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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, fr... read more read more...iendship 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 scr eenplay from Rosemary Sutcliff's classic novel The Eagle of the Ninth. In 140 AD, the Roman Empire extends all the way to Britain - though its grasp is incomplete, as the rebellious tribes of Caledonia (today's Scotland) hold sway in the far North. Marcus Aquila (Channing Tatum) arrives in Britain, determined to restore the tarnished reputation of his father, Flavius Aquila. It was 20 years earlier that Rome's 5,000-strong Ninth Legion, under the command of Flavius and carrying their golden emblem, the Eagle of the Ninth, marched north into Caledonia. They never returned; Legion and Eagle simply vanished into the mists. Angered, the Roman Emperor Hadrian ordered the building of a wall to seal off the territory; Hadrian's Wall became the northernmost frontier of the Roman Empire - the edge of the known world. Driven to become a brilliant soldier and now given command of a small fort in the southwest, Marcus bravely leads his troops during a siege. Commended by Rome for his bravery, yet discharged from the army because of his severe wounds, Marcus convalesces, demoralized, in the villa of his Uncle Aquila (Donald Sutherland), a retired army man. When Marcus impulsively gets a young Briton's life spared at a gladiatorial contest, Aquila buys the Briton, Esca (Jamie Bell), to be Marcus' slave. Marcus is dismissive of Esca, who harbors a seething hatred of all things Roman. Yet Esca vows to serve the man who has saved his life. Hearing a rumor that the Eagle has been seen in a tribal temple in the far north, Marcus is galvanized into action, and sets off with Esca across Hadrian's Wall. But the highlands of Caledonia are a vast and savage wilderness, and Marcus must rely on his slave to navigate the region. When they encounter ex-Roman soldier Guern (Mark Strong), Marcus realizes that the mystery of his father's disappearance may well be linked to the secret of his own slave's identity and loyalty - a secret all the more pressing when the two come face-to-face with the warriors of the fearsome Seal Prince (Tahar Rahim). A Focus Features presentation in association with Film4 of a Duncan Kenworthy production. Channing Tatum, Jamie Bell. The Eagle. Donald Sutherland, Mark Strong. Casting by Jina Jay. Music by Atli Örvarsson. Costumes by Michael O'Connor. Editor, Justine Wright. Production Designer, Michael Carlin. Director of Photography, Anthony Dod Mantle, BSC, DFF. Co-Producer, Caroline Hewitt. Executive Producers, Tessa Ross, Miles Ketley, Charles Moore. Based on the novel The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff. Screenplay by Jeremy Brock. Produced by Duncan Kenworthy. Directed by Kevin Macdonald. A Focus Features Release.-- (C) Focus Features

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143 critics

PG-13, 1 hr. 54 min.

Directed by: Kevin Macdonald

Release Date: February 11, 2011

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DVD Release Date: June 21, 2011

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Flixster Reviews (2,586)

  • phubbs1
    May 2, 2012
    phubbs1
    Well I'm loving all these historical films being made these days :) really interesting and gloriously epic and this film despite not being a huge Hollywood flick is really decent and worth the watch.
    The plot revolving around the mystery of the Ninth Legion (Legio IX Hispana) has... read more been passed around the history books for along time and no one really knows what happened to them but this film goes along with the safe bet that they were simply ambushed and beaten by local tribes (probably Picts) and all killed or executed.

    Of course the film isn't totally accurate, the story that one Centurion (Aquila) goes behind enemy lines with a Briton slave to recapture the Eagle standard is pure fantasy, the way the film concludes is also pure fantasy and maybe should of ended in a more realistic fashion. Despite the obvious historical flaws, you can't blame the creators for alittle artistic license, this film is excellent fun and really well made from the costumes and tribal speech right to the fantastic location work.
    The real Scottish Highlands and Glens are used for the backdrop in this film and boy does it work, some of the scenes look tremendous, really barren n bleak with rain n clouds aplenty, also the use of native tongue for all the tribal scenes really adds to the epic quality and realism although I'm unsure if they looked as they are portrayed. They do have a kind of Amazon rain forest type of look to them, think 'Apocalypto' or 'Last of the Mohican's' Huron look.
    I'm also unsure if the local tongue used in the film is based on anything real, same with the 'Seal' tribe, never heard of them and its thought the Picts would of been the natives of the time.

