Depictions of Classical Period Battles in Film

[stupac]

I love movies, but I find very few films that give me satisfying battle scenes, and I can't think of one that takes place in the classical period. Seems to me we should be seeing more of them with the advent of advanced computer generation being wasted on fantasy films like Lord of the Rings and The Chronicles of Narnia instead of on centerpieces of human history. Just wondering what are the best movie depictions of classical battles in your opinions? And are there any promising upcoming films?

[Centurion Crastinus]

The battle in Sparticus is pretty good.

[Spoofa]

of course Alexander.

The battles are what sparked my interest in Alexander in the first place!

[stupac]

I heard Alexander was horrible, so I never saw it, I'll have to rent it one of these days. Sparticus as well.

[Cybvep]

Gaugamela from Olivier Stone's "Alexander" is pretty good. It's probably the most accurate movie battle ever and it has great atmosphere. You really can feel like in the Ancient times. Too bad the rest of the film wasn't as good as this battle scene. Bad camera-work, too boring and too much emphasis put on the more intimate spheres of life...

[Andronikos]

I wrote that I like Alexander and recently have read one historical forum and many people there consider it as good with one of the best battle scenes (in the matter of realism) - Gaugamela.

[abou]

If anyone says Alexander I'll kill them.

Damn, too late. Well, at least you can guess my opinion on that.

[Moosemanmoo]

Alexander

[antisocialmunky]

HBO Rome has some interesting scenes.

[anubis88]

Gladiator may do as well

[russia almighty]

Everyone's favorite Persian Fiends were depicted horribly . You had the highlander trash mixed in with the spearmen . WTF ?


The battle in India was badass though . Alexander got pwnt along with his horse.

[Cybvep]

Everyone's favorite Persian Fiends were depicted horribly . You had the highlander trash mixed in with the spearmen . WTF ?

It wasn't perfect, but compare Gaugamela from "Alexander" to the forest battle from "Gladiator", some shit from "300" or whatever... It's the best Hollywood will ever do.

[TWFanatic]

I have yet to see Alexander. I kind of avoided it, thinking it was just another totally inaccurate movie with nude Hollywood celebrities hopping around (like Troy). Seeing the prevalent opinion here, however, has changed my mind. I will have to rent it.

The few scenes from HBO's Rome are excellent. I wish they had more. I was shocked when I found out that a moviemaker had discovered the definition of "formation." The opening scene in Gladiator was also good, until the legionaries broke formation and started wrestling in the mud. It is understandable that they used too much fire, but I generally overlook that in films since nearly all of them have it--except, ironically, LOTR. IMO, it was an epic masterpiece, in spite of my getting irked over the idiots who couldn't hold a freaken' formation if their lives depended on it. What could be better against swarms of orcs, like those in 300? That last sentence probably gives you an idea of my opinion of that movie, whose name a had better not utter again on this forum lest the mob will eat me for supper.

Spartacus was pretty good. I loved the highly polished mirror-like shields. I wished that the cohorts would have opened their ranks to let those logs roll through though, that part irked me (yes, I get irked a lot). I doubt many of you have seen this very old film, but Alexander Nevsky was surprisingly fun and had a good battle scene considering the primitive technology of the times. The story takes place in the middle ages though. It's an old Russian propaganda film about the Teutonic invasion of Russia. Look out for the swastikas on the Crusader's uniforms.

[Sarcasm]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=keLeRDk4fJc&NR=1

[Gaivs]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=keLeRDk4fJc&NR=1

Hahahaha, ten dollars says you were there and you got owned.

[Mouzafphaerre]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=keLeRDk4fJc&NR=1

.

.

[TWFanatic]

The music is horrid. Sounds like the cookie monster from Sesame Street singing. But I suppose that's part of the fun.

I wonder how many people got seriously injured there...and how many died.

[Hound of Ulster]

The combat bits in HBO Rome are really good as are the battle scenes in Spartacus. Troy isn't half bad.

Braveheart and Henry V (1988 Kenneth Branagh version) are both really good at depicting the basics of medieval warfare, if not the tactical details of the historic battles they depict.

[TWFanatic]

Braveheart. I hate that man.

[antisocialmunky]

Braveheart. I hate that man.

SPAAAARTTA!!!!

[Spvrrina Vestricivs]

Has anyone seen the original film about Thermopylae from 1960 "The 300 Spartans"? It's been a while since I last saw it, but IIRC, the battle scenes were fairly good.

