SXSW Review: “Centurion”

You will love Neil Marshall’s Centurion — set to release in the U.S. this summer — if you…

• Preferred the smaller The Fellowship of the Ring to the ginormous The Return of the King.
• Felt Gladiator was a little too poignant.
• Found 300‘s eye candy a little too sweet.
• Think Michael Fassbender temporarily stole the show — while Cristoph Waltz was offscreen, of course — in Inglourious Basterds.
• Wonder why Dominic West hasn’t found more post-Wire work.
• Ogled the shit out of Olga Kurylenko in Quantum of Solace.
• Like gratuitously inventive violence, i.e. a guy with a spear in his gut jamming it threw himself to pierce an assailant who’s attacking from behind.

If you’re not already sold, you might as well stop reading. If you are sold, you’re going to love this old-school chase movie with new-school camera techniques.  You’ll specifically enjoy it because even though Centurion is about the barbaric Picts hunting down the remaining members of the Roman Ninth Legion, this is no history lesson.  It’s meant to be a medieval roller coaster ride, and it certainly delivers plenty of escapism entertainment.

That being said, this is by no means a dumbed-down movie either. The script is just smart enough, and will likely appease cinephiles as much as it does college frat boys. I think moviegoers will appreciate the light-but-sensible storyline which relies on the weight of the situation and the talent of the actors, rather than beefy backstories and meaty exposition. I also think they’ll appreciate the cursing. 117 A.D. was a brutal time in human history. Warriors of that age might not have ever uttered the words “fuck” or “shit” like they did in this movie, but you know they were more foul mouthed than they are typically portrayed.

As much as I enjoyed the storyline, Centurion‘s two biggest strengths are its cinematography/choreography and its star. This flick looked amazing, often pairing battle sequences and fights that felt new with Bourne-like camera work. I was blown away by the action in this movie. More often than not, today’s battle and fight scenes feel like retreads. Instead of simply relying on budget to create big battlefield spectacles, Centurion gets innovative with both the composition and the killing. Even if the reason for that innovation was necessity, it really made this barbaric bloodbath work.

As for Fassbender, the Irishman was every bit as bad ass as Gerard Butler in 300 and Russell Crowe in Gladiator. This guy is going to be a huge star. I was able to ask director Neil Marshall about him at the Q & A following the SXSW secret screening. Marshall raved about his star, stating that Fassbender is a “seriously impressive guy” who is “good at everything.” After seeing Fassbender’s most recent work, it’s hard to disagree with that statement. Meanwhile, the importance of West’s turn as the Ninth Legion’s original general reminded me of Guy Pearce’s pivotal role in The Hurt Locker. West’s short but crucial role really got you invested in this one during its early stages.

I can see people labeling this as Equilibrium to Gladiator‘s The Matrix. I don’t think that will end up being a fair assessment. Sure, both Equilibrium and Centurion were shot in the UK on a smaller budget than The Matrix and Gladiator, respectively. But Centurion is by no means a poor man’s Gladiator. Instead, it’s more like an alternate version. A  smaller, gorier, less serious look at a great Roman soldier’s fight for freedom. Centurion gets medieval on your ass…and you’ll like it.

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