    Great fight sequences and a much more real feel to the film than the recent 'Centurion' which had a more blockbuster type urge to it. I'm unsure if anyone would really be that bothered about a flag standard that they would go through all that, not sure the Roman hierarchy would be bothered about it either as they would probably be more concerned about losing men and ground than the actual metal standard. Its all good and well acted from both the Roman front and Tribal front with Tatum and Bell looking quite similar to each other haha the tribal warriors of Caledonia also playing their parts really well.
  • paulsandberg
    January 29, 2012
    paulsandberg
    I have to admit, I'm kind of a sucker for sword and sandal period type pieces, in spite of there being so few good ones. The Eagle starts earnestly enough, and for the first half is somewhat entertaining, giving at least a decent view into what military life must have been like ... read morefor the legions stuck in Britain. But once the action moves above Hadrian's wall, the film devolves into a buddy film with no chemistry that includes some gaping inaccuracies, like portraying the highlanders as something very kin to 17th century American Indians.

    The main flaw of the film however is that it hangs much of the characters motivations on the tired saw of "honor". The main character, Marcus, whose father was the leader of the famed 9th legion; a group who traveled about the wall, 5,000 strong, and were never heard from again, wants to restore the family name and honor by finding the legion's standard, the title of the film. OK, that works... then you have the Brit slave who is rescued from the death decreed in the gladiator pits because he refused to fight (he is given the old "thumbs down" by the rabble, only to be saved by Marcus who sees valor and bravery in his refusal to fight). The Brit later tells Marcus that he hates everything Marcus stands for, but since Marcus saved his life, will fight and die for him, figuring that he owes Marcus a debt of honor... well, kinda works, but weak.

    There are some good battle scenes early on, and I though the earthen walls of the roman fortress to be passably accurate, and I liked the way the film made use of the famed roman "turtle" formation, which took good advantage of their tall shields.

    But that's all in the first half of the film (which is only marred by a quirky, off the wall performance by Donald Sutherland as Marcus' uncle.

    The second half has Marcus and his slave traveling in the woods and lochs of Scotland, infiltrating a band of "savages" who are believed to hold the Eagle. The film shoots for a tone of gravitas, but comes off as almost comic, with battles punctuated by sad overdubs and a truly weak morality play that looks almost Shakespearian when compared to the film's "well I guess I showed you" closing as Marcus returns the Eagle all the way to Rome (which, by the way, would have taken over a year back then). The final frames show Marcus and slave having a true buddy-buddy moment of bon homie, which was non evident in the remainder of the film. It just makes you wonder if they ran out of script, or if the script writer was abducted by aliens, or perhaps the studio just put pressure on him in the attempt to give the film an alleged wider viewing audience. Regardless, the effort failed and the film fell on its own sword.
  • Nathang110
    January 5, 2012
    Nathang110
    A brotherhood is formed between two opposites in this roman epic. It is clear that this is desperately trying to copy the successful aspects of Gladiator . . . sadly it fails. The main poblem? It takes itself so seriously, moving along more like Gadiator on valium. That aside, th... read moree action is refreshingly cgi-free. And Jamie Bell's performance is well done. The director does admirable, but its far from his best. Pleasurable enough, but not great.
  • mumby1988
    October 23, 2011
    mumby1988
    When Gladiator reinvigorated the swords-and-sandals epic, it was quickly followed by a host of films which sought to replicate its success by imitating part or all of its formula. But whatever the qualities of Troy, Alexander or even 300, there was always a niggling sense that we... read more were getting something inherently inferior. Adding to this list of disappointments is The Eagle, the first big hiccup in Kevin Macdonald's career.

