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From: "Evelyn C. Leeper" <evelynchimelisleeper@gmail.com>
Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.fandom
Subject: MT VOID, 10/18/24 -- Vol. 43, No. 16, Whole Number 2350 [a little
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THE MT VOID
10/18/24 -- Vol. 43, No. 16, Whole Number 2350

Co-Editor: Mark Leeper, mleeper@optonline.net
Co-Editor: Evelyn Leeper, eleeper@optonline.net
Sending Address: evelynchimelisleeper@gmail.com
All material is the opinion of the author and is copyrighted by
the author unless otherwise noted.
All comments sent or posted will be assumed authorized for
inclusion unless otherwise noted.

To subscribe or unsubscribe, send mail to eleeper@optonline.net
The latest issue is at <http://www.leepers.us/mtvoid/latest.htm>.
An index with links to the issues of the MT VOID since 1986 is at
<http://leepers.us/mtvoid/back_issues.htm>.

Topics:
         The Great Courses: "A Historian Goes to the Movies:
                 Ancient Rome" (Part 4: The Revival) (GLADIATOR,
                 ROME (HBO), CENTURION, THE EAGLE) (comments
                 by Evelyn C. Leeper)
         Hammer Versus Universal DVD Releases (comments
                 by Evelyn C. Leeper)
         ALIEN CLAY by Adrian Tchaikovsky (book review
                 by Joe Karpierz)
         AGE OF REVOLUTIONS (letter of comment by Gary McGath)
         This Week's Reading (CHINA DREAMS: GROWING UP JEWISH
                 IN TIENTSIN, "Historia Augusta", A.D. 69:
                 EMPERORS, ARMIES & ANARCHY) (book comments
                 by Evelyn C. Leeper)

===================================================================

TOPIC: The Great Courses: "A Historian Goes to the Movies: Ancient
Rome" (Part 4: The Revival) (comments by Evelyn C. Leeper)

GLADIATOR (2000):

The nano-summary is that it was very popular, very profitable, and
very inaccurate.  The state of the Germanic wars at the beginning
is wrong, the idea that Marcus Aurelius was promoting someone
other than Commodus as his successor is wrong(*), the brevity of
Commodus's reign is wrong, and the implication of the return of
the Republic at the end is definitely wrong.

(*) Whatever Commodus's flaws were--and they were many--and
whether Marcus Aurelius was aware of them, he really only had
three choices: name his son Commodus as his successor, name
someone else and pretty much guarantee a civil ware after he died,
or kill Commodus.  Stoic he may have been, but not *that* Stoic.

On finer details, the film gets Marcus Aurelius's appearance with
a beard correct, along with his philosophy, but not his age or
health.  Commodus's psychological state was correct, but his
appearance all wrong.

While they did pretty well on the Colosseum, the training of
gladiators, as well as their costumes, weapons, and fighting
styles were wrong, as were the army's battle tactics, armor, and
weapons.

In fact, the professor hired as a historical advisor for the film
asked to have her name removed from the credits when she
discovered that her function was to provide support for what the
filmmakers wanted to do (e.g., have female gladiators who fought
with razor blades on their nipples) rather than to help them get
the film to be accurate.

In summary, GLADIATOR was more true to the stereotypes of ancient
Rome than to actual history.

ROME (HBO) (2005):

Aldrete began by saying that the first few episodes of HBO's
"Rome" are the best depiction of ancient Rome on screen.  Yes, it
takes liberties and has anachronisms, but it is still the best at
depicting religion, slavery, politics, and all aspects of Roman
life, Especially for the non-elite.

For example, "Rome" depicts Roman religion as a transactional
relationship ("I'll give you a sacrifice; you give me what I am
asking for"), not a request for altruism (as in Christianity).
It's also a part of everyday life, with various gods for various
purposes, and goes along with ancestral masks, divination, and
curse tablets, all of which Aldrete says are accurately portrayed.

Slaves are not treated empathetically by masters as they often are
in other films, but more as furniture.  Yes, slaves could wield
power, but they were also treated inhumanely.  Also, the line
between free and slave was permeable, as shown by the character of
Posca.

Women are accurately portrayed as being used as tools in politics;
other tools include rumor and slander (graffiti).  (Although
taking a hint from Livia in I, CLAUDIUS, the filmmakers have *two*
scheming women.)

"Rome" also showed the collegia (which Aldrete described as a
combination of trade organization and proto-mafia--sounds like
some of the trade unions here, at least at one point), and the
patron/client relationship,

Aldrete also thought that the characterizations of Antony and the
teenaged Octavian were good, although with too much sex and
violence.  And there is no evidence that the Romans used opium or
hemp as recreational drugs.

In short, "Rome" presents a grungy Rome that, as someone described
to Aldrete, was "not accurate, but authentic."

CENTURION (2010):

Both this and THE EAGLE deal with the legend of the lost Ninth
Legion in Britain.  (There was a third, THE LAST LEGION (2007),
but it was more of a fantasy film about Arthurian legend.)

In terms of the historical incident, all three films are more
inspired by 1954 Rosemary Sutcliffe YA novel THE EAGLE OF THE
NINTH than my historical records.  Theodor Mommsen pretty much
started the legend by combining the disappearance of the Ninth
from historical records and a report of a large number of Romans
having been killed by the Britons.  But there seem to be records
of the Ninth in the Netherlands after this slaying, so it is more
likely that it became undermanned and was disbanded.

CENTURION has a fair number of inaccuracies: flaming arrows in a
night attack (which would be counter-productive and how woudl they
light them anyway?), and giant flaming balls that are shot through
a forest, missing all the trees and hitting all the Romans.

There are many accuracies (or perhaps "authenticities" is better),
many drawn from the actual Battle of Teutoberg Forest over a
hundred years earlier.  Many of the names are homages to real
Romans.  There is no CGI, so everything looks real.  It may be
inaccurate in parts, but Aldrete says it is a solid adventure/war
movie.  The director says one inspiration was Walter Hill's THE
WARRIORS, which in turn was a modern retelling of Xenophon.

THE EAGLE (2011):

THE EAGLE is more closely based on the Sutcliffe novel.  It has
accuracies in the use of the testudo and Roman short swords, and
is perhaps unique in portraying the worship of Mithras, an Eastern
God popular among soldiers.  (Mithraism also shows up in the
alternate history novel A DRAGON WAITING by John M. Ford, about an
England where Byzantium never fell.)

[-ecl]

===================================================================

TOPIC: Hammer Versus Universal DVD Releases (comments by Evelyn
C. Leeper)

When Universal packaged their classic monster series, they first
issued each series as a single boxed set (with some adjustments
for cross-over films).  Then they did a Bluray set of all the
initial films, plus BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN (and PHANTOM OF THE
OPERA, otherwise very hard to find at the time).

Hammer, however, had no real plan.  Take the "Frankenstein" films;
here's how we have them:

- CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN: issued as a double feature with TASTE THE
BLOOD OF DRACULA

- THE REVENGE OF FRANKENSTEIN: issued as a stand-alone

- EVIL OF FRANKENSTEIN: issued in the set "Hammer Horror Series"

- FRANKENSTEIN CREATED WOMAN: issued as a double feature with
LEGEND OF THE 7 GOLDEN VAMPIRES and in the "Hammer Feature Film
Set"

- FRANKENSTEIN MUST BE DESTROYED: issued as a stand-alone

- FRANKENSTEIN AND THE MONSTER FROM HELL: issued as a stand-alone

And that isn't even addressing the irregular use of "The" in the
titles.  [-ecl]
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