A Historical Movie Worthy of a Summer Blockbuster:
A Review of Atellus: Son of Rome
by A. F. Raeder
Let me start off with this: superhero origin stories are one of the hottest trends in Hollywood right now, and if it were not for the historical setting, one might mistake Atellus for one after seeing it. Many of us who went to college took a "History of Rome" class as an elective, or have seen several historical dramas depicting the Late Republic or the Principate (the early Roman Empire, if you will) and found the mix of war, intrigue, politics and power plays fascinating. This film takes all of that, and makes its personal. The historical Cingulatus Atellus was a major player in the time of the Late Republic, and Atellus shows us how he rose to be one of the greats.
The film begins with the funeral of his father and our titular hero assuming the headship of his ancient family. Later, once in Rome, if you listen closely, you can hear other Patricians in the background whispering about his family and the "Punic Curse" which was their downfall. Not to get too off track, but Atellus' family had been major proponents for destroying Carthage, backing Cato the Elder, only to see misfortune fall upon them time and again. This is another thing that really set the tone for the film. The inextricable mingling of the natural and supernatural was reflective of the times, and leads back to the superhero origin trope, making things feel larger than life.
Once in Rome, following a prophecy of his future, young Atellus comes face to face with some of the biggest names of Rome for the next several decades. It also displays the complex political situation in the city. Atellus, despite his patrician background, is secretly a populist idealist, studying under one of the staunchest elitist conservatives, befriends Cicero, a conservative, makes an enemy of Pompey, political opportunist, then goes on to become the protégé of Sertorius, a moderate populist but personal enemy of the arch-conservative Sulla, who is at war with the populist many-times hero of Rome, Marius. Got that? Because that is about as bare-bones of a description that can get.
One of the most striking scenes of the film was the sanctification of the Sixth Legion. Despite the rather graphic depiction of a pagan sacrifice, it has a weight to it, as if Mars Gradivus was actually present in anointing the officers of the Sixth. A cool little behind-the-scenes note from the director was that the scene was filmed in two parts; the first part up to the pouring of the blood was shot first, then, after a prodigious exercise regimen, the visibly more fit actors had the blood poured over them. The camera pans out after the rite, giving the impression that it was because of the rite that the officers are visibly more fit and cut.
The film proceeds to the Samnite war, with young Atellus leading the first cohort. For those of you that don't know, the first cohort of any legion was the most elite unit, filled with veterans and organizationally larger than the other cohorts. It is led by the primus pilus, the most veteran centurion (non-commissioned officer) and literally the first man into battle when the entire legion is deployed. For the sake of brevity, the film skips over Atellus' activities on the march, but he judged cases, ensured the legion was paid (with bonuses) and studied under Sertorius.
At this point, young Atellus is an untested commander, leading the best veterans of the legion. They grudgingly follow orders, and between him, his aide Tercerus, and the Primus Pilus Mercator, they are able to lead the first cohort to two victories. After the first town, young Atellus spares a priestess, Visellia Mertia, who would go on to become his enemy, much as in a superhero origin story. The Battle at Aeclanum really shows the opposition the Samnites will give, as even half-starved farmers fight like lions against the wolves of the first cohort. It is a scene of both heroism and slaughter, and the bandit and would-be traitor Spurio is also killed.
Upon their triumphant return to the legion, Atellus proceeds to give one of the cheekiest lines to Sertorius, who really begins to acknowledge young Atellus as his father's son. Thus, he shows utmost confidence in the 18-year-old tribune by giving him command of half the legion, to keep the city of Bovianum from turning away from Rome. It is on this stretch of the campaign that Atellus meets his first true nemesis. The rebel and bandit Gemino, a Samnite hero from the last war against Sulla, has been raiding around the city, depriving it of food. As young Atellus sets up shop and begins to bring the situation to heel, he comes to realize that Gemino is the greatest threat to his mission, especially after a threatening note is posted inside his tent with no one the wiser.
