MovieChat Forums > Boudica (2003) Discussion > First, let me apologize to all British p...

First, let me apologize to all British people.

posted 17 years ago by pmiano100
24 replies | jump to latest

This is nothing against you or your nation. I consider British soldiers the finest in the world and have enjoyed the hospitality of your country and it's people several times. You just drive on the wrong side of the road and put the steering wheel on the wrong side of the car.

That said, let me summarize the ending of "Boudica." Her rebellion fails, her army is wiped out by the Romans even though her forces outnumbered them at least four to one, she and her daughters commit suicide, and Rome rules Britannia for another 400 years. Great! I love a happy ending!

"What? How can you say that's a happy ending?" you ask. Well I'll tell you how: I'm Italian! Italian-American actually, but close enough.

For decades I've watched British WWII films with the cowardly Italians surrendering to the British by the thousands. I freely admit that is true and accurate, much as it shames me. However, it's nice to know that at least we beat you guys once. Sure it was 2,000 years ago, but we'll take what we can get.

[–] daggers-1 17 years ago

The Italians at least have the guts to provide support for the war on terror, unlike a great many other European nations.

Besides, Britain was the last stronghold of the Western Empire, then turned to the Wessex Kings before being invaded by all those unwashed Germanic tribes, before the Vikings and Normans (Vikings in drag) duked it out to create England.

So the British Empire was basically a continuation of Rome, and a damned fine one.

If you find yourself in the States, drop me a line. First drink is on me. I drink Scotch, btw;-)

http://www.MichaelZWilliamson.com

[–] pmiano100 17 years ago

So why did they withdraw their troops from Iraq? Let's face it: The Italians couldn't beat the Ethiopians. The Israelis called New York in 1967and asked for money - they got millions. Mussolini called up New York and asked for $5.00 - they told him, "'Ey, chedrule. We worse-a off danna you."

My only point was that to an Italian, the defeat of Boudicca was a happy ending. To American and British veterans of the WWII Battle of the Atlantic, "Das Boot" had a happy ending too.

[–] daggers-1 17 years ago

Wars are usually lost by political failure, not from lack of bravery on the part of the troops.

Even the French:)

http://www.MichaelZWilliamson.com

[–] pmiano100 17 years ago

Incompetent military leadership has more to do with it. Italian generals made the French look good, but look at the pool the Italian leadership had to draw from. Sorry, but Italian soldiers have distinguished themselves in only one war since the fall of Rome. That was the war with Turkey in 1912. I suppose they figured that any nation that forbade drinking wine and vermouth and eating pork bragioli had to be defeated at all costs. Never threaten an Italian's food, drink, money, lover, or mother. We will get mad at you.

[–] daggers-1 17 years ago

You can always beat the French.

But what's the point?;-)

http://www.MichaelZWilliamson.com

[–] pmiano100 17 years ago

There I agree with you.

[–] ContinentalOp 16 years ago

The Germanic tribes that settled in Britain were inspired by Romans in a few aspects but they were not a continue on from the 'glory' of Rome. Also, many Celtic tribes were not sbdued by the Romans either.

Regards,
The Count

The Apple Scruffs Corps, 07

"Imagine"

[–] pmiano100 16 years ago

1. I never said anything about the Germanic tribes, but what you say is true. Regarding ancient times, both the Germans and the Romans won and lost a few, althought I admit the German victory in the Teutoberg Forest in 9 AD was the greatest victory of all.

2. I freely admit not all Celtic tribes were defeated by Rome. They never set foot on Eire/Hibernia except for a few retaliatory raids to avenge raids by the ancient Irish. Also, they never defeated the tribes of Scotland, and built Hadrian's Wall to keep them out of Brittania. An Italian I know said the real reason was that they took one look at Scotland and decided they didn't want it. I attributed that to sour grapes.

[–] thruster_quad 16 years ago

Something seems not right at all with your short history of Britain.

Britain was not amongst the last territories that clung to the Western Empire. The Wessex kings (Wessex meaning West Saxons) WERE the result of Germanic invaders of the 4th-5th centuries.

A new wave of Nordic-Germanic invaders, the Vikings, periodically plundered and colonised parts of Britain. The nation of England (England from Angles, a Germanic people) began when Alfred the Great, king of the West Saxons, more or less unites the other Anglo-Saxon kingdoms during his struggle to kick the Vikings out of Britain. Alfred was the first to claim the title "King of the English."

Britain isn't really a spin off of the Roman Empire. If anything it's a successor to Rome in the sense that it was the first state since Rome to establish world dominancy. The legacy of which remains with us today with the whole globe speaking English as the international language and everyone playing the sports invented by the British and/or Anglo-Americans.

[–] The_Eleventh_Doctor 16 years ago

"built Hadrian's Wall to keep them out of Brittania. An Italian I know said the real reason was that they took one look at Scotland and decided they didn't want it. I attributed that to sour grapes"

I always thought they never went to scotland because they were scared and they built Hadrians wall so they could hide behind it. But then again I'm a Briton so I'm bias lol.

Little pigs, little pigs, we've come to nick ya video!

[–] monsoonloelia 16 years ago

you romans did not defeat us celts!

we are strong and proud to this day.

you may have won the battle, but we won the war!!!!!

Boudicca will live on for her courage and her willfulness to stop the bloody romans killing off her people, she succeeded in the long run.

so HA!

celtic blessings
xxx
xx
x

[–] pmiano100 16 years ago

Actually, she didn't succeed. Decianus Servus continued slaughtering Celts until stopped by Suetonius' more humane successor. Boudica was a pretty merciless butcher herself, and that included slaughtering Britons whose only crime was not wanting to join her.

Like it or not, the Romans won the Battle of Mona and basically controlled Britain for the next 400 years. So how did the Celts win the war? That's taking "in the long run" to extremes.

What's the big deal? The British humiliated the Italians in WWII, kicking their cowardly butts from one end of North Africa to another. You can let us have one victory. Have a heart. You guys even have a basketball team named after you in Boston. Are there any teams called "The Romans?"

[–] pmiano100 16 years ago

I've been to Scotland. Those moors would scare anybody. Besides, didn't a lot of Italians move there? Race car champion Dario Franchitti is Scottish of Italian ancestry. The real maiden name of his American wife, Ashley Judd, is Ciminella. Her father is of Italian ancestry.

[–] pmiano100 16 years ago

You're basically right, but Roman civilization did have an effect on Britain. London was nothing but a tribal village until the Romans made it a city, as they did Paris, Cologne, and other cities. The Romans stayed in Britain until around 400 AD. Then they bugged out. Of course, other peoples influenced British culture as well.

The power and influence of the British Empire is not questioned. At one time, it was the largest in history. British soldiers are, in my opinion, the most courageous and competent in the world, equaled only by the US Marine Corps and surpassed by none. Once they were a conquered people, but that's true of every ancient nation.

[–] Mor_Oghma 14 years ago

lol

Wessex = West Saxons, who were a Germanic tribe from what is today Germany

Mor

[–] ContinentalOp 14 years ago

"Wessex = West Saxons, who were a Germanic tribe from what is today Germany"

Yep, and the English are culturally Germanic and thus a highly successful immigrant culture. You are not allowed to say this because it runs against British nationalism which is so popular and thus you have to believe the absurd ''genetic studies'' by paediatricians or British racists who interpret their findings differently to what real scientists would.

"Namu-myoho-renge-kyo"

[–] red_red_robyn 14 years ago

The findings of paediatricians? What on earth do children's doctors have to do with Britain's genetic makeup? What *are* you talking about?

"You people. If there isn't a movie about it, it's not worth knowing about, is it" - Dogma

[–] ContinentalOp 14 years ago

"What *are* you talking about?"

A paediatrician called Oppenheimer, to be precise.

"Namu-myoho-renge-kyo"

[–] philphoto 16 years ago

Actually One of my Uncles fought the Italians in North Africa and he had a hell of a job looking after the hundreds of the Enemy who kept surrendering to him and his mates.

So you see , its not just fiction.

No one said the Italians were cowards their hearts were just not in it.

And YOU didnt beat us, your (possibly) ancestors did.

[–] monsoonloelia 16 years ago

my ancestors and i share blood, we are connected!

so in a sense, I did beat you!

proud celtic blessings
xxx
xx
x

[–] axtonuk 16 years ago

my ancestors and i share blood, we are connected!

so in a sense, I did beat you!

proud celtic blessings
xxx
xx
x

They did not beat the Iceni, their blood flows in the East Anglians today! they are doing a DNA project in East Anglia and have found that most people are a mix of Celt and Viking. Where I'm from the average is 60% the Iceni blood is still around, so the romans were victorious over no one, Everyone knows Boudicca! she's famous worldwide!

For those who are interested heres the our local DNA project:

http://www.geocities.com/thurlowons/eagdna/frame_set.html

and the results table:

http://www.geocities.com/thurlowons/eagdna/tables/hg_freq_y_n_s.html

Boudicca lives on, screw Rome! most of the ideas came from the Greeks anyway! :op

[–] 16 years ago

[deleted]

[–] pmiano100 16 years ago

Who said it was fiction? I didn't say it was fiction. I know it was real.

I say the Italians were cowards. Their "hearts haven't been in it" since the fall of Rome.

It is said that the Italians supposedly fought well against the Russians. If so, that was because the conditions and food were so bad in Russian POW camps. American, Canadian, and British camps were luxurious in comparison and the food was quite good. No wonder they surrendered in droves. No Italian can resist a good meal.

I didn't say "I" beat you, I said "we," in the collective, ethnic sense. Like it or not, the ancestors of the modern Italians did beat the ancestors of the modern British. C'mon, give us a break. You guys more than made up for it.

My ancestors? Knowing my family, my ancestors were probably fishermen and no doubt smugglers, which is a time-honored tradition in Sicily. If they were farmers, they were probably sheep rustlers. We are not very nice people.

[–] footyhannah1 15 years ago

I know you are all probably going to hate me for saying this... plus this discussion is from ages ago, but what the hell!

Does it really matter? By now all our genes are so mixed up as people have mixed into other cultures etc. I don't know about anyone else but while I was born in England, my dad is Burmese and from his family alone we have close Portugese, Indian and Scottish ancestry. So really no one wins, and it is my experience that no one actually ever wins a war because far too many lives are lost to make any of it count - on both sides. That's just my opinion so don't bite my head off.

Also, it is my understanding that the Romans didn't invade Scotland because of the weather and landscape. Have you ever been to Scotland?! It rains almost constantly and is freezing, that coupled with scary looking natives... I wouldn't have gone either!

"The best way to keep a guy at least ten feet away? Dry heave. Vomit is the new mace." Veronica