event was producer Duncan Kenworthy, director Kevin McDonald and stars Channing Tatum, Jamie Bell and Tahar Rahim. It was a good natured twenty minutes and clearly Rosemary Sutcliff’s book, on which the film is based, was something of a passion project for director McDonald. He’d read it as a boy and always wanted to make a film out of the material.
Below is an edited account of what happened, who said what and why:
Duncan Kenworthy on producing The Eagle:
“One of the things that Kevin and I both agreed on was to make it authentic as possible.
Gathered for the event was producer Duncan Kenworthy, director Kevin McDonald and stars Channing Tatum, Jamie Bell and Tahar Rahim. It was a good natured twenty minutes and clearly Rosemary Sutcliff’s book, on which the film is based, was something of a passion project for director McDonald. He’d read it as a boy and always wanted to make a film out of the material.
Below is an edited account of what happened, who said what and why:
Duncan Kenworthy on producing The Eagle:
“One of the things that Kevin and I both agreed on was to make it authentic as possible.
- 3/22/2011
- by Martyn Conterio
- FilmShaft.com
Ahead of the release of The Eagle, our very own centurion, Nick, headed off to the Hampshire countryside to sample the lifestyle of the ancient Romans…
A few weeks ago, I was idly minding my own business (work, as some people like to call it) when my phone rang. I picked it up to hear the voice of our editor, Simon Brew, on the other end. "Nick, you know how you dressed up as a WWII soldier for the site a little while back?' Of course, I did. "Well, how would you like to be a Roman?" Damn straight I would.
And that's how I ended up on a coach very early in the morning on its way to the depths of the Hampshire countryside. To tie in with the release of The Eagle, we had been sent on a Roman Experience day, where we explored the ancient Roman town of Silchester,...
A few weeks ago, I was idly minding my own business (work, as some people like to call it) when my phone rang. I picked it up to hear the voice of our editor, Simon Brew, on the other end. "Nick, you know how you dressed up as a WWII soldier for the site a little while back?' Of course, I did. "Well, how would you like to be a Roman?" Damn straight I would.
And that's how I ended up on a coach very early in the morning on its way to the depths of the Hampshire countryside. To tie in with the release of The Eagle, we had been sent on a Roman Experience day, where we explored the ancient Roman town of Silchester,...
- 3/22/2011
- Den of Geek
The new film The Eagle faces a tough battle to match the brilliance of Rosemary Sutcliff's book
The Ninth "Hispana" Legion, mutinous and undisciplined, has been lost forever in the wild north of Roman Britain, along with its commander. Lost with it is its totemic eagle standard, plunging the legion's name into ignominy. The commander's son, Marcus Flavius Aquila, sets out with Esca, his British slave, to discover what became of the standard and of his father's 4,000 men.
The Eagle of the Ninth is an intensely memorable children's classic, full of marsh mist, hurt pride and high courage; fans will be excited to hear that a film adaptation, The Eagle, is released this week. Animated by author Rosemary Sutcliff, the average schoolchild's bare-bones knowledge of life in the Roman legions acquires fascinating flesh as Marcus undertakes his desperate journey.
What makes the book so extraordinary is the combination of...
The Ninth "Hispana" Legion, mutinous and undisciplined, has been lost forever in the wild north of Roman Britain, along with its commander. Lost with it is its totemic eagle standard, plunging the legion's name into ignominy. The commander's son, Marcus Flavius Aquila, sets out with Esca, his British slave, to discover what became of the standard and of his father's 4,000 men.
The Eagle of the Ninth is an intensely memorable children's classic, full of marsh mist, hurt pride and high courage; fans will be excited to hear that a film adaptation, The Eagle, is released this week. Animated by author Rosemary Sutcliff, the average schoolchild's bare-bones knowledge of life in the Roman legions acquires fascinating flesh as Marcus undertakes his desperate journey.
What makes the book so extraordinary is the combination of...
- 3/22/2011
- by Imogen Russell Williams
- The Guardian - Film News
Tweet
After a red carpet premiere in London a couple of weeks ago, Channing Tatum’s Roman epic ‘The Eagle‘ will finally hit UK theaters this week. Focus Features has added a few new production stills to the UK official site, and fans can check out Chan with his co-star Jamie Bell in the new photos below…
‘The Eagle‘ is helmed by award-winning director Kevin Macdonald, is based on the best-selling, classic 1954 teen novel by Rosemary Sutcliff, and is set in the dangerous world of second-century Britain. The film will hit UK theaters as early as this Wednesday, March 23rd, so make sure you go check it out!!!
Here’s what the UK’s Sunday Mirror had to say about the film…
“A stylishly brooding Roman adventure, The Eagle is a thrilling journey into the heart of darkness (well, Scotland). Gritty and moody, bloody and brutal, this tough and exciting...
After a red carpet premiere in London a couple of weeks ago, Channing Tatum’s Roman epic ‘The Eagle‘ will finally hit UK theaters this week. Focus Features has added a few new production stills to the UK official site, and fans can check out Chan with his co-star Jamie Bell in the new photos below…
‘The Eagle‘ is helmed by award-winning director Kevin Macdonald, is based on the best-selling, classic 1954 teen novel by Rosemary Sutcliff, and is set in the dangerous world of second-century Britain. The film will hit UK theaters as early as this Wednesday, March 23rd, so make sure you go check it out!!!
