476 A.D. Chapter One: The Last Light of Aries

If you like this kind of period piece and similar big stories like 'Spartacus', 'Rome', '300', 'The Immortals' etc...then you'll love this film. By Ivan Pavletic, a great up and coming Denver based Actor who comes off more like a chameleon and less like a human. Support Independent Film Making and rent '476 A.D. Chapter One: The Last Light of Aries' today!! Featuring a terrific and talented cast, this feature film is set in the first century with great costume and production design. Produced, Directed by, and Starring Ivan Pavletic (Wildflower) and featuring Matt Block (The Gospel According to Stevenson). This film is the first to come in a saga of two. The sequel is now in post production.

476 A.D. is a fantastic flick. I had a great opportunity to see this film at it's premier. A lot of people showed up to the premier, along with the local news. Everyone enjoyed it and had a great time. You can see the blood, sweat and tears that was put into this film. He had a huge amount of passion for this project. The story meant a lot to him and think that passion was projected quite well in the finished product. Ivan is an inspiration to all aspiring filmmakers. Great movie. Great story. Great director. Great actor. Great guy. I'll definitely be there for Chapter Two! I can't wait until I'm able to buy both chapters on DVD!

Ivan did an excellent job bringing this big story to life with great attention to detail and setting. The story is easy to follow and draws the audience in quickly. Though this is not a high budget film, it came across as a very professionally created film. The costumes and setting brought an important authenticity to the production, making it simple for the viewers to connect with the story. The film was shot on location in Europe, as well as in the US, which helps to set the intended tone for the movie. The action continues at a steady pace and the story builds strongly along the way. Ivan is a very talented film director, writer and actor. I look forward to seeing the next part of this film when it comes out.

The movie sort of feels like a 1970's/80's TV film, and with the type of the shots and theatrical acting, reminds me a little of a low budget version of the 1970's BBC series "I'Claudius". I am a big fan of the old European TV series, and especially cinema from the former Yugoslavia. As my favorite films from former Yugoslavia were in fact with Igor Galo, it was definitively refreshing to see the old Croatian/Yugoslavian star Igor Galo, as the Caesar Valentinian.

Possibly my favorite Croatian film from my youth, is the 1968 comedy classic "I Have Two Moms and Two Dads", where Igor Galo was still a teenager, as well as other of his classics, such as Most (The Bridge), and Walter Defends Sarajevo. Even today, I still think that one of the best performances by Igor Galo was as Lt. Meyer, in the 1977 Sam Peckinpah's classic "Cross of Iron" with James Coburn and James Mason. Possibly, one of the most underrated of his films, and other then the 1969 "The Wild Bunch", possibly the best of director Sam Peckinpah.

Although the quality of 476 A.D. The Last Light of Aries might have been compromised by the very low budget production, its realistic acting and original mystique dynamic, definitively makes up for its misses as the low budget indi, which it is.

Overall, the story is compelling, and the experience is worth it. If you are a fan of big budget Hollywood blockbusters, then perhaps this might not be for you, but if you are a fan the European low budget art house films, then this is definitively a movie for you.

I decided to give 476 A.D. a shot at the recommendation of a buddy of mine, and from the look of the trailer I was expecting to sit through 75 minutes of repetitive imagery, sub-par scores and stiff acting. After an initially slow pickup, the movie really came into its own around the halfway mark. Acting that I expected to be stiff was quite the opposite, and the music, which could be overpowering at times, was for the most part a welcome accompaniment to the storyline. So while the film isn't necessarily devoid of all low budget clichés, its directorial direction is astoundingly clear, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone with an evening to spare.