Posts: 1,754
Threads: 216
Joined: Jul 2005
Reputation:
0
Greetings,
there is a new film just started production based on Valerio Massimo Manfredi's The Last Legion.
Premise/Synopsis: (from Z Review - http://www.thezreview.co.uk/comingsoon/l/lastlegion.htm )
Set in 470AD "Part fact, part legend, "The Last Legion" is an action/ adventure story surrounding the Fall of the Roman Empire and its last emperor, 12-year-old Romulus Augustus, who would rule for a day before losing all that he loved: his family, his home, and an empire that once stood for truth and honor. He is imprisoned on the island-fortress of Capri and is aided by the strategies of his teacher Abrosinus (Sir Ben Kingsley) and the heroic abilities of his legionnaire Aurelius (Colin Firth). They help him to escape the island. His friends and a mysterious envoy from Constantinople travel with Romulus to Britannia in search of the Last Legion - the fabled Dragon Legion. There, Romulus will fight alongside his friends to make his last stand for Rome and take his first steps to becoming the man and the king who started the Arthurian legend."
Sounds good....!
Regards
Arthes
Cristina
The Hoplite Association
[url:n2diviuq]http://www.hoplites.org[/url]
The enemy is less likely to get wind of an advance of cavalry, if the orders for march were passed from mouth to mouth rather than announced by voice of herald, or public notice. Xenophon
-
Posts: 15,116
Threads: 415
Joined: Mar 2002
Reputation:
78
Quote:Sounds good....!
I'll wait till I've seen it. So far, movies in a Late Roman setting tend to disappoint. The book was crap in the first place, since the author did not bother to read up before writing down. 
The Last legion in the novel was a new legion, re-creating the ancient Legion, supposedly a secret weapon??? But all is betrayed, all are killed, but for a few men who get to rescue the boy-Emperor from his captors. After running up and down the Italian peninsula they cross the Alps in winter before fleeing through Gaul towards Britain, where to hope to finally escape their persuers.
No 'Dragon-Legion' is ever mentioned. the story stops before they even reach Britain.
All too often a book is severely altered when a movie is made from the story. Maybe this movie actually improved the book? :wink:
hello,
just about finished the book, found it by accident after reading the series by Micheal Curtis Ford ( very well done ), i didn't find it as detailed battle wise as i would have liked. i needed an 'era fix' and was hoping it would do, .....sorta kinda hope the movie brings it up a notch
keith
Posts: 1,754
Threads: 216
Joined: Jul 2005
Reputation:
0
Greetings,
I can't remember if I have read this book or not, it was the synopsis that interested me....late Roman, Arthurian etc
It seems that VMM was writing screenplays, but as his Alexander books are also being made into a film by Dino de Laurentis, it could be for that. Supposedly the resulting new Alexander film will be more 'authentic' than Oliver Stone's Alexander which I loved and certainly portrayed the gory reality of battle as well as the glory.
If that is the case, let's hope that The Last Legion is also filmed with authenticity in mind...I wonder who the historical adviser is ?
As Letifer says.... Era fix is needed....!
Regards
Arthes
Cristina
The Hoplite Association
[url:n2diviuq]http://www.hoplites.org[/url]
The enemy is less likely to get wind of an advance of cavalry, if the orders for march were passed from mouth to mouth rather than announced by voice of herald, or public notice. Xenophon
-
Posts: 213
Threads: 6
Joined: Sep 2004
Reputation:
0
If I remember correctly, the legion in the book is supposed to be equipped and set up like a first or second century legion (sort of a secret weapon). I thought the book was pretty trashy, sort of a long, drawn-out chase story, with noble warriors and a sexy amazon, although the Arthurian twist at the end is sort of fun.
Aka
Christoph
Posts: 3,234
Threads: 230
Joined: May 2004
Reputation:
1
All historical inaccuraties aside, I found the book quite enjoyable to read :oops: :oops:
Jef Pinceel
a.k.a.
Marcvs Mvmmivs Falco
LEG XI CPF vzw
>Q SER FEST
www.LEGIOXI.be
Posts: 15,116
Threads: 415
Joined: Mar 2002
Reputation:
78
Anyone remember this one?
![[Image: de_reditu.jpg]](http://www.movieconnection.it/schede/de_reditu.jpg)
Posts: 1,587
Threads: 75
Joined: Jul 2001
Reputation:
0
I thought it was almost interesting hysterical fiction. I found that there could have been a lot more research done! With just a few hours of research, it could have been a lot more historical! I'd hate to see a movie based on the book!