Here’s what the UK’s Sunday Mirror had to say about the film…
“A stylishly brooding Roman adventure, The Eagle is a thrilling journey into the heart of darkness (well, Scotland). Gritty and moody, bloody and brutal, this tough and exciting...
- 3/21/2011
- by Channing Tatum Unwrapped
- Channing Tatum Unwrapped
Ahead of the release of The Eagle, Nick caught up with producer Duncan Kenworthy to discuss the casting and making of the film.
Warning: A portion of this interview mentions a few plot points from The Eagle. If you want to watch the movie completely cold, you may prefer to check back later…
Duncan Kenworthy is surely one of the most important figures in British film over the last two decades. As a producer, he is responsible for Four Weddings And A Funeral, Notting Hill and Love, Actually, films which, whatever your personal opinion on them might be, are undisputedly heavyweight British success stories.
His geek credentials are also impeccable, having started his career with the Henson Company, and working on such classics as Fraggle Rock and The Dark Crystal.
Following a break from producing for eight years (in which he passed the time by chairing BAFTA) he has now returned with The Eagle,...
Warning: A portion of this interview mentions a few plot points from The Eagle. If you want to watch the movie completely cold, you may prefer to check back later…
Duncan Kenworthy is surely one of the most important figures in British film over the last two decades. As a producer, he is responsible for Four Weddings And A Funeral, Notting Hill and Love, Actually, films which, whatever your personal opinion on them might be, are undisputedly heavyweight British success stories.
His geek credentials are also impeccable, having started his career with the Henson Company, and working on such classics as Fraggle Rock and The Dark Crystal.
Following a break from producing for eight years (in which he passed the time by chairing BAFTA) he has now returned with The Eagle,...
- 3/21/2011
- Den of Geek
The Eagle
Guest Review by Maahin
Stars: Channing Tatum, Jamie Bell, Donald Sutherland, Mark Strong, Denis O’Hare, Tahar Rahim | Written by Jeremy Brock | Directed by Kevin Macdonald
The Eagle, based on Rosemary Sutcliff’s children’s novel, is a departure from the type of films Kevin Macdonald (State of Play, The Last King of Scotland) has previously directed. While he is a good director, there are a lot of elements that don’t work in this. Part of the issue could be the source material being aimed at children, whereas the film is obviously not.
Channing Tatum plays Marcus Flavius Aquila, a Roman officer, goes in search of the lost Eagle of the Ninth, along with his slave, Esca (played by Jamie Bell). Marcus’ father was the last to hold the Eagle, before the disappearance of the Ninth legion, and returning it to Rome would restore honour to his family’s name.
Guest Review by Maahin
Stars: Channing Tatum, Jamie Bell, Donald Sutherland, Mark Strong, Denis O’Hare, Tahar Rahim | Written by Jeremy Brock | Directed by Kevin Macdonald
The Eagle, based on Rosemary Sutcliff’s children’s novel, is a departure from the type of films Kevin Macdonald (State of Play, The Last King of Scotland) has previously directed. While he is a good director, there are a lot of elements that don’t work in this. Part of the issue could be the source material being aimed at children, whereas the film is obviously not.
Channing Tatum plays Marcus Flavius Aquila, a Roman officer, goes in search of the lost Eagle of the Ninth, along with his slave, Esca (played by Jamie Bell). Marcus’ father was the last to hold the Eagle, before the disappearance of the Ninth legion, and returning it to Rome would restore honour to his family’s name.
- 3/21/2011
- by Phil
- Nerdly
Director Kevin Macdonald, producer Duncan Kenworthy, and stars Jamie Bell, Channing Tatum and Tahar Rahim were in London recently promoting their new movie, The Eagle – which is released in cinemas across the UK from Friday – and we sent along one of our newest roving reporters, Maahin, along to find out more.
When you were planning the movie, did you have to prep the actors that they would have a pretty tough time, there’s not much CGI in there, it’s the real thing.
Kevin Macdonald: We deliberately didn’t tell them how horrible it’d be otherwise they wouldn’t have come.
Channing Tatum: I wouldn’t have.
Km: Channing is from Florida, he lives in La, and he wasn’t quite expecting the rigours of Scotland in the winter. Jamie, he knew what to expect I think, but a lot the shooting was in quite remote locations…...
When you were planning the movie, did you have to prep the actors that they would have a pretty tough time, there’s not much CGI in there, it’s the real thing.
Kevin Macdonald: We deliberately didn’t tell them how horrible it’d be otherwise they wouldn’t have come.
Channing Tatum: I wouldn’t have.
Km: Channing is from Florida, he lives in La, and he wasn’t quite expecting the rigours of Scotland in the winter. Jamie, he knew what to expect I think, but a lot the shooting was in quite remote locations…...
- 3/21/2011
- by Phil
- Nerdly
Kevin McDonald makes a volte-face into the action adventure genre with this Roman Britain-set tale of daring-do. It manages to offer an odd mix of occasional thrills and outright boredom. Simply the director’s skill cannot be reconciled with what is a ho-hum story. In longing to be the sort of the film experience akin to a 1940s or ‘50s ripping yarn (think Gunga Din without the casual racism), it ultimately fails.
Marcus Aquila (Channing Tatum) is a Roman garrison commander who displays the utmost bravery in the face of attack from barbarian hordes, or as we call them today, the Scottish. The opening scene is suitably mysterious but looks like it was shot in a pond in, say, Richmond Park. The first battle is well handled and suspense-filled, unfortunately, it moves in fits and starts from therein.
Marcus is a man haunted by the sins of his father, a...
