MovieChat Forums > Katherine of Alexandria (2014) Discussion > Lazy Hollywood ancient Roman history

Lazy Hollywood ancient Roman history

posted 10 years ago by jeffyoung1
7 replies | jump to latest

Watching this movie, I roll my eyes at another example of Hollywood's laziness in depicting accurate time period Roman soldiers. Usually these days, a movie's costume prop department employees simply visit a Hollywood costume warehouse and borrow Roman uniforms, armor, shields, and weaponry from the time of Emperor Trajan.

I saw that there was some attempt to change the uniforms a bit, but merely cosmetic. The Roman legionaries of the early 4th century CE, that is, from 300 CE onward, looked nothing like the legionaries of Trajan's time period, 105 CE. The helmets in the movie are all time period Trajan. Helmets in 300 CE are simpler, two-piece affairs more easily mass-produced given the huge increase in the Army and the vast amount of equipment lost in the preceeding century.

[–] MoonPreacher 10 years ago

Yes, besides being boring and the main actress absolutely appaling, she acted like shee was reading the script on the wall and very slowly. And what the hell was doing a akita ( japanese dog breed ) there?

[–] hibernia89 10 years ago

Interesting, as even the bad reviews of this film have said that Nicole Keniheart was very good. I agree with them actually. While the film has major flaws, she was pretty watchable for me!

[–] Clusium 10 years ago

I agree with you. I think the acting in the film was very good.

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[–] beersandshots 10 years ago

Wow, jeffyoung1, that's a really detailed analysis about their freakin' helmets. If only you would have paid more attention in elementary school during geography class, you may have learned that Hollywood is located in California, one of the 48 contiguous states of the United States of America located on the continent of North America.

That being said, I refer you to this page: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1587685/companycredits?, where the only U.S. companies listed as companies accociated with "Decline of an Empire" are the two distributors, and the company which provided music and score services (which I suppose you could have had a valid gripe against, had they lined the Romans up and played their helmets like a xylophone). Other than the aforementioned, the remainder of the companies were British, as is the director/writer and one of the three listed costume designers.

All of which goes together to beg two questions:
1. "What gives you the gall to blame this on Hollywood?"
2. I'll let this guy ask the question- "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eeNsPE5XUXA";?

"In a time of universal deceit,
telling the truth is a revolutionary act."
George Orwell

[–] ztpt 9 years ago

because Hollywood perpetuated the cliche/stereotype of the roman army eternally and ubiquitously dressed up in poor Lorica Segmentata reproduction costumes..almost every movie set in the roman empire even if set 100s of years apart have them marching in LS and red scutums pulling testudos out of their *ss..its akin to portraying troops in Iraq in civil war gear only even more anachronistic and even factually wrong,only the more wealthy soldiers during a fairly limited time of the imperial heyday wore them and they didnt look remotely like the costumes in most movies.

pet peeve indeed yes

[–] beersandshots 9 years ago

marching in LS and red scutums pulling testudos out of their *ss.

If guys are getting their testudos pulled out of their scutums via the *ss, I wouldn't think that historical accuracy would be high on the list of priorities for the production staff! 

"In a time of universal deceit,
telling the truth is a revolutionary act."
George Orwell

[–] 9 years ago

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