jroesch-1

When I learned that the History Channel would be airing Warrior Queen Boudica on March 10, I felt more than a slight degree of apprehension. Had this not already been done – and very badly done at that – in the 2003 ITV film (Warrior Queen) starring Alex Kingston? What reason was there to expect that the compelling story of Boudica's heroic struggle against the legions of Rome would be rendered any more artfully or faithfully this time? As the author of a recently published historical novel on Boudica (Boudica, Queen of The Iceni, Robert Hale, London), I have more than a passing interest in the story and more than a casual acquaintance with the relevant history, archaeology and scholarship. Skeptical at best, I turned on the TV and steeled myself for what I was quite certain would be two hours of disappointment and annoyance. Five or ten minutes into the film, my skepticism began to "melt, thaw and resolve itself into a dew": this was clearly a production that bore no more resemblance to the sad 2003 affair than – well, why not run with the Hamlet allusions? – Hyperion to a satyr. While both films may draw upon the same sources, the History Channel production is vastly superior as both history and film.

What I find most impressive about the film is its respect for the historical record. I don't mean that this is some dry historical film-lecture narrated by monotonous talking heads. Rather, it blends sound historical fact, realistic characterization, believable dialogue, authentic costuming and skilled cinematography into a moving docudrama of one charismatic woman's magnificent struggle against brutal oppression and tyranny. It's true that there are some "talking heads," but they are a well balanced lot of telegenic British and American authorities whose commentaries are succinct, informative and geared for a general audience. Between the action scenes and the commentaries, we get a full and accurate account of Boudica's rebellion, not some jumbled hodgepodge grossly distorted to fit the film's time frame or showcase the central figure. Some of the events are understandably compressed. For example, the Roman attack on the druids on Mona (Ynis Mon, modern Anglesey), which is narrated in vivid detail by Tacitus, is portrayed very briefly in the film. Also, the savage mutilation of Roman women near Londinium (London) by the avenging Britons that is recorded by Dio Cassius, our second major historical source, is in the film merely alluded to by one of the commentators. Still, nothing of real significance or interest – including the puzzling refusal of the Second Legion to obey the order to march to the relief of Londinium – is missing. I do admit that I found it odd that the Roman characters speak in Latin, a twist that had no particular justification as far as I could tell. If they speak Latin, shouldn't the Britons speak in their native language, which is Brythonic, a dialect of ancient Celtic from which modern Welsh, Cornish, Manx and Breton are descended? Fortunately, they speak in English, and good English at that, free of any of those glaringly modern words and phrases that mar the 2003 ITV production.

I found the acting and dialogue of this film realistic and in many places quite moving. The battle scenes – an artful mix of live and computerized action – are more exciting that one would expect from a TV movie, with more than enough gore to satisfy. The portrayal of Boudica herself is well balanced: she is a devoted wife to her husband, Prasutagus, a tender mother to her two daughters and a nurturing queen to her tribe, the Iceni. When her moment in history comes – when Roman savagery leaves her no other recourse – the wife, mother and queen becomes a vengeful warrior, a red-haired fury of extraordinary power and eloquence who spearheads a glorious rebellion that has inspired poems, plays, novels and films down through the centuries. And still does inspire, for in addition to this film, I understand there are two or three others (including one by Mel Gibson) currently in various stages of production. I'm curious to see what modulations of the Boudica saga the future may hold, but for now at least, Warrior Queen Boudica holds the title. Joseph E. Roesch