Movie

Centurion (2010)

Ever wish for a physical female antagonist in a historical adventure? Look no further. Set in the second century, when Britain was the uncivilised wild north of the Roman Empire, this movie has a serviceable plot and epic battle scenes. The opposition are the Picts to the north of Hadrian’s Wall, who believe in equal opportunity recruitment.

Quintus Dias (Michael Fassbender) is captured during an assault on a fortified garrison. After the Picts slaughter the other Romans, their leader spares the prisoner because he speaks their language. General Titus Virilus (Dominic West) and a legion of men are sent north to retaliate. For support, the ambitious governor also recruits Etain, a mute female scout, who shows off her combat skills in her introductory scene.

Dispatching a slave assassin “proves” Etain’s loyalty, but the tense, silent woman sends out alarm signals constantly. If she’s not sharpening her blade at camp, she stares coldly at the Romans and always seems on edge. So, it’s no surprise when she betrays the legion after an ambush in a misty forest. Dias escapes and joins up with the survivors, and with the general taken prisoner, the centurion assumes command.

The journey south is fraught with danger. A traitor sacrifices a fellow soldier to wolves to save himself, and later plots to murder the centurion to cover his tracks. The governor views the legion’s defeat as a disaster, and orders assassins to silence Dias. This includes a beautiful woman who fetches poisoned wine after Dias makes it to presumed safety. Several women are in the Pict army, notably an archer named Aeron (Axelle Carolyn) who dispatches her foes with lethal accuracy.

The bow woman serves as a “mini-boss” in the final battle and gets her own one-on-one fight scene. But Etain steals the show as a silent, ever-present threat. The male Pict leader has historical immunity, so the female becomes Dias’ nemesis, the final warrior that stands between him and his goal.

Villainess

Etain (Olga Kurylenko)

For a woman who doesn’t speak and relies on gestures to imply threat, Etain is a frightening foe. It’s debatable whether she’s a true villain given her hellish backstory. When she was a child, Romans slaughtered her village and cut out her tongue. So it’s reasonable to hate their guts, and it’s a stupid move by the governor to trust his men’s safety to this vengeful woman.

Etain still ranks in the Goddess tier because it’s rare for a female warrior antagonist to get much action. This movie bucks the trend, and she’s a relentless opponent that makes the other dangers seem minor in comparison.

Every great villainess needs a fantastic kill or establishing scene. Etain gets her moment when the Pict leader releases the captured general, offers him a sword, and pits him against the spear-wielding warrior. Virilus puts up a good fight against Etain, but his period in captivity has left him weak. As the Pict crowd jeer, he falls to her superior combat prowess and stamina. The victorious Etain walks off with no emotion – it was just another kill to her.

Olga Kurylenko is an action veteran, but this is a different role, which she handles admirably. After Etain paints her face and sets off on horseback, the film becomes a hunt and kill saga. The Romans regard their pursuer as unnatural, and an attempt to outsmart her ends badly. Etain is a skilled tracker, and her Pict warrior group finds the tired legion easy pickings. North of the border is a cold, unforgiving place when you have a huntress on your tail.

Dias and his men find respite with Arianne, an exiled Pict woman who’s mistrustful at first. Good thing the centurion speaks her language, and the Romans find temporary comfort in her home. Eventually Etain tracks her quarry down, and a tense hide and seek scene follows as the huntress searches the property. Arianne has her own reasons for hating Etain, so she doesn’t betray the Romans. Fed and rested, they will need their strength for the battle ahead.

The few remaining men reach the “safety” of a garrison, but it’s deserted, and the army has retreated behind Hadrian’s Wall. Tired of running from Etain – and realising a fight is inevitable – the survivors fortify their position. When the huntress arrives with her brutal Pict army, the stage is set for an epic battle that doesn’t disappoint.

Like any feared leader, Etain has underlings to do her bidding, so she sends them in first to soften the Romans. The lesser warriors don’t last long, and ultimately it’s the surviving Romans against the two chief lieutenants: a tough axeman brute and the female archer Aeron. It takes a lot of fighting – and heroic sacrifice – to bring down the more competent Picts. A decent melee fighter, Aeron gets a gory death when a Roman stabs an arrow into her eye.

With the battle going poorly, Etain rides in for the inevitable duel with Dias. The warrior woman is a good match for him, able to fight unarmed and with a sword now she’s used her favourite spear. Multiple fights occur at once, but the cutaway shots to other Romans and Picts are short. For once, the villainess has a fantastic last encounter before the centurion’s scripted victory.