In the year 117 AD the Roman ninth legion, which was stationed in York, marched north to battle against the Picts. It never returned. That much is true. This film tells a story about what might have happened.
The ninth legion is travelling northwards, guided by a mute Celtic scout called Etain. She leads them into an ambush, because she's really a Pict, not a Celt. Only seven men survive the attack. The centurion Quintus Dias leads the group, hoping to travel south to safer territory. The King of the Picts, Gorlacon, puts Etain in charge of a hunting group to kill them. One by one the soldiers are killed, until only Quintus is left.
This is a very brutal film. The opening scenes shocked me. It took me at least 15 minutes to get used to the violence. If I hadn't known already it would have convinced me that war is ugly.
I consider it a mistake to have made Etain a mute. The Picts overall are very anonymous in the film, with the possible exception of King Gorlacon. Not allowing Etain to speak made her even more distant. It's as if the Romans are facing an abstract enemy, a force of nature.
Success Rate: - 1.9
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