After such amazing films as Ben Hur and Gladiator, I’m a definite fan of what the industry refers to as “swords and sandals” epics, films that take place during the first century or two of the common era. The Eagle takes place during this same era, 140AD, and is a tale of a Roman commander who seeks to restore his family’s honor by recovering a lost golden eagle from the far northern hinterlands of Britain.
One of the key issues for a film that’s set in Roman-occupied Britain is the morality of invasion and occupation, a topic that can’t but be addressed between Roman invader Marcus and his British slave Esca, a Brigant, as they travel through the wilderness and ultimately are put in situations that cause them to reverse the master/slave relationship. Yet there’s remarkably little dialog spent on whether the Romans had the right to enslave the Britons and the conversations that they do have on the topic are quickly forgotten in the battles and trek towards the missing talisman.

The Eagle is an amazing movie. Two thumbs up!