Kung ikaw yong tipong natutuwang makakita ng mga dugong sumisirit na parang fountain, mga ulong nabibiyak na parang buko ng niyog o mga lalamunang nilalaslas na walang iniwan sa kinakatay na manok, then Centurion is the latest movie that can please your fascination of the gory. It’s one violent film not for the squeamish like me with gallons of blood a-squirting and decapitated heads a-rolling.
Released just a few months ago, Centurion is a British film written and directed by Neil Marshall about the Ninth Legion of the Roman Empire who, according to legend, met a bloody end against one of the last resistant forces who defended the Scottish highlands against the expansion of the Empire. The Picts, as this small band of rebels were called, was led by their king Gorlacon. With their familiarity to the land, they were able to eliminate the Roman outposts one by one using their guerilla-type method of warfare.
Sa istorya, Centurion Quintus Dias belongs to a Roman outpost na na-wipe out ng mga Picts. Nabihag sya pero nakatakas and sought refuge with another outpost, the Ninth Legion. Kaso nga, matatambangan din sila ng mga Picts. Ang ganda ng execution noong trap scene where the group was massacred by the ruthless Picts. Epic ang dating nito at walang dudang ito ang highlight nong pelikula. Yon nga lang, talagang titibayan mo ang sikmura mo sa mga ulong napupugot, bungong nasisibak at kung ano-ano pa.
Nakaligtas si Quintus and with other six survivors, tried to rescue their General na na-capture ng mga Picts. Hindi nila na-rescue si General, napatay pa ng isa sa kanila ang anak ni Gorlacon kaya hinabol-habol na sila ng mga bataan ni Gorlacon headed by the deaf (but not mute) Etain whose hunger for revenge drives her like a mad killing machine. Kaseksing babae pero parang pumapatay ng hayop kung makalaslas ng leeg ng mga kalaban. Bata pa kasi sya ng ma-rape ng mga Roman soldier, pinatay ang tatay nya at ni-rape at pinatay ang nanay nya sa harap nya mismo. Saka pinutol ang dila nya. Kaya ganon na lang ang galit nya sa mga Romans.
But after that, the scenes started turning monotonous dahil puro habulan na ang nangyari. Lumaylay if not naging one-dimensional na ang story. Until the end where out of seven, tatlo na lang silang natira: si Quintus na bida syempre plus yong dalawa nyang naging ka-close during the habulan part. Nakarating sila sa Hadrian wall where they were hoping to find refuge. Kaso, abandoned na rin pala yong outpost don. Tired of running, hinarap na nila ang grupo ni Etain. Umaatikabo na namang siritan ng dugo.
With the movie running just 1 hour and 30 minutes, nasayangan ako dahil may potential sana ito to become another epic movie in the molds of Gladiator or Braveheart. Pero maiksi ang plot, wala na sigurong pwedeng idagdag na sub-plots kaya ganon kaiksi at ka-simple.
Magagaling naman ang cast kahit sabihing mapapa-the who ka sa bidang si Michael Fassbender (na nasa Inglorious Basterds daw accdg to Wiki). For me he’s real dahil hindi naman kapani-paniwala na puro gwapong Mel Gibson or Russell Crowe ang mga bida sa mga ganitong kwento. Malupit din si Olga Kurylenko as Etain. Dahil nga pipi, her facial expressions are more than enough to convey her inner angst.
Saludo na rin ako kay Neil Marshall for not stretching his story dahil baka lang maging boring. At mas saludo ako sa kanya for a job well done in directing this film. It’s violent, its grisly but at least I got sucked into the story and the characters.
Maganda rin ang production values because it was successful in depicting a 2nd century period na setting nong story. The real treat for me, however, is the cinematography. Hindi ko lang nakuha kung sino ang director of photography nito but the sweeping shots of the snow-capped mountains, hills, forests and the beauty of the whole English landscape is quite breath taking. Sayang lang dahil bluish-gray ang tone ng buong pelikula at absent ang vivid colors. But I understand it’s necessary to project the grim tale being told on screen.
Overall, it’s one entertaining film that was able to grab my attention from beginning till end.
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