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Heroes and Villans 2008 - Flavivs Aetivs - 05-12-2014
I just watched the "Attila the Hun" in the Heroes and Villans series, from 2008.
Surprisingly enough, in terms of how close it stuck to the history books it was decent. It seems like they actually paid attention to Dr. Heather when he advised them for this film.
It's still pretty cheesy, but I'd say it's better than any other "Roman History" thing I've seen on TV.
Can watch it for free here, on their website.
http://cosmos-documentaries.blogspot.com/2013/05/heroes-and-villains-complete-bbc-series.html
Heroes and Villans 2008 - Graham Sumner - 05-13-2014
Hi Evan
Also produced around that time is the BBC series 'Ancient Rome, Rise and Fall of an Empire'.
Like the series you mention it is resonably good with the historical details and probably for the first time in a film or TV production shows Republican soldiers in Republican kit and likewise with the early and later Imperial periods too. Poor Robert must have fainted when a late Roman soldier in a ridge helmet actually pulled a plumbata from behind a shield!!
However for me what was disappointing was the siege scenes in the Jewish war episode which showed a distinct lack of imagination or budget or both and the fact that the scriptwriter really did not appear to like Julius Caesar. One other scene that will make RATers cringe is when Caesar's troops line up in front of their siege works to face the hoard of Gauls! :o
ad: British viewers probably also got the in joke of Nero being portrayed by the actor Michael Sheen, who had made a name for himself by playing former Prime Minister Tony Blair a couple of times, well I am assuming it was an in joke.
You should also look out for another Docudrama 'Hannibal' with Star Treks Deep Space 9 Dr Bashir in the title role. Probably again produced around the same time and again using fairly decent kit. The stand out for me however was the actor who played Hasdrubal, it must be a missed opportunity that he has never played Hadrian.
Graham
Heroes and Villans 2008 - Flavivs Aetivs - 05-13-2014
I can't remember which one I saw: there was the BBC "Rome Rise and Fall", and there was another one I think that used the same cheesy History channel kit from "Barbarians" and "Barbarians II"
Heroes and Villans 2008 - Alanus - 05-13-2014
What kind of Roman helmets were the good guys wearing in the Attila episode... anyway? :dizzy:
Heroes and Villans 2008 - Flavivs Aetivs - 05-13-2014
The Rise and Fall of the Empire I saw was the one where they like went straight from (I think it was) Alaric to Ricimer, and skipped Aetius and Attila completely.
Heroes and Villans 2008 - Michael Kerr - 05-13-2014
I quite enjoyed that particular one on Attila the Hun, so much to fit into 1 hour but good seeing Rory McCann (the Hound from Game of Thrones) playing Attila & Allen Leech from Downton Abbey playing Edeco. I suppose it makes good TV but Attila's public murder of Bleda was a bit bizarre as it is not proven that Attila murdered Bleda only that he succeeded him, but it is assumed in books, movies & TV series that Attila murdered his brother as well as the fact that I didn't see any horsemen at Chalons other than Aetius but pretty good for a show squeezed into 1 hour. Not sure whether Edeco's Scirii were being bombarded with arrows or plumbata while trying to get to the high ground.
Regards
Michael Kerr
Heroes and Villans 2008 - Flavivs Aetivs - 05-13-2014
Looked like a bit of both, I think it was arrows but they tried to make them look like Plumbatae with the angle of the shot.
Chalons is one of those battles where the whole devolving into one-on-one fighting in Hollywood actually somewhat happened. The general line was held, but the battle grew incredibly chaotic as it wore on.
I liked the music to it, certainly fitting.