    The Eagle's relationship to Gladiator is uncomfortably close right from the start. In the opening act, before Channing Tatum journeys over Hadrian's Wall, the film invokes or restages several key images from Ridley Scott's masterpiece, such as Marcus praying to the gods through smoke or laying out little figurines of his family. The first battle sequence is like the opening battle in Gladiator, only shot on a smaller scale and without a tripod. Last but not least, the central character is a soldier haunted by what has happened to his family, in this case the shame surrounding his father.

    There are other prominent references in the film which become all too apparent as the action plays out. The ending, where Marcus and Esca are pursued across the Scottish landscape by the Seal People, is very close to The Fellowship of the Ring. They are two small, vulnerable people being pursued by the 2nd-century equivalent of the uruk-hai, and Justine Wright's editing is very similar to those sequences. Even the sound design treads close to The Lord of the Rings, with the death throes of Marcus' horse sounding awfully similar to those of the cave troll.

    The crucial problem with The Eagle is that it fails to do what Gladiator did so well - namely balancing the macho and the metaphysical. Scott's film began and ended in the Elysian fields: its intense and often brutal battle scenes (including the fist-fight between Maximus and Commodus) were anchored around an exploration of politics, religion, gender and mortality. The Eagle doesn't have any such weight to carry around and its presentation is much more erratic: it amounts to lots of walking, then a battle, repeated a few times, with the odd little twist or idea thrown in along the way.

    A further comparison, this time with Scott's most recent effort, will help to shed further light on Macdonald's shortcomings. The central problem with Robin Hood was that it didn't know exactly what it wanted to be - a Batman Begins¬-like origin story, a political drama about working-class emancipation, or a bombastic action movie with pantomime villains. But even in the midst of making up its mind, Robin Hood did at least manage to tackle the political side of its story, albeit superficially.

    The Eagle has the opposite problem. It knows exactly what it wants to be, which is a very old-fashioned romp (and I use the term loosely) with characters which are all too clearly drawn and a fairly predictable storyline. Rosemary Sutcliff's novel, which had previously been adapted for Children's Hour in the 1950s, draws the battle lines between good and evil all too broadly, placing honour and valour over common sense and character development. Even when it's trying to subvert the central relationship between master and slave during the encounter with the Seal People, it still feels blinkered and obstinate as to where your loyalties should lie and to what extent.

    Whereas the novel was originally intended for children (more specifically young boys), there are numerous sequences in The Eagle which are unsuitable for younger audiences. For a 12 certificate film, it is pretty gruesome, with more than one instance of beheading and a fair amount of blood on screen. That said, you don't have to sit through all the really troubling stuff, like people's throats being slit (including a child's throat in one scene towards the end). And most of the time the battle scenes are so frenetic and rapidly edited that you can't exactly tell where people are getting hit, or with what - or, for that matter, why.

    The film is shot by Anthony Dod Mantle, whose credits include the Oscar-winning Slumdog Millionaire and Lars von Trier's controversial Antichrist. Dod Mantle is a pioneer of handheld digital photography, and he does add a number of notable visual touches which make The Eagle a little more distinctive. The opening shot on the river is like one of the woodland scenes in Antichrist: there is a similar sense of mystery in the wild surroundings of nature, albeit with less demonic threat. And some of his compositions are clever, such as showing characters' faces through water which is already reflecting the sky.

    But despite Dod Mantle's knowledge and expertise, the use of hand-held camera is inconsistent and ends up being detrimental. Notwithstanding the shortcomings of the battle scenes, the quieter sections find Macdonald's camera juddering and bouncing when the scene would be better served with a dolly or crane. Like the opening of The Bourne Supremacy, it takes a while for us to adjust to the aesthetic, and for the action to catch up with the frenetic camerawork. But whereas Paul Greengrass' film eventually got into its stride, The Eagle remains dodgy throughout, with Dod Mantle's camerawork hampering Macdonald's already lacklustre direction.

    What makes The Eagle so lacklustre is the lack of strong, charismatic performances. This is surprising considering Macdonald's back catalogue, which includes Forest Whittaker's terrifying performance as Idi Amin in The Last King of Scotland. Jamie Bell remains a decent actor with a certain amount of screen presence, and Mark Strong makes the most of a small supporting role. But all their best efforts are in vain due to Channing Tatum, who has the charisma and acting ability of a lump of granite.

