'The Eagle' fails to do book justice

Director: Kevin Macdonald

Cast: Channing Tatum, Donald Sutherland, Jamie Bell

This fairly low-budget actioner takes as its basis the popular novel 'The Eagle of the Ninth' by Rosemary Sutcliff, a story set in Roman Britain which has become obscured by myth.

Did the Ninth Legion of around 5,000 men really march into the mists of Caledonia (Scotland) and vanish completely without trace? If they did what happened to them?

The simple theory is that – assuming their story is true – they were overwhelmed and wiped out by the natives north of Hadrian’s Wall … and their iconic Eagle standard lost forever.

To the film: Tatum plays Roman soldier Marcus Aquilla who volunteers for a posting in the wild and bloody north, the better to find out what happened to his father, commander of the lost Ninth, and the Eagle.

He rescues local Esca (Bell) and together the search begins, as does an extremely curious love-hate relationship, developed in a film that is strongly macho.

This is no 'Gladiator', largely because the money clearly wasn’t available to Macdonald, but he makes as good a job as circumstances allow, without managing to give the film the fizz and energy it needs.

Romans still fascinate us and a reading of Sutcliff’s much-loved book is recommended … but this film doesn’t do it justice.

Star Rating: 3/5