Written and directed by Neil Marshall, Centurion (2010) is loosely based on the 2nd Century A.D. massacre of the Ninth Legion in Caledonia. The plot follows a Roman soldier, behind enemy lines in the British Isles, facing annihilation after the Empire's failed conquest of the territory. The guerrilla warfare utilized by the Picts of Alba, and the Roman's futile defense against the onslaught, provides an interesting and exciting historical context of the region two thousand years ago. The bloody battle scenes are quite graphic, but are fitting for the material. The cast does a fine job, including Michael Fassbender, Dominic West and Olga Kurylenko.
Directed by Cecil B. DeMille, The Ten Commandments (1956) was a partial remake of his 1923 silent film of the same title, and tells the Biblical, Old Testament story of the Exodus... Moses' struggles with Pharaoh Rameses II and his God-given quest to free the Hebrew slaves from Egypt. The Ten Commandments was a staggering cinematic achievement for it's time, bot in special effects (the plagues, the parting of the Red Sea... ) and set design, and remains one of the most financially successful films ever made. The all-star ensemble cast is great, including Charlton Heston as Moses, Yul Brynner as Pharaoh Rameses II, Anne Baxter as Nefretiri, Edward G. Robinson, Yvonne De Carlo, Vincent Price, John Carradine, Sir Cedric Hardwicke and Woody Strode.
Charlton Heston: The Ten Commandments
Yul Brynner: The Ten Commandments
: The Ten Commandments
Yul Brynner and Charlton Heston: The Ten Commandments
: The Ten Commandments
Yul Brynner as Pharaoh Rameses II: The Ten Commandments
Although Anthony Mann was initially hired to direct Spartacus (1960), producer and star Kirk Douglas fired him after only one week of filming, and replaced him with Stanley Kubrick. Kubrick reluctantly accepted the job, and Spartacus is the only film to his credit in which he did not have complete creative control. This is evident in the lack of signature camera tricks associated with a Kubrick film. The film, however, is Epic and powerful... focusing on a slave turned Gladiator who rises up to challenge the forces of Ancient Rome. The cinematography is great, Dalton Trumbo's screenplay is tight and the all-star cast does a fine job, including Kirk Douglas, Laurence Olivier, Jean Simmons, Tony Curtis, Charles Laughton, Woody Strode, John Gavin and Peter Ustinov (in an Oscar-winning supporting role).
