In the middle days of the War on Terror, a chapter in the Bush presidency that goes down in the annals of history as being the defining trait of his legacy, historians and political pundits banded together to draw an allegory between modern day superpower America and the ancient Roman Empire. Finding similarities between them goes beyond just military power, but in the midst of war, that seems to be the most obvious. Many redundant articles were written, seemingly reiterating the same point: that democracy via imperialism is arrogant and immoral.
Subscribing to the same parallel, director Kevin Macdonald, who is no stranger to politically charged thrillers with his previous films The Last King of Scotland and State of Play, deliberately cast American actors using their contemporary accents to play the Romans in The Eagle. It’s a nice change to the baffling charade of using British accents to signify period or foreign—so refreshing to see Donald Sutherland in toga and sandals using colloquialisms like “gonna” and “gotta”—but it also plays a role in toying with the text of the film. When the English Jamie Bell, playing Scottish slave Esca, argues with the American Channing Tatum, playing Roman soldier Marcus Flavius Aquilla, about the reality of what Roman soldiers do to prisoners in the places they occupy behind the banner of pride and country, even the in-character and buzzword-free dialogue can’t hide the fact that he’s talking about something else. Esca never specifically mentions Abu Ghraib, but…
That the main antagonist, a prince of the Pictish tribe that captures then hunts after them, is played by a French-Algerian (A Prophet’s Tahar Rahim) speaking entirely in a foreign language (Gaelic, substituting for the extinct Pictish language), is really only two steps removed from a full-on stunt casting of Iraqi actors as the Scots. Maybe they could’ve gotten Toby Keith to play Emperor Hadrian.
Though PG-13, The Eagle’s battle scenes still carry the necessary rips. Without the sight of too much blood, Macdonald puts the focus on more battering than slicing, so we get gritty, punchy moments like a Roman soldier behind a formation headbutting his own shield to ram it forward against the enemy; or slicing himself in the cheek by putting his helmet on too fast.
It’s tickling to think that this comes from an adaptation of Rosemary Sutcliff’s 1954 children’s novel The Eagle of the Ninth, the first in a series of historical adventure novels for young readers set in the Roman occupation of Britain. That may account for why, despite its political statement and harsh treatment of, ultimately it refrains from being too disillusioned about nationalism, sidestepping the bigger ramifications to send a message about true friendship being above all.
Compare it to last year’s Centurion, which similarly deals with the mystery of the famous Ninth Legion’s disappearance in Caledonia (Scotland way back when). Neil Marshall’s film is more cynical, portraying heroic soldiers whose dedication to their country bores no fruit, leaving them betrayed by a corrupt and self-serving government that uses honor as a way to goad them into being cannon fodder. The Eagle is more centrist—wanting to glorify its military power yet at the same time preaching international understanding—to the point of being problematic.
To follow the allegory, imagine an Iraq War movie about a soldier who, after befriending a local Iraqi, starts the realization that what America is doing is wrong and that the insurgents have every right to hate them; but, in the climax of the movie, slaughters some villainous bloodthirsty Iraqis with the help of former deserters who are moved by newfound patriotism; and then his Iraqi friend, by choice, helps him restore America’s honor previously tainted by their wrongful occupation. That’s basically The Eagle, 2000 or so years removed.
Channing Tatum nails his best role that doesn’t require him to play a variation of his mumbly street kid self, playing a soldier who by all means is still a boy looking for his father’s guidance. He has the benefit of bouncing off of a tough, grungy-looking Jamie Bell. Their pairing works so well, in a classic heist flick duo sort of way, forging a push-and-pull bond that keeps being tested with each new situation. Their characterizations and partnership are the best part of a movie that’s otherwise narratively thin and politically confused.
"The Eagle" opens February 11, 2011 and is rated PG13. Action, Adventure, Drama. Directed by Kevin Macdonald. Written by Jeremy Brock (screenplay), Rosemary Sutcliff (novel). Starring Channing Tatum, Donald Sutherland, Jamie Bell, Mark Strong, Tahar Rahim.
