Summary
The 2016 historical epicRisen, which got mixed reviews when it released, receives high accuracy marks from an expert in Roman warfare.Robin Hood: Prince of Thievesdirector Kevin Reynolds was behind the camera for Sony’s Biblical epic about a Roman soldier’s search for the body of Jesus. StarringJoseph Fiennes, Tom Felton, Peter Firth and Cliff Curtis,Risenwas made for a reported budget of $20 million, and took in $46 million at the box office.
Critics may not have been impressed by Reynolds’ foray into Biblical times, as reflected in the movie’s 53% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, but one expert in Roman warfare thinks the film did a good job depicting Roman weapons and tactics in the time of Jesus. In a video forBusiness Insider, historian Michael Taylor breaks downRisenfrom an accuracy standpoint, and finds much to praise in the movie’s efforts, giving it an 8-out-of-10 score. Check out a sampling of his remarks below (around 2:37 of the clip):
A sling can actually be reasonably effective. You can absolutely kill someone. The one downside is a shield, or a shield wall as those soldiers are making, is very likely going to repel those slings. So slings are used for skirmishing, but if you have a really disciplined infantry formation you’re not going to be able to break it apart just with slings and arrows.
We do have at least one instance of one line throwing [their javelins] followed by another line followed by another, so a kind of rolling volley. … In Hollywood films they very rarely show the Romans hurling their javelins. Every Roman legionary carries two heavy javelins…and they are very very lethal weapons. They have a long iron shank. If it goes through an enemy shield, it keeps going to what ever’s behind that shield.
A testudo formation is just a very close compact formation where not only are the shields in the front of the formation, locked together, but the soldiers in the rear ranks lift the their shields over their heads, the soldiers on their sides hold their shields to the sides, and basically it creates a a kind of box-like formation protecting the soldiers as they move forward.
I’m going to give it an eight.
Historical Accuracy Helps Ground Risen’s Unique Take On The Story Of Jesus
Hollywood has told the story of Jesus innumerable times throughout its history, but what setsRisenapart is its unique angle on the tale, which casts a non-believing Roman soldier as the lead character. It was this unusual take on the familiarBiblical storythat attracted Fiennes to the role, as he toldScreen Rantback in 2015:
Well, it is a well-known story, precious to so many people. Well, the angle and the hook to me was a veteran director, Kevin Reynolds, and also the angle of visiting this narrative through the eyes of a non-believer. That for me was a fresh take, and it took the curse off it being a kind of quintessentially Bible movie. And I think the success of that structuring is that it allows both believers and non-believers to sit in the auditorium for the first time, because you either get revisionist movies – or they’re deemed as so revisionist, don’t see them – or they’re deemed as Sunday School and conservative, don’t see them.
Reynolds and company’s unorthodox take on the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus may not have landed with critics, as its 53%Rotten Tomatoesscore suggests, but it did reasonably well with the public, as reflected in its 70% audience score, and its $46.6 million box office gross. As many interesting chances as the movie may take when it comes to the story of Jesus, it benefits by its historical accuracy, which has been confirmed as legitimate, at least according to one expert.
Risenwas originally conceived as an unofficial sequel toThe Passion of the Christ
Capturing military tactics, weapons-use and other aspects of Roman warfare with a higher-than-usual sense of realism may not be the primary reason why Fiennes and company embarked on makingRisen, but it is a factor in the movie’s favor, and is one more reason why it may warrant a revisit, despite its low score among critics. Those uninterested in the movie’s Biblical angle may still find something to appreciate in the movie’s depiction of overlooked Roman weapons like javelins, and unique tactics like the testudo formation.
Risen
Cast
Risen is a biblical drama film that tells the story of Clavius, a Roman tribune tasked by Pontius Pilate to investigate the disappearance of Jesus Christ’s body after his crucifixion. As Clavius delves deeper into the mystery, he uncovers a series of events that challenge his understanding of the divine.
