Best and Worst ancient (BC) themed movies...

[warpus]

Ohforpetessake...

Did I say anywhere that I don't like the movie? No.

You think that I think that you didn't like it? Well no, I never said anything of the sort.

 

[Phrossack]

There's a bunch of really good Chinese films that are set contemporary to the Classical era. Hero, Red Cliff and The Lost Bladesman, off the top of my head. I don't know if that counts, but I'm sure the visual difference is as obvious to Chinese audiences as the difference between Gladiator and Robin Hoodis to us.

Red Cliff takes place in 208-209 AD. It looks really good, though apparently it succumbs to the "armor is useless" trope, and I've been meaning to watch it after I've read my Kindle copy of Romance of Three Kingdoms. When I get around to it...

I have a soft-spot for Troy, not so much because it's all that good, but I admire that they committed to the Mycenaean setting. They mostly avoided defaulting to "movie Greece" in the costuming, weapons and architecture, and the two exceptions- the armour of the Myrmidons and the boats- have at least been altered enough to show they were aware of the issue.

Admittedly I have a bit of a soft spot for Troy too, but with some reservations. There's just something about the setting in the sunny Mediterranean, the Bronze Age combat on the shore, and the whole story of the Trojan War that I find very appealing.

I liked 300. As an historical epic, it's trash, sure enough, but the trick is to watch it as an exercise in homoerotic fascist mythology. Snyder didn't realise he was making fascist cinema, so it doesn't commit as well as it might, but there's enough shouting and flexing and good ol' palingenetic ultranationalism to work.

"Homoerotic fascist mythology" is a pretty accurate way of putting it. Though it's quite in denial of its homoeroticism, what with the Spartans mocking the Athenians for being "boy-lovers."

Any mention of Monty Python's Life of Brian?

Starts in 1 AD, so just too late to make the cut. Excellent comedy and political/religious commentary, though, especially for its time. And I'm not just saying that because I'm a Monty Python fanatic.

 

[Traitorfish]

Red Cliff takes place in 208-209 AD. It looks really good, though apparently it succumbs to the "armor is useless" trope, and I've been meaning to watch it after I've read my Kindle copy of Romance of Three Kingdoms. When I get around to it...

Less "succumbs", more "assumes as a genre convention". Chinese historical epics are hugely influenced by the wuxia genre, which treats armour as shiny costuming. I mean, these scenes are straight out of Dynasty Warriors, and while that's in part because Guan Yu is literally a god in China, it's not out of keeping with the rest of the film.

"Homoerotic fascist mythology" is a pretty accurate way of putting it. Though it's quite in denial of its homoeroticism, what with the Spartans mocking the Athenians for being "boy-lovers."

Yeah, like I said, Synder really needs to commit. It would have been more interesting if the Spartans were overtly homosexual and the effeteness of the Persians was attributed to their tedious heterosexuality, something like Steve Hughes' (NSFWish) reasoning. Not that I expect that from a Hollywood production, but whatever, a man can dream.

 

[Hygro]

I liked 300. As an historical epic, it's trash, sure enough, but the trick is to watch it as an exercise in homoerotic fascist mythology. Snyder didn't realise he was making fascist cinema, so it doesn't commit as well as it might, but there's enough shouting and flexing and good ol' palingenetic ultranationalism to work.

This plus it's a story about story telling and perception.

 

[Berzerker]

The Mole People

archaeologists stumble upon Sumerian civilization living underground since the Flood

Caveman

 

[Kyriakos]

Barbarians gonna hate

 

[Valka D'Ur]

You think that I think that you didn't like it? Well no, I never said anything of the sort.

You appeared to be critical of my observation that not much about the movie is historically accurate and therefore concluding that I didn't like it. Shall we chalk this up to mutual misunderstanding, then?

 

[Josu]

Gladiator is NOT BC!!!
Brilliant film, indeed

Anyway, worst ancient film: Druids . Wikipedia sets the film as historical drama, well, watching this film is the real drama. The Scorpion King series is awful as well

Best, I can not choose, I enjoyed Troy very much, while I consider the Chinesse film Hero a masterpiece

 

[bhsup]

My vote for best is The Ten Commandments. Two words: Yul Brenner.

My vote for worst: Star Wars. (Long ago....)

 

[Arakhor]

Oh, come on, V. You too were born a long time ago, in a town far far away!

 

[bhsup]

Are you suggesting that I am your father??

 

[warpus]

You appeared to be critical of my observation that not much about the movie is historically accurate and therefore concluding that I didn't like it. Shall we chalk this up to mutual misunderstanding, then?

Yeah, I was just rambling on about this and that.

 

[Arakhor]

Are you suggesting that I am your father??

Nope. My father’s even older still.

 

[luiz]

That book (as most from Waltari) is great, but I doubt I could really enjoy a 60-year old movie.

It's a surprisingly watchable movie, but of course not nearly as good as Waltari's masterpiece (most of his books are indeed pretty good, but The Egyptian is #1 by far IMO).

The movie does twist Akhenaton's religion and demise to give it more of a Judeo-Christian feel, though (even more than Waltari already did).

 

[Borachio]

Link to video.

I'd not heard of this movie. It's got Jean Simmons in it. But to be honest it does look pretty dire.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

That book (as most from Waltari) is great, but I doubt I could really enjoy a 60-year old movie.

Oh, good grief. A lot of 60-year-old movies are far superior to the crap that gets churned out now. I remember years ago on another forum where some younger people were pontificating about how awful black-and-white movies are. Well, that weekend there was a Katherine Hepburn/Spencer Tracy movie marathon on TV, and I ended up watching the whole thing. Finally got to see The African Queen, which was a movie my grandmother had wanted me to watch but I hadn't wanted to (too old-fashioned, I'd thought). Well, it turned out to be a great movie, and I enjoyed the others as well.

I'd not heard of this movie. It's got Jean Simmons in it. But to be honest it does look pretty dire.

It's depressing. So is the book. But they're still good, although I don't like the actress who played the courtesan in the movie.


I've long thought that it's a shame that Peter Danielson's Children of the Lion series never got made into a movie or miniseries. There were a number of novels and series published back then that did get made into movies - some of John Jakes' Kent Family Chronicles books, for example, and other historical novels. This series had all the elements necessary: exotic locales, heroes/heroines to cheer for, villains to hate, moral grey area characters to provide suspense, lots of action, the necessary love stories, and the familiarity of the Old Testament stories but without being overly preachy.

 

[Borachio]

I love black and white movies.

I've nothing against Bogart (one of my favourites, in the Big Sleep for instance), and Hepburn... well... not my cup of tea, but still a good actress I guess.

But the African Queen? Gah! I've seen it at least twice and hopefully I shan't see it again.

edit: there's this obviously model boat in it, with a model Bogart and Hepburn, shooting some rather obviously fake model rapids. Still, that's not its worst feature, imo.

 

[luiz]

It's depressing. So is the book. But they're still good, although I don't like the actress who played the courtesan in the movie.

All Waltari books share a very pessimistic outlook to the human condition. But they're also insightful. Head and shoulders above the garbage that becomes best-sellers nowadays.