    Because the film has no strong, charismatic protagonist, we aren't drawn into the story enough to make the substance feel intriguing. There is a couple of interesting ideas explored in The Eagle which are both interesting from a genre point of view and pertinent to 21st-century politics. One of these is the inherent instability of a conquering power, and the imperial force having to isolate an enemy rather than face it down and exterminate it. The very existence of Hadrian's Wall, as an imposed, artificial barrier between 'savage' and 'civilised', indicates that the occupying force is based upon fear, both in its methods of conquering and its view of other civilisations.

    When Marcus encounters the Seal People, he is confronted with a culture which operates along the same tribal lines as his own. There is a clear distinction made between Roman and Briton, observed in everything from speech patterns to physical features: there is a running comment about Roman soldiers being recognised by a helmet scar under their chin. Having spent all his life as part of the 'superior race', Marcus is forced into silence and submission as the master-slave relationship is reversed. Esca, meanwhile, is torn between his desire for vengeance against Rome and his professed loyalty to Marcus for sparing his life at the games.

    These are interesting ideas in and of themselves, but the film's structure never allows them to be explored in a satisfying amount of detail. More often than not The Eagle relies earnestly on genre expectations to sustain its appeal, giving us spectacle and plot devices but not much in the way of emotional engagement. The search for the missing roman standard, the eagle of the title, becomes almost secondary to the characters' endless wanderings, and the epilogue of them returning it to the senators is silly and clichéd.

    The Eagle is a big disappointment from Macdonald, failing as both a romp and a means of exploring interesting ideas within a genre. It's not without substance or individual scenes which are visually arresting: it's a better story than 300 and the battle scenes will just about satisfy teenage boys. But for those of us who want to think a little harder, it falls short of most of the marks set for it, never threatening Gladiator's mantle as the great historical epic of our time.
  • LWOODS04
    July 28, 2011
    LWOODS04
    Cast: Channing Tatum, Jamie Bell, Donald Sutherland, Mark Strong, Denis O'Hare, Tahar Rahim, Paul Ritter, Zsolt László, Julian Lewis Jones, Douglas Henshall

    Director: Kevin MacDonald

    Summary: Haunted by the disappearance of his father, who vanished with the Roman Ninth Le... read moregion on an expedition into the north of Britain, centurion Marcus Aquila (Channing Tatum) sets out to unravel the mystery and recover the legion's eagle standard. But in the wilds of Caledonia, the soldier and his British slave (Jamie Bell) encounter fierce native tribes and other dangers. Kevin Macdonald directs this adaptation of Rosemary Sutcliff's novel.