Marcus Aquila (Channing Tatum) is a Roman garrison commander who displays the utmost bravery in the face of attack from barbarian hordes, or as we call them today, the Scottish. The opening scene is suitably mysterious but looks like it was shot in a pond in, say, Richmond Park. The first battle is well handled and suspense-filled, unfortunately, it moves in fits and starts from therein.
Marcus is a man haunted by the sins of his father, a...
- 3/21/2011
- by Martyn Conterio
- FilmShaft.com
From Touching the Void to State of Play, Kevin Macdonald's directing career has veered between fact and fiction with ease. He tells Steve Rose why he likes to mix things up
Not so long ago, it looked as though we'd lost Kevin Macdonald to Hollywood for good. His last movie, State of Play, gave a British TV thriller a slick American makeover, and it seemed only natural that Macdonald would do the same to his career, like so many before him. But a Hollywood ending was never on the cards, it turns out. "I didn't really understand that place," Macdonald says now. "I don't really understand the mentality. I don't understand why people made the decisions they made. Actually, I'm much more European than I thought."
He looks back on the two years making State of Play as a fraught experience, which was not helped by the departure of his original star,...
Not so long ago, it looked as though we'd lost Kevin Macdonald to Hollywood for good. His last movie, State of Play, gave a British TV thriller a slick American makeover, and it seemed only natural that Macdonald would do the same to his career, like so many before him. But a Hollywood ending was never on the cards, it turns out. "I didn't really understand that place," Macdonald says now. "I don't really understand the mentality. I don't understand why people made the decisions they made. Actually, I'm much more European than I thought."
He looks back on the two years making State of Play as a fraught experience, which was not helped by the departure of his original star,...
- 3/18/2011
- by Steve Rose
- The Guardian - Film News
Finally, 57 years after it was first published, and nearly 40 since I first sat riveted by my new find in the village library (remember them?), Rosemary Sutcliff's seminal novel of Roman Britain, The Eagle of the Ninth, has made it into onto the big screen as a Kevin Macdonald movie, The Eagle. I haven't seen it yet. I will, of course, but with trepidation, not only because the online reviews are less than favourable, but because – let's face it – the worst books generally make the best films and this was an exceptionally good book by anyone's standards.
- 3/18/2011
- The Independent - Film
Kevin Macdonald's The Eagle is an enjoyable sword-and-sandals yomp – just don't go assuming it's historically accurate
Enjoyable an adventure as it is, Kevin Macdonald's The Eagle – a free adaptation of Rosemary Sutcliff's classic children's story The Eagle of the Ninth, in which Roman centurion Marcus and his British slave, Esca, go in search of the lost legionary standard of the Ninth Legion – plays fast and loose with Romano-British history. Only a pedant, of course, would expect historical veracity from a sword-and-sandals film, particularly one that is aiming pretty clearly for contemporary resonance (something I touched on in a piece I wrote last year). But – what can I say? I have a pedantic streak. Here are some canards to watch out for:
1, The big one: the Picts destroyed the Ninth Legion
This is of course the basis of Sutcliff's original story; but there is no evidence that this occurred.
Enjoyable an adventure as it is, Kevin Macdonald's The Eagle – a free adaptation of Rosemary Sutcliff's classic children's story The Eagle of the Ninth, in which Roman centurion Marcus and his British slave, Esca, go in search of the lost legionary standard of the Ninth Legion – plays fast and loose with Romano-British history. Only a pedant, of course, would expect historical veracity from a sword-and-sandals film, particularly one that is aiming pretty clearly for contemporary resonance (something I touched on in a piece I wrote last year). But – what can I say? I have a pedantic streak. Here are some canards to watch out for:
1, The big one: the Picts destroyed the Ninth Legion
This is of course the basis of Sutcliff's original story; but there is no evidence that this occurred.
- 3/15/2011
- by Charlotte Higgins
- The Guardian - Film News
Sky Movies celebrating all things female? Now what could've triggered that...
Blue Sky thinking
Sky Movies has taken a sudden interest in films by women. A new season appeared on its schedules last week, focusing on films celebrating everything female, from "iconic actresses to glass ceiling-smashing directors". It included the films Nine to Five, Erin Brockovich and Thelma & Louise, and showcased directors including Jane Campion and Penny Marshall. Trash was even invited on to a panel to decide on the best female director (Kathryn Bigelow); UK female film exec (Christine Langan, BBC Films); female in crew (Ellen Kuras, cinematographer); female writer (Jane Goldman, Kick-Ass) and one to watch (Emma Stone, star of Easy A). Sky also part-sponsored the launch last week of the Birds Eye View film festival at London's BFI Southbank. The interest is, of course, very welcome and coincided with International Women's Day. However, could there perhaps be an ulterior motive?...
Blue Sky thinking
Sky Movies has taken a sudden interest in films by women. A new season appeared on its schedules last week, focusing on films celebrating everything female, from "iconic actresses to glass ceiling-smashing directors". It included the films Nine to Five, Erin Brockovich and Thelma & Louise, and showcased directors including Jane Campion and Penny Marshall. Trash was even invited on to a panel to decide on the best female director (Kathryn Bigelow); UK female film exec (Christine Langan, BBC Films); female in crew (Ellen Kuras, cinematographer); female writer (Jane Goldman, Kick-Ass) and one to watch (Emma Stone, star of Easy A). Sky also part-sponsored the launch last week of the Birds Eye View film festival at London's BFI Southbank. The interest is, of course, very welcome and coincided with International Women's Day. However, could there perhaps be an ulterior motive?...