I've not seen 300. Nor will I. I caught a trailer on TV and thought: "Ooh, this could be...WAR RHINOS!?!?!?!?!?!?!? WAR RHINOS?!?!?!?!?!?!?!!" I never expect too many great things from Hollywood when it comes to historical battles, but that just went a tad too far.

[Cybvep]

Has anyone seen the original film about Thermopylae from 1960 "The 300 Spartans"? It's been a while since I last saw it, but IIRC, the battle scenes were fairly good.

I've not seen 300. Nor will I. I caught a trailer on TV and thought: "Ooh, this could be...WAR RHINOS!?!?!?!?!?!?!? WAR RHINOS?!?!?!?!?!?!?!!" I never expect too many great things from Hollywood when it comes to historical battles, but that just went a tad too far.

Yeah? Then what about ele... mumakils and monsters?

Or simply... Leonidas and his friends...
:D

[pezhetairoi]

Gaugamela from Alexander, undoubtedly. Though the rest of the movie, you don't have to bother watching.

Rome was decent, but the fighting wasn't that realistic IMHO. At Philippi they didn't even charge to contact, or hurl pila. They just walked into each other, which I found seriously dumb since the pila were their best chance to disrupt the enemy. Far better was Spartacus, the second as I saw it.

Spartacus was gritty, and the only example of the checkerboard formation ever dared/postulated on any film I have seen/known/heard of. Very impressive, but a little messy. You didn't see much of the checkerboard thereafter, just a whole lot of confused hacking which detracted greatly from it. But to be fair, the film was meant to glorify the ex-slaves not the Romans, so to show organised Roman legions showing their efficiency would be somewhat inappropriate, yes.

The 1961 300 Spartans was very impressively done, though I was disappointed since the Spartans didn't fight in much of a phalanx (most of the time it was a single line), and we didn't see much of the other Greek allies. There was an elan about the whole film which I found quite pleasant as a touch given the Spartan view on fighting and dying, and how that might have influenced the other troops with them such as the Thespians. (Eagle inspires nearby troops, or something) Definite second after Alexander.

[Rodion Romanovich]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=keLeRDk4fJc&NR=1

Nice! That was some real adrenaline action! Now do that on a big field, with flanking moves and temporary retreating to rest, cavalry charges filmed with the same technique as in the return of the king but its effect nerfed a lot, add some hill on which to put one of the shield walls, and some slingers on both sides...

Excellent pushing game depiction, and nice overhead slashes over the shield when the shield walls came too close to give room for anything else.

[Rodion Romanovich]

Yeah? Then what about ele... mumakils and monsters?

Or simply... Leonidas and his friends...
:D

Ah... my eyes!!!!!!!!

[pezhetairoi]

Agreed. It was sooo crappy, that movie.

[Frodge]

Are you kiddin' me, three hundred was magnificently entertaining, it wasn't accurate about anything save names and combatants but by god it was fun to watch.

[TWFanatic]

I loved how, in Spartacus, they played happy music while the slaves were revenging Italy. Yay!!! Burning, pillaging, looting, raping, woooooooh!! Happy!!!

I hated the 300 Spartans. In addition to numerous inaccuracies, the half-hearted fight scenes put me to sleep. At least they actually tried in 300.

It disappointed me also that they didn't throw pila in HBO's Rome, but you have to realize how dangerous that would be to the actors. As for their not charging at a run, it was rare that formations would do that. That's why whenever a formation does charge at a run, it's mentioned explicitly as something extraordinary. The Persians at Marathon were astounded when the Athenians did this.

The battle scenes in Rome are simply the best I've ever seen Hollywood do Antiquity. They fought in formation, FORMATION! And there wasn't any lorica segmentata armor! There is hope for the future after all!

[antisocialmunky]

Agreed. It was sooo crappy, that movie.

The light Persian infantry looked pretty. Lots of silk.

As for their not charging at a run, it was very that formations would do that.

I would guess that it would depend on circumstance and what you're trrying to do.

[Thaatu]

The battle scenes in Rome are simply the best I've ever seen Hollywood do Antiquity. They fought in formation, FORMATION! And there wasn't any lorica segmentata armor! There is hope for the future after all!

Wait 'till you see the phalangites of Alexander. Those are teh shit.