SXSW Review: CENTURION

CENTURION is an epic story told on an intimate scale. It’s a war movie focused on the character-driven story, but doesn’t sacrifice the expectation of action. Written and directed by Neil Marshall, CENTURION delivers on multiple fronts, supplying moviegoers with a variety of weapons in its arsenal, intended to ensure a wider appeal than simply the violence-seeking male market.

Neil Marshall (DOG SOLDIERS, THE DESCENT) is known as a fan favorite filmmaker, delivering excellent action, thrills and solid stories. He’s taken us deep into the dark and terrifying depths of the cavernous unknown and now he takes us on a journey back in time, back into the Roman era. CENTURION is the story of a small group of Roman soldiers caught behind enemy lines, the only survivors of a vast legion of unstoppable Roman forces obliterated by a devastating ambush in the hills of Scotland.

Michael Fassbender (INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS) plays Quintus Dias, a second in command Roman officer who inherits control of the handful of survivors as they struggle to survive in harsh, unfamiliar terrain, ruled by the unpredictable combat nature of the Picts of Scotland. When the Pict King Gorlacon (Ulrich Thomsen) captures the Roman General Virilius (Dominic West) Quintus Dias leads his men on a suicide rescue mission into the heart of Pict territory.

Marshall clearly did his homework on this picture, delving into the details of the ancient time and place, rewarding his more demanding audiences with detail and texture. His Roman characters are allowed to speak with subtly varied accents, properly representing the fact that the Roman legions consisted of soldiers from all across the vast empire. On the other hand, his actors portraying the Picts speak a more appropriately strong and common accent as well as Gaelic when necessary for mood.

Initially, CENTURION delves into the intricacies of the Roman legionary forces, giving the audience a sense of its structure, a sense of its inner workings and hierarchy. The Roman army fought confidently with a traditional battle strategy. The Romans fought with honor, or so they believed. Unfortunately for them, the Picts saw fighting a war to defend their land and culture as less a question of honor, resulting in the guerilla tactics they employed. These unconventional tactics are what allowed the Picts to repeatedly fend off the Roman invaders.

One of the most epic scenes in CENTURION is the ambush of the Roman legion, perpetrated with the assistance of a Pict scout called Etain, played by Olga Kurylenko, who tricked the Romans into believing she was willing to lead them into victory over the Picts because her people had betrayed her. This scene depicts the utter terror and confusion these guerilla forces could inflict on the unprepared Roman soldiers. With little struggle and time, the entire legion is wiped out on a grand scale, leaving only the handful of soldiers who survived by mistake. Marshall’s story is inspired by the legend of General Virilus’ Ninth Legion, ordered to march into the Pict land and wipe them from the land, but the entire legion mysteriously vanished.

Michael Fassbender apparently can do no wrong, as his performance in CENTURION becomes yet another positive notch in his belt of acting achievements. Fassbender gives Quintus Dias a level of silent moral conflict that balances the character with his heroic status, able to kick some serious ass in combat. Meanwhile, Olga Kurylenko’s silent performance of the Pict tracker Etain, minus a tongue forcibly removed, screams badass female warrior with a vengeance. Convincing fight sequences that could make any guy watch in lustful awe and terror enhance Kurylennko’s performance.

CENTURION is a film that celebrates the strong female character as much as the Roman legend, featuring Axelle Carolyn as the equally formidable female Pict warrior Aeron. Equal to these performances is the gallant portrayal on General Virilus by Dominic West (300, PUNISHER: WAR ZONE). Quintus Dias meets Drusilla (Rachael Stirling) at one point, a Pict outcast who becomes a love interest for him during his efforts to survive.

The finely tuned editing of CENTURION is accompanied by intriguing costume work and cinematography that captures the rugged and beautiful bleakness of the snow-covered Scottish hills. The action itself is an effective combination of choppy closely shot edits, giving just enough chaos and claustrophobia to be convincing but not enough to induce motion sickness or a sense of displacement amidst the action. Audiences will be pleased with the mix of realism and style, while the sensationalist-seeking audiences should appreciate the acceptably ramped up level of blood and graphic violence.

Overall, CENTURION is a satisfying piece of historical cinema that offers action, drama and even a bit of controlled romance, even though its use is primarily a vehicle for the film’s ending. Fans of historical cinema should be pleased with the care taken in the story telling, while those seeking mere entertainment should find themselves satisfied with a well-made period war film.

Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars