MovieChat Forums > The Eagle (2011) Discussion > American Indians in 2nd century Scotland...

American Indians in 2nd century Scotland?


What was that all about?

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You saw Native Americans? I saw Papua New Guinea Mud Men, myself.

But whichever; the director said that he wanted to create the Seal People as a remnant pre-Celtic population, with a culture that would be alien even to Esca of the Brigantes (who lived in the area now called Yorkshire). Nobody knows how such a people might have adorned themselves or what their manners and culture would have been like, so the production just made it up.

I don't really know why he felt he had to do that (it isn't in the book at all): for me it doesn't add anything to the story and is actively distracting. But that's what he said.

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I agree, syntinen. I understand the director's reasoning but what we saw on-screen was OTT to the point of silliness.

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This could've been a decent movie, but the whole Native American thing was just beyond absurd.

Plus, if the filmmakers were trying to make the Picts look extra "savage," and they used Native American imagery to do so, then shouldn't this movie be pretty insulting to Native Americans?

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I think "fierce" is the look the Native Americans were going for, to instill fear in their enemies (mostly other Native Americans).

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Interesting.

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It kind of made sense. They lived in the far north of Scotland, almost an Arctic existence, wearing seal skins and living on seafood. And the Picts have been shown in blue skin paint in previous movies, so why not the Seal People too?

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