- 3/13/2011
- by Jason Solomons
- The Guardian - Film News
At 14, Jamie Bell beat 2,000 hopefuls to play Billy Elliot. A decade later, the boy from Billingham has 16 films under his belt and has worked with Clint Eastwood and Peter Jackson. But this summer he stars in Steven Spielberg's Tintin – which is where, he says, the whole incredible adventure began
In a low-lit rum bar in a fashionably shabby corner of West Hollywood, Jamie Bell recalls the first time he saw a film in a cinema. "It was Jurassic Park," he says. "I was eight years old and I was terrified because, you know – dinosaurs! They're real!" He tells a good story. Plenty of animation. And the louder he gets the more Geordie his accent. "At the end, the credits said: 'Directed by Steven Spielberg' and I thought: 'Ok, I'm going to remember that name. Because he's done something to me here, something important.'"
Sixteen years later, it's happening again.
In a low-lit rum bar in a fashionably shabby corner of West Hollywood, Jamie Bell recalls the first time he saw a film in a cinema. "It was Jurassic Park," he says. "I was eight years old and I was terrified because, you know – dinosaurs! They're real!" He tells a good story. Plenty of animation. And the louder he gets the more Geordie his accent. "At the end, the credits said: 'Directed by Steven Spielberg' and I thought: 'Ok, I'm going to remember that name. Because he's done something to me here, something important.'"
Sixteen years later, it's happening again.
- 3/13/2011
- The Guardian - Film News
Tweet
Channing Tatum left for London today to join his ‘Eagle‘ co-stars Jamie Bell and Tamar Rahim and director Kevin MacDonald for the film’s UK premiere and press tour.
Fans can help welcome the stars of Universal Pictures’ breathtaking Roman epic adventure as they walk the red carpet at Leicester Square Wednesday, March 9th at 6:00pm.
While in the UK, Chan and Jamie Bell will also celebrate the release of ‘The Eagle‘ (which hits UK cinemas on Wednesday, March 23th) by signing copies of Rosemary Sutcliff’s award-winning novel upon which the film is based at the Piccadilly branch of Waterstone’s on Thursday, March 10th at 6:00pm.
Here’s what the Waterstone site has to say about the event…
Due to limited time available, the queue will be restricted to the first 150 people who will be issued with a special wristband. Wristbands will issued from 4pm on Thursday,...
Channing Tatum left for London today to join his ‘Eagle‘ co-stars Jamie Bell and Tamar Rahim and director Kevin MacDonald for the film’s UK premiere and press tour.
Fans can help welcome the stars of Universal Pictures’ breathtaking Roman epic adventure as they walk the red carpet at Leicester Square Wednesday, March 9th at 6:00pm.
While in the UK, Chan and Jamie Bell will also celebrate the release of ‘The Eagle‘ (which hits UK cinemas on Wednesday, March 23th) by signing copies of Rosemary Sutcliff’s award-winning novel upon which the film is based at the Piccadilly branch of Waterstone’s on Thursday, March 10th at 6:00pm.
Here’s what the Waterstone site has to say about the event…
Due to limited time available, the queue will be restricted to the first 150 people who will be issued with a special wristband. Wristbands will issued from 4pm on Thursday,...
- 3/8/2011
- by Channing Tatum Unwrapped
- Channing Tatum Unwrapped
Seen on: February 11, 2011
The players: Director: Kevin Macdonald, Writer: Jeremy Brock, Cast: Channing Tatum, Jamie Bell, Mark Strong, Donal Sutherland
Facts of interest: Formerly titled "The Eagle of the Ninth." The film is based on the novel by Rosemary Sutcliff.
The plot: A young Roman soldier (Tatum) heads to Britain to retrieve the emblem of a missing legion.
Our thoughts: Channing Tatum goes all Roman on us in Kevin Macdonald’s “The Eagle,” a decent action adventure that follows an ambitious solider on his quest to restore his family’s damaged honor. “The Eagle” isn’t exactly Oscar material, but the film’s fast-paced battles, stunning locations and satisfying cast successfully turn it into a gritty, entertaining big-screen spectacle you can’t help but enjoy.
The players: Director: Kevin Macdonald, Writer: Jeremy Brock, Cast: Channing Tatum, Jamie Bell, Mark Strong, Donal Sutherland
Facts of interest: Formerly titled "The Eagle of the Ninth." The film is based on the novel by Rosemary Sutcliff.
The plot: A young Roman soldier (Tatum) heads to Britain to retrieve the emblem of a missing legion.
Our thoughts: Channing Tatum goes all Roman on us in Kevin Macdonald’s “The Eagle,” a decent action adventure that follows an ambitious solider on his quest to restore his family’s damaged honor. “The Eagle” isn’t exactly Oscar material, but the film’s fast-paced battles, stunning locations and satisfying cast successfully turn it into a gritty, entertaining big-screen spectacle you can’t help but enjoy.
- 2/12/2011
- by Franck Tabouring
- screeninglog.com
Brothers, buddies, pals and duos have been the life blood of cinematic narrative from the Blues Brothers to Bad Boys. The bond made between two individuals in the name of a cause and in the face of disagreements is the thin but pivotal thread that sews many films together. The Eagle, based on Rosemary Sutcliff’s novel The Eagle of the Ninth, like so many adventures before it, places its weight on the four shoulders of two heroes, played by G.I. Joe’s Channing Tatum and once Billy Elliot, now Jumper Jamie Bell. Though they are from opposite sides of a conflict, they decide band together for a cause they deem worthy, and through that discover common ground. Though there’s a problem, and it’s not within the conflict. While the set pieces for companionship are certainly present, this empire has some serious construction problems.