Atellus proceeds to sweep Gemino's support base out from under him by subverting the elders of the local Samnites with the "Sword and the Hand" speech, parts of which were recycled centuries later by the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelian (one of the good ones). Meanwhile, there is an interlude where Gemino visits the local Sybil to gain insight on how to defeat his enemies. The Sybil prophesizes that he has the chance to break the Roman war effort, but that Atellus (all but referenced in name) could be his downfall. In response to Gemino raising forces and attempting to coopt a neighboring rebel army numbering in the thousands, Atellus marshals his force, and performs an augury, much like when the legion was sanctified. The augury is auspicious, as once the rite begins, the howling of wolves (Mars' sacred animal, and representative animal of Rome) begins, and does not end until the rite concludes. Victory is assured, for Mars rides with them.
The climactic battle of the film is the first and final showdown between Atellus and Gemino: the Battle of the Tabelline Pass. Knowing that Gemino must go through a certain pass to reach the other rebel army, Atellus positions his force to blockade that pass. Rather than emerge onto unfavorable open ground, Gemino holes up in the hills, daring Atellus to march into the meat grinder. Here, Atellus shows the tactical cunning which would so characterize him in the future. Using his hard-won rapport with the Gallic Auxiliary cavalry, he uses them and samnite scouts provided by one of his local allies to slip past Gemino's scouts and into the hills. Using his best men, Atellus sends the veteran second cohort to smash into Gemino's flank though a lightly guarded pass. As Gemino wheels his army to face the second cohort, even pushing them back, Atellus springs his trap, a massive flanking attack from the expected (and now unguarded) direction. It is only through Gemino's quick response that the Samnite army does not collapse.
That the battle does not end in an immediate Samnite rout is a testament to their stubborn tenacity, as shown at Aeclanum. Despite being outnumbered, outmaneuvered, and totally surrounded, they fight on. It is only after a long, hard-fought battle that the Samnite army breaks. As it does, Gemino leads a small force an escapes into the pass where the battle started, only to be run down by Atellus and his Gallic cavalry. This is the first time the two foes meet face to face, one defeated, one triumphant. Gemino, with the prophecy on his mind, can't help a morbid chuckle. The pair exchange banter, before expressing mutual respect, wishing that the other had been born on their side. Rather than suffer defeat and servitude, Gemino takes his own life, much like Killmonger does in the recent Black Panther film.
Atellus ends on this note, triumphant, but unfinished. The main Samnite army is still in command of a city, and rebels still inhabit the countryside, but Atellus has had his own victory, leading men who had been as inexperienced as he just months before. Atellus has made a name for himself, swaying the formerly intractable Samnites, and ending the man who had defied Sulla. He has taken his first step on the road to greatness. I hope that later installments of the franchise will maintain its supernatural commingling, while exploring some of his later feats (Spoilers!).
Though I deeply love this film, I must acknowledge some inconsistencies and gaps. The film does gloss over most of Atellus' first year in Rome, mostly to save screen time for the Samnite war and to showcase the big names of the day and of the future. There is a Julius Caesar homage, as you can barely make out some senators mentioning that "Marius' nephew wouldn't amount to much" as well as a reference to the father of Caesar's lieutenant, Marc Antony, when Atellus comments that a man "looks rather chalky." Aditionally, the dialogue between Gemino and Atellus is gleaned mostly from entries from Atellus' war journal and his rather rambling correspondence with Cicero. The contents of the "Sword and Hand" speech was a dramatic reconstruction of the remnants recorded in Atellus's journal and Marcus Aurelian's speech. Also, there is a Monty Python reference in one scene set in Bovianum; as Atellus is walking the streets of the city with his ally, Marius Himatus, in an alley, there is graffiti proclaiming "Romani ite domum," from The Life of Brian.
Overall, I found Atellus to be a greatly enjoyable film, though I am clearly biased as a historian. The production team went through great pains to make the film as historically accurate as possible, even though the film is predominantly in spoken English. Little notes, such as Atellus' subordinates and associates hint at his future exploits. I would greatly recommend this film to anyone interested in Roman history, or even people who enjoy action, intrigue and drama, and are only passingly familiar with history. You can always educate yourself and come back to enjoy it with deeper understanding.
A.F. Raeder is a historian and amateur film critic who occasionally contributes to this journal.
