MovieChat Forums > The Eagle (2011) Discussion > A pretty good movie up until the last ba...

A pretty good movie up until the last battle

posted 10 years ago by leekingswood
6 replies | jump to latest

11-12 injured, out-of-shape Romans (including a former barbarian slave) vs about 25-30 young barbarian warriors....and when it's over there are still 4-5 Romans left standing, while the barbarians are all dead. Sorry, not buying it. Once the Roman line was broken and it became a mele it would have been game over for the Romans. Lots of other plot holes I was willing to overlook, but could deal with that one.

6.5/10

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I'll always be going to see the varmint, Eve.

[–] ronfirv 10 years ago

I can see why you felt that way.
However, the Roman legions were successful because of their rigid discipline, and highly efficient and drilled tactics against simple barbarian charges. It was proved time and again. No different here on the stream-bed. There were a couple of exceptions in Roman history (Cannae and Teutoberg)but some of the reasons for their severe defeats were down to terrain being unsuitable for deploying their usual tactics.
In AD83, Agricola defeated a barbarian force at Mons Graupius where he was significantly outnumbered, and only needed to send in his auxiliaries, without sending forward the regular Legions!

[–] leekingswood 10 years ago

Thanks for educating me sir. I will accept your knowledge on the topic.

I'm a huge fan of Roman tactics and history...much respect for the Imperial Legions. They conquered most of the civilized world's armies/tribes and many times were vastly outnumbered. I guess I was just at a breaking point at that point in the movie. It was bad enough that Marcus Flavius hobbles out of the cave pale, gaunt, weak and injured...then the remainder of the 9th suddenly marches out of the mist to answer the call of the Eagle, and still with their Roman shields no less!! Fifteen years older and fatter and without real legion training, yet they fight as if they are 27 yr/old fresh-legged veterans. Meanwhile, Flavius is killing 5-6 of the barbarians single handedly. Not buying it.

Again, liked the movie, just didn't love it.

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I'll always be going to see the varmint, Eve.

[–] ronfirv 10 years ago

Fair point on this scene in the movie.
Esca left Marcus lying in the stream bed, cold and exhausted and looked like death warmed up, yet by the time little Esca shows up with the veterans of the IXth, he looked better, fitter and with a new lease of life! Given the distance Esca had to cover in Caledonia, round up the men and return, it would have been quite a few days, not hours, so had Marcus eaten, for one point? Lying beside a stream bed in cold Highland Scotland, exhausted and cold and wet, yet this huge recovery? Yes, it does stretch credibility indeed.
However,the book was written for early teens 60 years ago, so let's just sit back and enjoy the tale and the 120 mins or so of pure escapism.

[–] syntinen 10 years ago

However,the book was written for early teens 60 years ago

True - but the book makes no such demands on the reader's credulity!

[–] ronfirv 10 years ago

Also true!

[–] spookyrat1 8 years ago

... and when it's over there are still 4-5 Romans left standing ...

LOL! Actually when it's over and Marcus is making his speech there are still 11 - 12 Romans. There must have been more among the trees earlier on, when they came out of the mist or may be Kevin McDonald realised he'd got the numbers wrong while the dust was settling after the battle. At any rate somewhere along the line the numbers seemed to magically even up.🐭