New film about Boudica

[Nathan Ross]

It's been talked about for years (decades, even), but now it seems that Boudica the Movie is finally about to be released.

It appears that fur-covered shoulders and weird hairstyles were quite the thing in old Icenia!

‘Boudica’, Starring Olga Kurylenko, Wraps In UK

(I don't imagine they'll tell us where the final battle happened though...)

[Crispianus]

Pelts formed into semi tailored (multiple pieces) apparall in particular a sort of short cape are quite common, at least from continental finds there are some 20 German and 21 Danish examples listed in Julia Grafs thesis (published), with a date range from 1500bc - 1000ad but mostly around 500bc -500ad...

Reference: "Lederfunde der Vorrömischen Eisenzeit und Römischen Kaisezeit aus Norddeutschland" Julia Graf 2015 verlag marie leidorf.
Recommended, a first class study with excellent drawings, german text.

[Renatus]

Have you read the comments to the original article?

Some character called Christopher Moore gives the following 'facts' about Boudica that you probably didn't know:

1.  She had three partners. Her first was a woman and the other two were men. Prasutagus was her third.

2.  She sacked London, Canterbury and St. Albans.

3.  She wiped out an entire Roman legion.

4.  She was killed in battle in Wiltshire, starving because the Romans had destroyed the cattle and crops.

5.  She drank nettle soup before battle.

He comments that movie companies are often accused of bending the truth but they could at least do some research.  I wonder where he did his!

[John1]

The Wiltshire ref must make him a disciple of Steve Kaye... Ogbourne St George is the only Wiltshire candidate I know of.

Looking forward to the film and the flurry of Boudicca chatter that will follow.

[dadlamassu]

Have you read the comments to the original article?

Some character called Christopher Moore gives the following 'facts' about Boudica that you probably didn't know:

1.  She had three partners.  Her first was a woman and the other two were men.  Prasutagus was her third.

2.  She sacked London, Canterbury and St. Albans.

3.  She wiped out an entire Roman legion.

4.  She was killed in battle in Wiltshire, starving because the Romans had destroyed the cattle and crops.

5.  She drank nettle soup before battle.

He comments that movie companies are often accused of bending the truth but they could at least do some research.  I wonder where he did his!

He missed:

6.  She was a Caledonian because she had long reddish hair, wore a tartan skirt and plaid, drank alcohol and got involved in a fight.

[Michael Kerr]

Not the first time Olga has played a female warrior Briton, she played Etain in the 2010 Neil Marshall film Centurion which was pretty bad except for Liam Cunningham and with very similar costuming     .
Regards
Michael Kerr

[MARCvSVIBIvSMAvRINvS]

Not something I would go see.

[Longovicium]

I drank nettle soup once. Went on to slaughter a Roman legion.

[Val Vincent]

Hmm, the release date on IMDb is Dec.8, 2023 in Turkey.

[Nathan Ross]

Trailer for the Hollywood version for October 27th

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UalKW1-mdcE

Looks to be a UK/US production with a mainly British and European cast. Not sure if that counts as 'Hollywood' or not... who can say, nowadays?

From the trailer, all is as we might expect. Plenty of schwing sword noises. Some 'Mad Max' face painting. Some of the Roman costuming look reasonably okay, although the Iceni are covered in heaps of fur, of course.

I do wonder why the procurator's men appear to be wearing 16th-century burgonets. Found in the props cupboard, maybe?

   

But there are some nice boats in the river scene. And I quite like the burning of London:

   

[Longovicium]

Oh my.

[Nathan Ross]

Oh my.

I can just tell how excited you are there, Francis!

I had another look at the trailer, and there are a few interesting things about it. The Iceni all seem to have sort of middle European accents, perhaps to match the lead, (or just because that's where the actors come from?)

There seems to have been a reenactment group involved in some of the scenes too, going by the shields. Altogether the Roman equipment is maybe better than it used to be in film/TV things like this*, but not up to the standards of the recent Netflix 'Barbarians' (which was probably filming at about the same time as this).

Some odd looking segmentata on display:

   

And what looks like one of the helmets from 'The Eagle', maybe?:

   

They do have a reasonable-looking bit of artillery though:

   

If anybody actually watches the film, perhaps they could provide a more detailed review here?

*EDIT - actually I had a look at some stills from older films and it appears that most of the equipment they're using here comes from the props store of 'The Eagle' and 'Centurion'. Still don't know where that weird body armour comes from, or the anachronistic helmets!

[John1]

Well there are knowledgeable Brits engaged on both sides apparently;

   

[Longovicium]

The helmets are from Vikings or The Lost Kingdom (I forget which!). Reenactors were involved - indeed I was originally planning on going down for a weekend of shooting but wisely stayed away.

[Nathan Ross]

The helmets are from Vikings

Oh yes, so they are! Well spotted.