Marcus Aquila has...
Marcus Aquila has...
- 2/11/2011
- by Zack Kotzer
- DorkShelf.com
The Eagle opens in theaters today, and to help kick it off, JustPressPlay is giving away some swag. Based on the novel The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff, The Eagle takes place in 140 Ad and follows the young centurion Marcus Aguila (Channing Tatum) who arrives twenty years after the unexplained disappearance of the entire Ninth Legion in the mountains of Scotland and sets out with his British slave (Jamie Bell) to solve the mystery and restore the reputation of his father, the commander of the Ninth. Marcus will cross Hadrian's Wall into the uncharted highlands of Caledonia - to confront its savage tribes, make peace with his father's memory, and retrieve the lost legion's golden emblem, the Eagle of the Ninth.
The Eagle stars Tatum, Bell, Donald Sutherland, Mark Strong and Tahar Rahim and is directed by Kevin Macdonald (The Last King of Scotland, State of Play, One Day in September...
The Eagle stars Tatum, Bell, Donald Sutherland, Mark Strong and Tahar Rahim and is directed by Kevin Macdonald (The Last King of Scotland, State of Play, One Day in September...
- 2/11/2011
- by Lex Walker
- JustPressPlay.net
The Eagle, from director Kevin Macdonald is adapted from The Eagle of the Ninth, a 1954 juvenile historical novel by Rosemary Sutcliff. This thunderous tale of second-century Roman legions and a young man’s quest to discover the fate of his father on the dangerous side of The Roman Wall is the type of square, old-school adventure that is rare in today’s climate of video-game, sensory-overload blockbusters. It is at times an engaging adventure but doesn’t stand out and is marred by some jarringly anachronistic dialogue and a mumble-mouthed performance by its wooden lead. The Eagle is far from terrible, but not terribly inspired.
The Eagle tells the story of young Roman general Marcus (Channing Tatum) who leads a command on a British outpost just south of ‘Hadrian’s Wall’, a defensive fort built by the Romans in England. 20 years earlier, Marcus’ father had led a Legion of 5,000 centurions...
The Eagle tells the story of young Roman general Marcus (Channing Tatum) who leads a command on a British outpost just south of ‘Hadrian’s Wall’, a defensive fort built by the Romans in England. 20 years earlier, Marcus’ father had led a Legion of 5,000 centurions...
- 2/11/2011
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
In the middle days of the War on Terror, a chapter in the Bush presidency that goes down in the annals of history as being the defining trait of his legacy, historians and political pundits banded together to draw an allegory between modern day superpower America and the ancient Roman Empire. Finding similarities between them goes beyond just military power, but in the midst of war, that seems to be the most obvious. Many redundant articles were written, seemingly reiterating the same point: that democracy via imperialism is arrogant and immoral.
Subscribing to the same parallel, director Kevin Macdonald, who is no stranger to politically charged thrillers with his previous films The Last King of Scotland and State of Play, deliberately cast American actors using their contemporary accents to play the Romans in The Eagle. It’s a nice change to the baffling charade of using British accents to signify...
Subscribing to the same parallel, director Kevin Macdonald, who is no stranger to politically charged thrillers with his previous films The Last King of Scotland and State of Play, deliberately cast American actors using their contemporary accents to play the Romans in The Eagle. It’s a nice change to the baffling charade of using British accents to signify...
- 2/11/2011
- by Arya Ponto
- JustPressPlay.net
In the middle days of the War on Terror, a chapter in the Bush presidency that goes down in the annals of history as being the defining trait of his legacy, historians and political pundits banded together to draw an allegory between modern day superpower America and the ancient Roman Empire. Finding similarities between them goes beyond just military power, but in the midst of war, that seems to be the most obvious. Many redundant articles were written, seemingly reiterating the same point: that democracy via imperialism is arrogant and immoral.
Subscribing to the same parallel, director Kevin Macdonald, who is no stranger to politically charged thrillers with his previous films The Last King of Scotland and State of Play, deliberately cast American actors using their contemporary accents to play the Romans in The Eagle. It’s a nice change to the baffling charade of using British accents to signify...
Subscribing to the same parallel, director Kevin Macdonald, who is no stranger to politically charged thrillers with his previous films The Last King of Scotland and State of Play, deliberately cast American actors using their contemporary accents to play the Romans in The Eagle. It’s a nice change to the baffling charade of using British accents to signify...
- 2/11/2011
- by Arya Ponto
- JustPressPlay.net
Reviewed by Rick Klaw
(February 2011)
Directed by: Kevin Macdonald
Written by: Jeremy Brock
Starring: Channing Tatum, Jamie Bell, Donald Sutherland, Mark Strong and Tahar Rahim
Outside of the exceptional first season of HBO’s “Rome,” 21st-century filmmakers have displayed the Roman Empire poorly, from the overhyped “Gladiator” through the pointless Starz series “Spartacus: Blood and Sand.” All promised big drama, extreme violence and questionable history, wrapped in an abundance of stereotypical storytelling and inferior writing. The third film incarnation of Rosemary Sutcliff’s historical novel “The Eagle of the Ninth” (the previous two were British TV endeavors), “The Eagle,” directed by Kevin Macdonald (“State of Play”) and starring Channing Tatum and Jamie Bell, continues this dismal trend.
