Boudicca Film

**TinCow** · 09-09-2004, 16:31

I'm not sure if you are aware of this, but Mel Gibson is slated to produce a movie about Boudicca called "Warrior" for release in 2006. Given the horrendous inaccuracies in Braveheart, any bets on how off-the-mark this one is going to be? Certainly she will have a sympathetic introduction given the harshness of the events which sparked the rebellion and her initial defeat of the 9th Legion. However, will they gloss over her massacre of the Roman and non-allied civilians? Will they show her burning Londinium to the ground? Will they really show the absolute slaughter her forces suffered during the battle with the 14th and 12th Legions and her resulting suicide?

Could be interesting if done in an objective and historical manner, but I highly doubt that will occur. Yet another Evil Roman Empire movie I suspect.

**Stormer** · 09-09-2004, 18:42

Well if he directs it it wont be historical but then again they dont try make it historical the make it entertaining. the historical facts of boudica is just the ground work to spring their own ideas on and make it better.

also what do you mean by seem the be making a evil roman empire film? all films i know with romans in them make them look like the ultimate warrior fighting for good against the evil barbarians

**ShadesPanther** · 09-09-2004, 22:09

Mel: Do you know what would be really cool? If we had a scene where boudicca threw a spear through commodus's heart. You know that evil guy from gladiator...but how about we call him Commodore.

Historian: EERK!!!!!!!!

*Mel drifts off happily.* Maybe we could have him dressed asa knight....Or maybe a Hitler moustache...but we would need a herman goering....How about Nero, he was pretty fat....

*Historian faints*

**Gregoshi** · 09-10-2004, 04:34

I we are really lucky, Mel will play the lead...

**discovery1** · 09-10-2004, 04:36

However, will they gloss over her massacre of the Roman and non-allied civilians? Will they show her burning Londinium to the ground? Will they really show the absolute slaughter her forces suffered during the battle with the 14th and 12th Legions and her resulting suicide?

Yes, no, and no.

**The Scourge** · 09-11-2004, 14:34

Well the thing about Boudicca ,is that not that much about her is actually known.
So she is good subject materiel for HollyWood.Bit like Sparticus.
But ,yeah ,Mel Gibbson.

**Accounting Troll** · 09-11-2004, 17:23

Mel Gibson playing the lead? I thought Boudicca was a woman!

I'm not too optimistic about the chances of this film being historically accurate. It will be another Goodies V Baddies film that will overlook the fact that BOTH sides committed terrible atrocities. In Braveheart, William Wallace was the Goodie, therefore Edward I had to be the Darth Vadar style Baddie. The same thing will happen again.

The best we can hope for is that neither side will use modern assault rifles

**Steppe Merc** · 09-11-2004, 18:53

Darth Vadar style Baddie.

But... but... Darth turned good, so he wasn't all bad right?

Yeah, I wish for once they could do more historical movies like Gettysburgh and Gods and Generals (movies on the American Civil War). They didn't have good or bad, just people. They showed the vices and virtues on each side, and potrayed the battles acuratley (for the most part).

**lancelot** · 09-11-2004, 21:25

The best we can hope for is that neither side will use modern assault rifles

LOL.. classic

Anyway who needs assault rifles, when the Romans can get the Martians from war of the worlds to make a quick flanking charge into the barbarian's lines...

er...

**Longshanks** · 09-12-2004, 00:56

It probably won't be too historically accurate. I imagine it will follow the usual Hollywood model of having clearly defined good guys & bad guys. As a result Boudicca will be portrayed as the uber-heroine fighting for all that is righteous, her atrocities will be absent from the film, and the Romans will be portrayed as the ancient version of the Waffen SS. I don't imagine the film will show Boudicca's forces slaugtering thousands of civilians, the vast majority of whom were fellow Britons. (albeit Romanized to some degree)

They'll probably also exaggerate Boudicca's victories while downplaying the eventual Roman victory. Historically Boudicca wasn't all that impressive as a military commander. Her sole victories were against half a legion on the march, and the small garrisons of places like Colchester and Londinium. In every one of those victories she had a vast numerical superiority. In her only real large scale battle against a significant Roman force she was decisevely defeated. To make things more dramatic, I'm sure in the Hollywood version it will be the Romans that have numerical superiority in every battle, and her final defeat will probably come about only through treachery. (think the final battle scene in Braveheart)

**biguth dickuth** · 09-12-2004, 03:03

Well, at least Wallace was indeed betrayed by many of the nobles, although this is not the only reason the Scots lost the battle (historicaly at least).
And Edward Longshanks was indeed a very cruel man, as the French would also know.

However, i agree with you about Hollywood's idiotic good vs evil simplicities. Characters should be portrayed as they were, with their vices and virtues, if the film is to say anything true about humans. And if not much is known about a historical person then his character should be, inevitably, invented but in a way that he looks like a real person (regarding also the time in which he lived) and not made of paper.

**oblivious maximus** · 09-12-2004, 08:49

boy does Longshanks speak the truth, ..yawn, another Boudicca film.

**CrackedAxe** · 09-12-2004, 15:07

Difficult to define good guys and bad guys in terms of Boudiccas life. She liked the Romans well enough until her husband died, it only turned sour after that.