SXSW Film Review: Centurion
Centurion (2010)
SXSW 2010
Directed by: Neil Marshall
Starring: Michael Fassbender, Dominic West, Imogen Poots, Olga Kurylenko, David Morrissey
Review by: Britt Hayes
The general of the 9th legion of Roman soldiers, Virilus (West), has been given orders to take his men into Pict territory in what is now Scotland, and finally bring an end to the long-running war between Rome and the Picts. Rome has had its sights set on Britain, but the Picts, a native people who use the terrain and bows and arrows to their advantage, have long stood in their way. The Picts don’t fuck around. This was a time when women were drafted into the military as long as they could wield a bow and arrow, and the most dangerous among the Picts are definitely their women.
The 9th legion is led into a trap and engages in an epic and devastating battle with the Picts, resulting in extensive casualties. Only seven soldiers remain alive, and General Virilus has been captured by the Picts. The remaining men, led by Quintus Dias (Fassbender), endeavor to rescue their esteemed General, fighting Picts, the elements, and betrayal along the way.
Fans will recognize Marshall as the director of one of the most important horror films of the last decade – The Descent. Don’t expect anything like that here. Centurion is a bloody historical action film based on the legend of the 9th legion. Marshall takes the question mark of that legend and weaves a tale all his own, forming his own history while integrating historical facts. As a viewer, you don’t question that this is a “what if” scenario, and Marshall does a great job of bringing you into his fiction.
That said, I didn’t care for the film. It saddens me that Marshall seems to be a one-off director. He started on such a high note with The Descent, but I was not a fan of Doomsday, and I’m not a fan of Centurion. That’s not to say that Centurion isn’t a good movie. I can see why people like it or would like it, and I can see myself drinking a six pack on a Friday night with some guy friends and having a good time with it. I enjoyed it in the theater, but the more I’ve had time to sit with it, the more I dislike it.
There’s a plot line with a love interest that could easily have 10 minutes trimmed off of it, and a nudge-nudge moment with mushrooms (no, druggies, not those) that is groan-inducing and needs to go. The landscapes used in the film are beautiful, but some of the shots gloss over them quickly, barely giving the viewer time to register what they just saw.
And that leads me to the real issue: the editing. There is an insane amount of quick-cutting during the action scenes making it impossible to determine what is actually going on. You can’t tell who is fighting who and what side they’re on. At first, I thought this may have been a girly, pedestrian complaint, but several other people at the screening echoed similar complaints.
Michael Fassbender is bland as Quintus Dias. He starts strong, but the longer he’s on screen the more he feels empty. There’s not an ounce of personality in his performance and could easily be replaced with another actor. None of the performances shine outside of Olga Kurylenko and the beautiful and unfortunately-named Imogen Poots. Kurylenko’s Etain is a bloodthirsty, mute Pict who has to carry an entire performance without being able to speak. It’s a heavy load, but she carries it effectively. Poots’ Arian is given little to do with a tedious little story line, but manages to make it work. You may remember Poots as the little girl from 28 Weeks Later. She’s hardly little anymore.
As horror fans, you’ll be pleased by the brutal kills and gracious amounts of blood, but some may be bored with subplots. Another bothersome quality is that the Romans speak with muted British accents, and the Picts, who lived in what is now Scotland, speak some kind of Gaelic with subtitles. Marshall stated in the Q & A after the screening that he wanted to make this a real period piece and exclude any weapons, costumes, make-up, et al. that wouldn’t be around during that time. Why, then, is Fassbender chewing gum in one of the first scenes? And why do all the soldiers use modern day profanity? If you want to know what to expect on a small scale before walking into Centurion, Eric Snider has a funny list over at Cinematical.
Centurion is a great take on an old legend, but suffers from poor editing choices and wearisome acting. This was the first “super secret” screening at SXSW, and as such, it was hardly secret. The screening was called “Neil Marshall Presents” but there was only one film Marshall had been working on, so it was no surprise. We all knew it was Centurion and we were all excited to see it. Perhaps our high expectations nullified most of the enjoyment we could’ve taken from it. Overall, Centurion is a decent film, but left me feeling tepid.