In 140, 20 years after the unexplained disappearance of the entire Ninth Legion while under his father’s command, Roman centurion Marcus Aquila (Tatum) assumes leadership of an outpost just north of Hadrian’s Wall.
(February 2011)
Directed by: Kevin Macdonald
Written by: Jeremy Brock
Starring: Channing Tatum, Jamie Bell, Donald Sutherland, Mark Strong and Tahar Rahim
Outside of the exceptional first season of HBO’s “Rome,” 21st-century filmmakers have displayed the Roman Empire poorly, from the overhyped “Gladiator” through the pointless Starz series “Spartacus: Blood and Sand.” All promised big drama, extreme violence and questionable history, wrapped in an abundance of stereotypical storytelling and inferior writing. The third film incarnation of Rosemary Sutcliff’s historical novel “The Eagle of the Ninth” (the previous two were British TV endeavors), “The Eagle,” directed by Kevin Macdonald (“State of Play”) and starring Channing Tatum and Jamie Bell, continues this dismal trend.
In 140, 20 years after the unexplained disappearance of the entire Ninth Legion while under his father’s command, Roman centurion Marcus Aquila (Tatum) assumes leadership of an outpost just north of Hadrian’s Wall.
- 2/11/2011
- by admin
- Moving Pictures Magazine
Reviewed by Rick Klaw
(February 2011)
Directed by: Kevin Macdonald
Written by: Jeremy Brock
Starring: Channing Tatum, Jamie Bell, Donald Sutherland, Mark Strong and Tahar Rahim
Outside of the exceptional first season of HBO’s “Rome,” 21st-century filmmakers have displayed the Roman Empire poorly, from the overhyped “Gladiator” through the pointless Starz series “Spartacus: Blood and Sand.” All promised big drama, extreme violence and questionable history, wrapped in an abundance of stereotypical storytelling and inferior writing. The third film incarnation of Rosemary Sutcliff’s historical novel “The Eagle of the Ninth” (the previous two were British TV endeavors), “The Eagle,” directed by Kevin Macdonald (“State of Play”) and starring Channing Tatum and Jamie Bell, continues this dismal trend.
In 140, 20 years after the unexplained disappearance of the entire Ninth Legion while under his father’s command, Roman centurion Marcus Aquila (Tatum) assumes leadership of an outpost just north of Hadrian’s Wall.
(February 2011)
Directed by: Kevin Macdonald
Written by: Jeremy Brock
Starring: Channing Tatum, Jamie Bell, Donald Sutherland, Mark Strong and Tahar Rahim
Outside of the exceptional first season of HBO’s “Rome,” 21st-century filmmakers have displayed the Roman Empire poorly, from the overhyped “Gladiator” through the pointless Starz series “Spartacus: Blood and Sand.” All promised big drama, extreme violence and questionable history, wrapped in an abundance of stereotypical storytelling and inferior writing. The third film incarnation of Rosemary Sutcliff’s historical novel “The Eagle of the Ninth” (the previous two were British TV endeavors), “The Eagle,” directed by Kevin Macdonald (“State of Play”) and starring Channing Tatum and Jamie Bell, continues this dismal trend.
In 140, 20 years after the unexplained disappearance of the entire Ninth Legion while under his father’s command, Roman centurion Marcus Aquila (Tatum) assumes leadership of an outpost just north of Hadrian’s Wall.
- 2/11/2011
- by admin
- Moving Pictures Network
Tahar Rahim, Jamie Bell and Channing Tatum in The Eagle
Photo: Focus Features The easy comparison here is last year's far better genre exercise Centurion as both deal with the same occurrence, but The Eagle's genre trappings are even more relatable to films such as Resident Evil, Doomsday or any other scenario where a wall is keeping a group of heroes from the goals that would define them. But simplicity is the least of The Eagle's concerns as this Channing Tatum starring vehicle pulls the rug out from under its own underlying message, and in the end uses the fate of a little boy to sell the audience on its own hypocrisy.
The Eagle is based on Rosemary Sutcliff's young adult novel "The Eagle of the Ninth" set in 2nd century Ad. The story begins with a focus on Roman dominance with the one caveat being the...
Photo: Focus Features The easy comparison here is last year's far better genre exercise Centurion as both deal with the same occurrence, but The Eagle's genre trappings are even more relatable to films such as Resident Evil, Doomsday or any other scenario where a wall is keeping a group of heroes from the goals that would define them. But simplicity is the least of The Eagle's concerns as this Channing Tatum starring vehicle pulls the rug out from under its own underlying message, and in the end uses the fate of a little boy to sell the audience on its own hypocrisy.
The Eagle is based on Rosemary Sutcliff's young adult novel "The Eagle of the Ninth" set in 2nd century Ad. The story begins with a focus on Roman dominance with the one caveat being the...
- 2/11/2011
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
Director: Kevin Macdonald Writer: Jeremy Brock (screenplay), Rosemary Sutcliff (novel - The Eagle of the Ninth) Starring: Channing Tatum, Jamie Bell, Donald Sutherland, Mark Strong Some backstory: The year is 140 Ad. The Roman Empire controls Britannia (England and Wales), while indigenous tribes hold their ground in Caledonia (Scotland). The Roman-constructed Hadrian's Wall separates the Romans from the rebellious Britons. Legend has it that twenty years prior, the entire Ninth Legion -- 5,000 men led by Flavius Aquila -- vanished in Caledonia losing the golden Eagle of the Ninth (the emblem of Roman honor that the Ninth Legion carried with them) in the process, forever marring Flavius’ (as well as his family’s) name. (This is as good of a time as any to point out that aquila is Latin for eagle.) Back to 140 Ad, The Eagle begins shortly after a young centurion Marcus Aquila (Channing Tatum) requests to be stationed in Britannia.