Caius Fabius Maior
Charles Foxtrot
moderator, Roman Army Talk
link to the rules for posting
[url:2zv11pbx]http://romanarmy.com/rat/viewtopic.php?t=22853[/url]
Posts: 1,754
Threads: 216
Joined: Jul 2005
Reputation:
0
I found this cover for The Last Legion, hope that is how they will be portraying at least some of the Dragon Legion...  2r7i9j4y]http://www.simonsays.com/content/content.cfm?sid=287&pid=505537[/url]
Regards
Arthes
Cristina
The Hoplite Association
[url:n2diviuq]http://www.hoplites.org[/url]
The enemy is less likely to get wind of an advance of cavalry, if the orders for march were passed from mouth to mouth rather than announced by voice of herald, or public notice. Xenophon
-
Posts: 15,116
Threads: 415
Joined: Mar 2002
Reputation:
78
If they do, it means they have signed Marcus Junkelmann and his cavalry stuff that he made for the Carnuntum museum!!
Posts: 15,116
Threads: 415
Joined: Mar 2002
Reputation:
78
Erm... they did not.
[url:33cp6h7u]http://firthessence.net/TLLmovie.html[/url]
Posts: 1,587
Threads: 75
Joined: Jul 2001
Reputation:
0
I droped through a couple of links, sent Zephyr films a note asking if they needed help on proper Later roman costuming..... maybe others would like to send a note offering them some help......
http://www.zephyr-films.com/
maybe an email campaign could help raise the level of period costumning awareness....
Caius Fabius Maior
Charles Foxtrot
moderator, Roman Army Talk
link to the rules for posting
[url:2zv11pbx]http://romanarmy.com/rat/viewtopic.php?t=22853[/url]
Posts: 1,754
Threads: 216
Joined: Jul 2005
Reputation:
0
Quote:Erm... they did not.
[url:1yvdxc3h]http://firthessence.net/TLLmovie.html[/url]
Yes, hopefully not those swords....eeeeeek :x twisted:
Thats a good idea Caius,
i'm also a late/post Roman having had a fascination with 'Arthur' all my life
I am one of those who loves the King Arthur film because it was attempting to create something more authentic and there is some historical fact in there...
Ducks behind her shield yet again as the plumbatae rain down....oh no who has that Kontos.....heeeelp..! :lol:
regards
Arthes
Cristina
The Hoplite Association
[url:n2diviuq]http://www.hoplites.org[/url]
The enemy is less likely to get wind of an advance of cavalry, if the orders for march were passed from mouth to mouth rather than announced by voice of herald, or public notice. Xenophon
-
Posts: 1,754
Threads: 216
Joined: Jul 2005
Reputation:
0
Quote:I droped through a couple of links, sent Zephyr films a note asking if they needed help on proper Later roman costuming..... maybe others would like to send a note offering them some help......
http://www.zephyr-films.com/
maybe an email campaign could help raise the level of period costumning awareness....
I've just sent them an email too .
Cristina
The Hoplite Association
[url:n2diviuq]http://www.hoplites.org[/url]
The enemy is less likely to get wind of an advance of cavalry, if the orders for march were passed from mouth to mouth rather than announced by voice of herald, or public notice. Xenophon
-
Posts: 1,754
Threads: 216
Joined: Jul 2005
Reputation:
0
Latest update....
My Firth My Last My Everything
(from Empire, Oct 10, 2005)
At last night's Nanny McPhee premiere, Empire managed to quash their Mr Darcy blushes for long enough to find out what Colin Firth and onscreen son Thomas Sangster were up to next, only to find that both are filming Doug Lefler's debut feature, The Last Legion, in Slovakia.
Sangster coolly deflected Empire's questioning saying: "I can’t say too much but it’s about Ancient Rome. I play Caesar and Colin is kind of like my bodyguard I suppose." Sangster 1, Empire nil.
Luckily for this news piece, Colin Firth proved to be a little more loose-lipped on the subject, and The Last Legion sounds like it's a good leap away from the cosy comedy of Nanny: "This is fighting off Saxons and Goths and the menaces of the ancient world," said People magazine's Hottest Man Alive. "It’s an adventure story and I think it has an intimacy about it because, unlike a lot of these things with massive battles, it’s a group of stragglers, about seven people trying to survive and you get to know each other very well under those circumstances.
The film is adapted from the novel by renowned historical writer Valerio Manfredi. Sangster, who played the eldest of Firth's brood in Nanny McPhee, stars as Romulus Augustus, the last emperor of Rome, who flees the city to Britain to track down a group of supporters while Firth's character Aurelius follows him to keep him out of harm's way.
"We’re in a bit of a father and son role there as well really," says Firth. "It’s Ancient Rome you see, so I’m appointed to guard this last, child emperor at the moment where the whole thing collapses. Apparently this is true, that the Goths, when they finally did sack Rome, spared the life of the Emperor because he was so young. We don’t know any more, but the writer just supposed, 'Well, what about the guy who was sworn to protect him? Is he going to carry on protecting him even though he’s not the Emperor any more?' It’s about that kind of relationship."
Cristina
The Hoplite Association
[url:n2diviuq]http://www.hoplites.org[/url]
The enemy is less likely to get wind of an advance of cavalry, if the orders for march were passed from mouth to mouth rather than announced by voice of herald, or public notice. Xenophon
-
|
