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.

It seems that the history of man is locked loop that keeps the man inside if your own vanity, selfishness and greed history is the mirror that shows us clearly that our present but our good if we only have the clarity reflector an abyss our limits to see just one step away, we bend our weaknesses and condemn us to repeat our mistakes inevitably condemning us to an endless sedition and human torture ... Ivan Pavletic having sensitivity to delve into these issues in his film recounts story that the past is a clear window of life that still continue to choose the difference is only the loss of time that will never ever recover ......

This film portrays the events surrounding Flavius Aetius's triumphant return from his victorious last battle. At a time when The Roman Empire was in its last throws of collapse, Aetius brought glory to its people. Ivan Pavletic's portrayal of Aetius, who fought the Huns and returned a hero, highlights the reality of what led to the down fall of the empire and meeting an enemy on a battlefield may very well be the easiest fight. Often the within proves to be the most formidable foe. The making of this film is a great example of why independent films continue to prove that big money and the Hollywood formulas aren't necessary to create a movie of quality and importance. I enjoyed watching this movie and felt that it was a well crafted combination of talent and skill comes together in Pavletic's film, giving it the right recipe for success.

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.