- 2/11/2011
- by Don Simpson
- SmellsLikeScreenSpirit
Coming on the heels of last year’s Centurion, The Eagle is yet another attempt to elaborate on the legend of the Roman Ninth Legion. Based on the 1954 Rosemary Sutcliff young adult novel The Eagle of the Ninth, this production boasts more pomp and circumstance in addition to a bigger budget. It also retains the creakier aspects of its source material.
Set ten years after the defeat of the Ninth Legion in Northern Britain, the story focuses on young Roman Commander Marcus Aquila (Channing Tatum). He is the son of the disgraced man many blame for relinquishing the titular Eagle – a gold cast symbol of the empire’s honor and pride. Following an injury during a violent skirmish, the overachiever is relieved of duty and embarks on an ill-advised journey to retrieve the artefact and clear his father’s name. He ventures behind enemy lines with Esca (Jamie Bell), an indebted British slave and translator.
Set ten years after the defeat of the Ninth Legion in Northern Britain, the story focuses on young Roman Commander Marcus Aquila (Channing Tatum). He is the son of the disgraced man many blame for relinquishing the titular Eagle – a gold cast symbol of the empire’s honor and pride. Following an injury during a violent skirmish, the overachiever is relieved of duty and embarks on an ill-advised journey to retrieve the artefact and clear his father’s name. He ventures behind enemy lines with Esca (Jamie Bell), an indebted British slave and translator.
- 2/11/2011
- by Glenn Kay
- newsinfilm.com
Rating: 2.5/5
Writers: Jeremy Brock (screenplay), Rosemary Sutcliff (novel)
Director: Kevin Macdonald
Cast: Channing Tatum, Jamie Bell, Donald Sutherland, Mark Strong, Tahar Rahim
Studio: Focus Features
Loosely based on Rosemary Sutcliff’s 1954 novel The Eagle of the Ninth, and the subsequent 1977 6-episode TV show of the same name, The Eagle is woven from the fabric of a fictitious myth centered around Rome’s notorious Ninth Legion, who mysteriously disappeared whilst traveling through the savage-ruled territory of northern Britain.
Read more on Theatrical Review: The Eagle…...
Writers: Jeremy Brock (screenplay), Rosemary Sutcliff (novel)
Director: Kevin Macdonald
Cast: Channing Tatum, Jamie Bell, Donald Sutherland, Mark Strong, Tahar Rahim
Studio: Focus Features
Loosely based on Rosemary Sutcliff’s 1954 novel The Eagle of the Ninth, and the subsequent 1977 6-episode TV show of the same name, The Eagle is woven from the fabric of a fictitious myth centered around Rome’s notorious Ninth Legion, who mysteriously disappeared whilst traveling through the savage-ruled territory of northern Britain.
Read more on Theatrical Review: The Eagle…...
- 2/10/2011
- by James Wallace
- GordonandtheWhale
Scottish filmmaker Kevin Macdonald is as gifted a documentarian as he is a feature filmmaker--he just premiered the brilliant YouTube/Ridley Scott doc Life in a Day at Sundance, and has been given the helm on the first authorized Bob Marley documentary. Macdonald also directed the great Touching the Void and The Last King of Scotland, for which Forrest Whitaker won the Oscar. State of Play is his weakest effort to date. Macdonald is back in top form with PG-13 Roman action-adventure The Eagle, adapted by Scotland's Jeremy Brock from Rosemary Sutcliff's 1954 novel The Eagle of the Ninth. Vet U.K.. producer Duncan Kenworthy (Four Weddings and a Funeral) has wanted to turn his childhood fave into a movie for decades. Forget last year's similar but ...
- 2/9/2011
- Thompson on Hollywood
Director Kevin Macdonald has established a reputation for creating realism and authenticity in whichever genre and environment he chooses to work in, whether it's in historic dramas, documentaries or something that combines the two. The latter most certainly was the case with his early film Touching the Void , an innovative movie about a daring mountain rescue that predated 127 Hours by many years. Then he directed Forrest Whitaker to an Oscar playing Idi Amin in The Last King of Scotland and tackled the changing face of journalism in the movie version of the BBC mini-series State of Play , starring Russell Crowe, Ben Affleck and Rachel McAdams. Now Macdonald is tackling a story from the early days of England in The Eagle , a movie based on Rosemary Sutcliff's 1954 novel...
- 2/9/2011
- Comingsoon.net
Academy Award-winner Kevin MacDonald ("Touching the Void," "The Last King of Scotland") made a swords-and-sandals epic with "The Eagle" starring Channing Tatum (Marcus Aguila) and Jamie Bell (Esca). Based on the novel by Rosemary Sutcliff, "The Eagle" tells the story of the Ninth Legion and one man's quest to restore his father's reputation, the Commander of the Ninth.
In this interview, we talked about:
*** Making a historical film
*** Why his movies are mostly etymological study of clashing cultures between two men from two different backgrounds (think "The Last King of Scotland," or to some lesser degree, "State of Play")
*** The "bromantic" angle of "The Eagle"
*** Why he chose to hire American actors to play Roman soldiers
(Click here for my movie review of "The Eagle")
In 2nd-Century Britain, two men - master and slave - venture beyond the edge of the known world on a dangerous and obsessive quest...
