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MOVIE REVIEW – Boudica: Warrior Queen

MOVIE REVIEW – Boudica: Warrior Queen

Alex Kingston as Boudica - Warrior Queen
Alex Kingston as Boudica – Warrior Queen

“Boudica, take this message back to your people: Nobody defies Rome with impunity” ~ Catus

This weekend, as I prepare to embark on a visit to King’s Cross to join in the Battle Bride festivities in honour of Boudica, I decided to watch the 2003 made-for-TV movie, Boudica: Warrior Queen. There is a belief that King’s Cross was the site of a major battle between the Romans and the Iceni and that Boudica is buried someplace between platform 9 and 10 in King’s Cross station, however, there is no historical or archaeological proof. It appears to be an urban legend that proliferated after WWII with the book, Boadicea: Warrior Queen by Lewis Spence. He used some flimsy pieces of evidence, and mixed in some mythology to concoct the story and it became extremely popular with the general public. King’s Cross will be holding a three day event to commemorate Boudica and while the celebration is based on myth, not historical fact, I will still attend to enjoy the festivites.



The Plot

The movie begins with Boudica, played by  Alex Kingston (ER, Doctor Who) as a deceased narrator, tells the story of her people from the grave. Boudica and her husband Prasutagus are king and queen of the Iceni tribe. They live a happy warrior life with their two teenage daughters, Isolda, played by Emily Blunt (The Devil Wears Prada, Henry VIII) and Siora, played by Leanne Rowe (Oliver Twist, Dirty Dancing: The Classic Story on Stage)….that is…until the Romans arrive…*cue dramatic music*

Prasutagus, played by Steve Waddington (Last of the Mohicans, 1492: Conquest of Paradise) enters into a deal with the Devil by agreeing to a treaty with the Romans. The Iceni people, including their daughters and the local shaman priest, Magior, played by Gary Lewis (Billy Elliot, Gangs of New York) deplore the arrangement. Prasutagus is portrayed as a weak and feeble ruler, and after his death, the Romans, now under the rutheless Nero, played by Andrew Lee-Potts (Ideal, Primeval) refuse to honour their part of the treaty. They raid and enslave some of the Iceni and when Boudica goes to speak to the evil Roman lord, Catus, played by Steve John Shepherd (Eastenders, Being Human UK), and he has her daughters gang raped by Roman soldiers while she is flogged and forced to watch.

Boudica and Prasutagus
Boudica and Prasutagus

Heads held high, the walk away from the camp swearing their revenge. The mini plot twist here is that Isolda has fallen in love with one of the soldiers who is helpless to stop her public rape. Their love story is a tragedy, but Isolda’s character has a greater part to play in the movie than presumed.

“I want you to put down this rebellion. Bring that redheaded bitch back with you so she can be paraded through the streets of Rome dead or alive.” ~Nero

Boudica manages to unite the warring tribes to fight against their common encroaching Roman enemy. They destroy Camulodunum (modern day Colchester) and then make for Londinium (modern day London). Nero calls on General Suetonius (Gaius Suetonius Paulinus) played by Michael Feast (Plague Over England, State of Play) to quell the rebellion. Suetonius has no interest in Britian and thinks the fight is a waste of time and Roman life but Nero will not be swayed and he reluctantly agrees to go north.

Boudica - Warriror Queen
Boudica – Warriror Queen

“Look at them. They’re fighting this war to save their people. To keep the right to their own land, to preserve their religion and the right to practice it and we’re fighting it because….we’re here and it’s our job…professional pride, really. Not enough, is it?” ~ Suetonius

Outnumbered but tactically ahead of the Iceni, Suetonius wins the battle against Boudica and her united tribes. This signalled the last Roman resistance in Britain until 410 A.D.

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

I actually quite enjoyed this movie even though there were some historical missteps. The costuming wasn’t great but it did the job. The acting was decent; Kingston was a believable and entertaining Boudica. The dialogue wasn’t too cheesey and while there were some definite Braveheart styled speeches, those were kept to a minimum. Steve Waddington was forgettable, but then again, his character was written to be easily cowed so he did the role justice.

I enjoyed seeing a young Emily Blunt do a great job at playing a warrior queen’s daughter as Isolda. Her tragic love story didn’t mar the rest of plot and weaved itself in nicely to add fire to her warrior heart. Sadly, Leanne Rowe, who was her feisty sister Siora was, like her father, rather forgettable. I was sure she’d emerge as a bigger personality onscreen but other than a few brash words and insolent lines, she slunk into the background. Boudica’s family life is shrouded in mystery – there is no proper record of her daughter’s names or what happened to them after their mother’s death. The movie has a unique take on this which I won’t spoil but it is far from historical fact.

Nero sleeps with his mother
Nero sleeps with his mother

Lee-Potts’ take on Nero was a bit over the top and neurotic. The scene of him sleeping with his mother Agrippa, played by Fances Berber (Aladdin, The Seagull) was just utter schlock. There is no historical basis for that relationship and it was done to appeal to the popularly held myth that Nero was sleeping with his mother. It didn’t further the plot in any way and could’ve been left out, much like Boudica’s lame romance with the warrior Dervalloc played by Hugo Speer (The Full Monty, The Muskateers). It was a big onscreen fizzle and didn’t add anything to the story. The battle scenes were fun to watch but I can’t definitively tell you if they were authentic reproductions because military history is not my forte.

If you’re a fan of all things Roman, this movie should definitely be on your watch-list. it’s not the best Roman movie out there but it’s a good story about a warrior woman who took on Rome and became an English legend.

~Sandra Alvarez

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