"Favorite Scene In Terms Of Military Accuracy": Historian Rates Mixed-reviewed 2016 Action Movie's Battles High Accuracy Rating
Expert in Roman battle gives the 2016 historical epic Risen great Accuracy ratings even though its reception was divided. Director Kevin Reynolds of Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves was behind the camera for Sony's Biblical epic on the quest for Jesus's body. Risen, starring Joseph Fiennes, Tom Felton, Peter Firth, Cliff Curtis, was filmed for a stated budget of $20 million and earned $46 million at the box office.
Reynolds's trip into Biblical times, as shown by the movie's 53% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, may not have delighted critics, but one historian of Roman combat believes the film did an excellent job capturing Roman weapons and strategies in the period of Jesus. Historian Michael Taylor dissects Risen from an Accuracy perspective in a Business Insider video, pointing out much to admire in the film's efforts and rating it an 8-out-of-10. Review a selection of his comments below (around 2:37 of the clip):
Historical Accuracy Provides Ground Risen's Original Approach To Tell The Story Of Jesus
Hollywood has portrayed the story of Jesus several times over its history, but what distinguishes Risen is its original interpretation of the narrative—that of a non-believing Roman soldier as the primary character. Fiennes told Screen Rant back in 2015, that this unique interpretation of the traditional Biblical tale drew him to the part:
Indeed, it is a well-known narrative that holds great value for so many individuals. For me, the angle and the hook were seasoned filmmaker Kevin Reynolds and also the perspective of experiencing this story through the eyes of a non-believer. For me, there was a novel approach that released the curse on it being a sort of basically Biblical film. The success of that structure is that it lets both believers and non-believers sit in the auditorium for the first time; either you get revisionist Movies – or they are judged as so revisionist, avoid seeing them; or they are Sunday School and conservative, avoid seeing them.
Risen Movie Accuracy: Examining the Background Scenes
A sling is really effective in fact. You can kill someone rather definitely. One drawback is a shield, or shield wall, which those troops are building most likely to reject those slings. Slings are therefore employed for skirmishing; yet, if your infantry formation is highly disciplined, you will not be able to separate it merely with slings and arrows.
There is at least one incident of one line throwing [their javelins] followed by another line followed by another, so creating a sort of rolling volley. Hollywood films hardly ever feature the Romans flinging their javelins. Two hefty javelins are carried by every Roman legionary, and they are quite deadly weapons. Their iron shank runs for length. It continues to what ever's behind an enemy shield if it passes through one.
Roman Wars and Historical Accuracy: Risen Movie Facts
Basically, a testudo formation is just a very close compact formation whereby the soldiers in the rear ranks raise their shields over their heads, the soldiers on their sides hold their shields to the sides, and the shields in front of the formation are locked together. This forms a kind of box-like formation protecting the soldiers as they advance.
I will mark it an eight.
Rising: a Biblical Twist Historical Drama
Although its 53% Rotten Tomatoes score indicates, Reynolds and Company's unusual interpretation of the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus may not have landed with critics, but it did rather well with the public as shown by its 70% audience score and $46.6 million box office profit. Though many fascinating opportunities the film presents for the narrative of Jesus, its historical accuracy—which has been verified as real, at least according to one expert—helps.
Originally seen as a sort of unofficial follow-up to The Passion of the Christ, Risen was Though Fiennes and company started filming Risen, capturing military tactics, weapons-use, and other elements of Roman Warfare with a higher-than-usual sense of realism may not be the main reason they set out to make the film, but it is a factor in the movie's favor and is another reason it may warrant a revisit despite its low score among critics. Those who are not interested in the Biblical approach of the film could nevertheless find value in the way it shows neglected Roman weaponry like javelins and unusual strategies like the testudo formation.
Risen: An Epic from History Viewed from Different Angues
Roman tribune Clavius assigned by Pontius Pilate to look for the body of Jesus Christ vanished after his crucifixion is the subject of Risen, a Biblical drama film. Deeper into the riddle Clavius discovers a sequence of events that test his conception of the divine.
Offering a Roman viewpoint, Risen approaches the narrative of Jesus in an original way. The groundings for the story come from the movie's emphasis on historical accuracy, especially in how Roman fighting is shown. Although every critic may not have connected with the movie, it has attracted a devoted fanbase and been hailed for its careful examination of faith and doubt. Offering a fresh viewpoint on a timeless tale, Risen stands out as a singular and interesting addition to the large body of Biblical Movies.