In this interview, we talked about:
*** Making a historical film
*** Why his movies are mostly etymological study of clashing cultures between two men from two different backgrounds (think "The Last King of Scotland," or to some lesser degree, "State of Play")
*** The "bromantic" angle of "The Eagle"
*** Why he chose to hire American actors to play Roman soldiers
(Click here for my movie review of "The Eagle")
In 2nd-Century Britain, two men - master and slave - venture beyond the edge of the known world on a dangerous and obsessive quest...
- 2/8/2011
- by Manny
- Manny the Movie Guy
When we hear the name Channing Tatum, we think of romance ("Dear John"), action ("G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra"), or dance movies ("Step Up") but we never associate the actor with swords-and-sandals epics like his new film "The Eagle."
Set in 140 Ad, Tatum stars as Marcus Aguila, a Roman soldier who will do anything to restore his father's reputation. 20 years earlier, the elder Aguila commanded his 5,000-strong Ninth Legion and marched north into Caledonia (today's Scotland), carrying their golden emblem, the Eagle of the Ninth. They never returned.
Director Kevin Macdonald, the guy who gave us the excellent film "The Last King of Scotland," has always been interested in using his film as an etymological look into the clash of cultures. Put two men from two different backgrounds together, make them clash, and let them find deeper friendship in the end.
That formula is evident in the director's first full-feature film "Touching the Void,...
Set in 140 Ad, Tatum stars as Marcus Aguila, a Roman soldier who will do anything to restore his father's reputation. 20 years earlier, the elder Aguila commanded his 5,000-strong Ninth Legion and marched north into Caledonia (today's Scotland), carrying their golden emblem, the Eagle of the Ninth. They never returned.
Director Kevin Macdonald, the guy who gave us the excellent film "The Last King of Scotland," has always been interested in using his film as an etymological look into the clash of cultures. Put two men from two different backgrounds together, make them clash, and let them find deeper friendship in the end.
That formula is evident in the director's first full-feature film "Touching the Void,...
- 2/8/2011
- by Manny
- Manny the Movie Guy
Watch new movie clips from The Eagle starring Channing Tatum & Jamie Bell as well as 3 behind-the-scenes looks and interviews with Tatum, Bell, director Kevin Macdonald and producer Duncan Kenworthy! Macdonald (The Last King of Scotland) directs The Eagle from the script by Jeremy Brock, based on the novel The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff. Also in the cast of the epic adventure are Mark Strong, Donald Sutherland, Douglas Henshall, Denis O'Hare, Paul Ritter and Ben O'Brien. Catch The Eagle in theaters from February 11th. The film is rated PG-13.
- 2/7/2011
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Watch new movie clips from The Eagle starring Channing Tatum & Jamie Bell as well as 3 behind-the-scenes looks and interviews with Tatum, Bell, director Kevin Macdonald and producer Duncan Kenworthy! Macdonald (The Last King of Scotland) directs The Eagle from the script by Jeremy Brock, based on the novel The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff. Also in the cast of the epic adventure are Mark Strong, Donald Sutherland, Douglas Henshall, Denis O'Hare, Paul Ritter and Ben O'Brien. Catch The Eagle in theaters from February 11th. The film is rated PG-13.
- 2/7/2011
- Upcoming-Movies.com
Directed by Kevin MacDonald, The Eagle stars Channing Tatum, Jamie Bell and Donald Sutherland. The screenplay is adapted by Jeremy Brock from Rosemary Sutcliff’s classic novel "The Eagle of the Ninth". In 140 Ad, two men – master and slave – venture beyond the edge of the known world on a dangerous and obsessive quest that will push them beyond the boundaries of loyalty and betrayal, friendship and hatred, deceit and heroism…The Roman epic adventure The Eagle stars Channing Tatum and Jamie Bell and is directed by Academy Award winner Kevin Macdonald. 20 years earlier, Rome’s 5,000-strong Ninth Legion, under the command of Flavius Aquila, marched north carrying their treasured golden Eagle emblem. They never returned; Legion and Eagle simply vanished into the mists. Hearing a rumor that...
- 2/5/2011
- by Pietro Filipponi
- The Daily BLAM!
Focus Features passed us along a new clip from The Eagle, starring Channing Tatum and Jaime Bell. The film is directed by Kevin MacDonald and opens February 11th, 2011.
In 2nd-Century Britain, two men – master and slave – venture beyond the edge of the known world on a dangerous and obsessive quest that will push them beyond the boundaries of loyalty and betrayal, friendship and hatred, deceit and heroism…The Roman epic adventure The Eagle is directed by Kevin Macdonald and produced by Duncan Kenworthy. Jeremy Brock has adapted the screenplay from Rosemary Sutcliff’s classic novel The Eagle of the Ninth.
In 2nd-Century Britain, two men – master and slave – venture beyond the edge of the known world on a dangerous and obsessive quest that will push them beyond the boundaries of loyalty and betrayal, friendship and hatred, deceit and heroism…The Roman epic adventure The Eagle is directed by Kevin Macdonald and produced by Duncan Kenworthy. Jeremy Brock has adapted the screenplay from Rosemary Sutcliff’s classic novel The Eagle of the Ninth.
- 2/2/2011
- by Jon Peters
- Killer Films
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.