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Hieronymus Longinus Rufus

The Eagle

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Before I buy this film, please someone tell me what the reconstructed buildings are like. For me, poor attention to this tends to spoil a Roman movie for me. I give some examples:

 

ARTHUR - beautiful reconstructions of Roman Forts and Hadrian's Wall, spoiled at the last minute by some art director stupidly insisting that they should be embellished by fictitious columned gateways.

 

THE LAST LEGION - Hadrian's Wall built out of yellowish polystyrene blocks.

 

CENTURION - The Legionary Fortress at Inchtuthill depicted as being about the same size as a milecastle.

 

On the other hand, I applaud the movie GLADIATOR for its close attention to architectural details, and total acceptance of current theories (at least where buildings are concerned) and thus forgive its errors in other contexts.

 

Will this movie make me happy, or make me foam at the mouth with rage?

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There really weren't that many buildings, if I remember. There was a ramshackle Roman fort that looked like a ramshackle Roman fort. There was a Roman villa with gladiator arena. Then the rest of the movie pretty much took place in the Caledonian highlands and pseudo-Celtic villages.

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Before I buy this film, please someone tell me what the reconstructed buildings are like. For me, poor attention to this tends to spoil a Roman movie for me. I give some examples:

 

A Still from the film:-

 

the-eagle-movie-Channing-Tatum.jpg

 

A photo I took recently at Lunt Fort (the thumbnail below is pretty big):

 

med_gallery_3894_174_1866610.jpg

post-3894-0-93251600-1313674711_thumb.jpg

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Thanks, chaps. So far so good...

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I'm VERY disappointed with you guys for not spotting the obvious flaw in the movie reconstruction of the gateway, as opposed to the archaeological reconstruction (as per my photo).

 

Have another look, and try again!

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I'm VERY disappointed with you guys for not spotting the obvious flaw in the movie reconstruction of the gateway, as opposed to the archaeological reconstruction (as per my photo).

 

Have another look, and try again!

 

Could it possibly be the very modern building seen beyond the the gateway?? :lol:

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I'm VERY disappointed with you guys for not spotting the obvious flaw in the movie reconstruction of the gateway, as opposed to the archaeological reconstruction (as per my photo).

 

Have another look, and try again!

GOC,

Well apart from the officers' armour having the distinct look of being made from leather rather than metal and very uncomfortably 'square' edged rather than rounded saddle horns I ccouldn't imagine....

 

Unless of course could it possibly be something to do with there being no exterior defensive wall on the tower and less certainly but possibly also access to the tower apparently being by a ladder intended to enter the tower by being placed immediately behind the gate? :whistling:

 

 

 

Could it possibly be the very modern building seen beyond the the gateway?? :lol:

GPM,

 

I think you may have been looking at the Lunt photo by mistake

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Unless of course could it possibly be something to do with there being no exterior defensive wall on the tower and less certainly but possibly also access to the tower apparently being by a ladder intended to enter the tower by being placed immediately behind the gate? :whistling:

 

Once again, Melvadius, you've proven yourself a man to be reckoned with. On the movie still they are clearly riding out of the fort, as evidenced by the barrack block seen through the gate. yet the fine uniform of the Legionaries in the tower is visible for all to see due to the installation of open cross-bar fencing. Very vulnerable.

 

It isn't obvious on the lunt photo until you open up the big version, but that is clearly shown from inside, and the outer fencing is more defensively complete.

 

QED.

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So far, so bad... yes, the omission of a defensive breastwork on the gate tower is a pretty serious one, and I dont like much the sparse, pointy palisade on the ramparts. Bonus points for the half stone, half timber and plaster barrack block (Shame on you, GPM! ;) ) but a minus for placing it directly to the rear of the gate, when one would either see the buildings of the central range, or the gables of the barracks/stores diminishing towards a view of the Principia in the middle distance.

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I hate to be anal, but I think this discussion should be moved to the main Colosseum forum. It's in the game subforum, for some reason ...

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Thanks for spotting that Ursus moved as requested.

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So far, so bad... yes, the omission of a defensive breastwork on the gate tower is a pretty serious one, and I dont like much the sparse, pointy palisade on the ramparts. Bonus points for the half stone, half timber and plaster barrack block (Shame on you, GPM! ;) ) but a minus for placing it directly to the rear of the gate, when one would either see the buildings of the central range, or the gables of the barracks/stores diminishing towards a view of the Principia in the middle distance.

 

Well spotted for the location of the barrack block, NN. However, I must admit 'mea culpa' for calling it a barrack block in the first place. I fear the fort is so damn small, the building in question IS actually the Principia. In

you can make out the size of the Principia by the roof showing at approx 27 seconds. Also at approx 44 seconds, there's a shot of the gate from the Principia. Incidently, Lunt's granary is entirely wooden - see it in the attached photo which is the same gate viewed from outside, with the granary visible through the gate - who is that ruggedly handsome devil leaning on the palisade?

 

On the subject on palisade, I'd be interested in your views on the movie's pointy version. The clever Lunt people have clearly not got pointy palisade, and the movie people have it. My initial thought is that pointy palisade would be a good thing. Maybe Lunt topped theirs off for Health & Safety reasons, though I doubt it.

post-3894-0-91707000-1314017813_thumb.jpg

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On the subject on palisade, I'd be interested in your views on the movie's pointy version. The clever Lunt people have clearly not got pointy palisade, and the movie people have it. My initial thought is that pointy palisade would be a good thing. Maybe Lunt topped theirs off for Health & Safety reasons, though I doubt it.

 

From talking with the custodian a few years back, although Wikipedia state that buildings were reconstructed by the Royal Engineers, (IIRC) a previous Youth Employment Programme may also have been involved at some point in the excavations and reconstruction.

 

H&S may well have been a consideration for the smooth railings given how many have visitedo the site over the years but so far as a defensive structure is concerned 'pointy' tops would make climbing the wall more dangerous so possibly a plus for the film.

 

BTW I believe that the original intention, so far as the reconstructed turf wall is concerned, was to leave it to collapse naturally allowing the process to be recorded and so given a basic time-line for this happening in practice. This may explain sections now being cordoned off by metal barriers as seems to be the case in GOCs photograph.

 

If anyone is considering visiting the fort; details can be found here

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I've also now just finished loading my photos into this UNRV gallery.

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