The Eagle
The Eagle is a 2011 epic historical drama film set in Roman Britain directed by Kevin Macdonald, and starring Channing Tatum, Jamie Bell and Donald Sutherland. Adapted by Jeremy Brock from Rosemary Sutcliff's historical adventure novel The Eagle of the Ninth (1954), the film tells the story of a young Roman officer attempting to recover the lost Roman eagle standard of his father's legion in Caledonia. The story is based on the Ninth Spanish Legion's supposed disappearance in Britain. Historically, the purported disappearance of the Ninth Legion in Northern Britain is a subject of debate.
Plot
In the year 149 AD, twenty years after the Ninth Legion disappeared in the north of Britain, Marcus Flavius Aquila, a young Roman centurion, arrives in Roman Britain to serve at his first post as a garrison commander. Marcus's father, who was the Senior Centurion of the ninth, disappeared with the eagle standard of the ill-fated legion, and Marcus hopes to redeem his family's honour by bravely serving in Britain. Shortly afterwards, only Marcus's alertness and decisiveness save the garrison from being overrun by Celtic tribesmen in a local insurrection. He is decorated for his bravery but honourably discharged due to a severe leg injury.
More details
| author | Jeremy Brock Rosemary Sutcliff |
|---|---|
| contentLocation | England Roman Britain Scotland |
| director | Kevin Macdonald |
| editor | Justine Wright |
| genre | action adventure drama historical |
| keywords | ambush amphitheatre aquila brigantes calleva calleva atrebatum celt celtic centurion claim drown eagle standard end final battle flee governor grants the reluctant slave his freedom hadrian's wall hampshire hear kill legio ix hispana londinium manumission ninth legion pict primus pilus reform river roman governor selgovae senior centurion silchester silchester eagle talk the eagle of the ninth warn |
| musicBy | Atli Örvarsson |
| producer | Duncan Kenworthy |
| productionCompany | DMG Entertainment Film4 Productions Toledo Productions |
| publisher | Focus Features Universal Pictures |
| recordedAt | Budapest |
| theme | action drama epic northern |