    My Thoughts: "I am one of the few that enjoyed the movie. I think what I liked best was the relationship between Marcus and Esca. How it grew into friendship and a brotherhood. *SPOILER*I had a bit of a hard time believing at first that Esca would betray his people, but after seeing what they done to that child, I could see why. *END OF SPOILER* There was just enough action for me and a decent story line. It could have been better, but I still enjoyed it as it is. Great acting by all. A film worth renting."
  • itsjustme2004
    July 27, 2011
    itsjustme2004
    Do not expect a movie like 'Gladiator', or other such Roman Legion films...this was more subtle, and less grand. No special effects. No grand photography. Just a halfway decent movie with halfway decent actors. Two things bothered me, however: the American dialect, and the very l... read moreast line of the film did not seem to gel. If I can close my eyes to those things, then I can say that I halfway enjoyed this...
  • allan913
    July 8, 2011
    allan913
    A gritty, thrilling, visceral and action-packed epic adventure. A tremendously entertaining and thunderous adventure film. A gripping new film from Director, Kevin McDonald who crafts something solid and enjoyable. Channing Tatum and Jamie Bell gives strong and compelling perform... read moreances. A bold, stylish and explosive film
  • DreamExtractor
    June 27, 2011
    DreamExtractor
    Good action scene but story couldve been better. Channing Tatum isn't ready for a role like this, hes still too young. There was nothing groundbreaking in terms of action or production, but was still well done. The plot is nothing new or exciting, and boring at times. So it w... read moreas okay, but it was far from great.
  • fb100000145236770
    June 26, 2011
    fb100000145236770
    I'm usually a big fan of "sword and sandle" movies like "300" and "Gladiator". "The Eagle" is a poor imitation of those. The story and premise are good, but this movie has two huge flaws that messes it all up. First the direction is horrible. The pacing is all over the place. ... read more When the movie has action, it's ok, but when the action stops the movie becomes a bore. I dozed off several times throughout. There are some scenes when the action is intense and bloody, and then others where it's like they really held back for the "PG-13" rating. But the biggest problem with this film is the casting. Channing Tatum is a fine actor, but he is completely out of place here. Just because he looks the part, doesn't mean he can act the part. He has a dead stare the entire movie, and uses an accent half the time. It's weird to hear a person change accents so many times in a 2 hour period. The movie revolves around his character, had it been cast differently, it could have easily been a better flick. It's almost as if the producers wanted a "hot and young" cast to appeal to women, even though the movie is geared towards men. There's no romance in this movie whatsoever, so why would women give two shits for it? Trust me, Emily would have zero desire to see this just because Tatum is the star. If you want a good action movie, get something else. If you want an afternoon nap, then you should definitely pick this up, because it'll put you to sleep in no time.
  • DerekA101
    June 22, 2011
    DerekA101
    Channing Tatum is a horrible choice for any film not geared toward 13 year old girls. That being said, his role here might be the biggest mis-cast of the year. Tatum as a Roman solider/commander? Haha am I getting punkd? Where's Ashton??

    The storyline is actually engaging,

    ... read morealthough a bit far-fetched. Jamie Bell is good... but his character is still poorly written. Mark Strong and Tahar Rahim are wasted talents, almost unrecognizable in their roles.

    Overall, it's not the worst movie of the year, but it could've been so much better.

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Critic Reviews

Anthony Lane
February 22, 2011
Anthony Lane, New Yorker

The story sags in the middle, as our wanderers traipse through the highlands-not a happy environment for Tatum, who, before his journey even begins, looks all at sea in this distant age. Full Review

David Edelstein
February 14, 2011
David Edelstein, New York Magazine

Wild-eyed, long-haired Brits leap atop the Romans' shields as the soldiers blindly hack away, the bodies so close that you can barely tell the victor from the vanquished. The battles in the fog and ra... Full Review

Peter Rainer
February 12, 2011
Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor

However you slice it, The Eagle is hokum, but modern-day Scots may get a kick out of the film's depiction of their ancestors as mud-caked hellions. Modern-day Romans will have to settle for less. Full Review

Lisa Kennedy
February 11, 2011
Lisa Kennedy, Denver Post

The latest sandals-and-swords outing, "The Eagle" has landed . . . with a thud. Full Review

Stephen Whitty
February 11, 2011
Stephen Whitty, Newark Star-Ledger

It's even less interesting than "Centurion." Full Review

David Germain
February 11, 2011
David Germain, Associated Press

It's hard to go along for the ride when the characters act more like statuary than people. Full Review

Kyle Smith
February 11, 2011
Kyle Smith, New York Post

A long slog through ancient muck, so-so sword fights and dumb luck. Full Review

Tom Long
February 11, 2011
Tom Long, Detroit News

Alas, from its scruffy period melodrama to its repetitious battles and endless cross-country shots, this film is all grandiosity with no real heft. Full Review

Stephanie Merry
February 11, 2011
Stephanie Merry, Washington Post

Becomes absurd precisely when Channing Tatum marches onto the scene as a Roman army commander. Full Review

Stephen Cole
February 11, 2011
Stephen Cole, Globe and Mail

The Eagle makes for an okay parent-and-young-son film outing. But you'll want to get your youngster the Sutcliff paperback. Full Review

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    • Aquila: Hold the circle!
    • Marcus Aquila: He's not a slave. And he knows more about honor and freedom than you'll ever know.
    • Esca: I hate everything you stand for.
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