(Untitled)

[rheasilvia]

I am insanely bothered by a throw-away line in The Originals in which "Teutoburg" is explained as a reference to a "battle in which the bad guys surprised the good guys

Comments

[trobadora]

"battle in which the bad guys surprised the good guys"

WTF WTF WTF.

[rheasilvia]

I know, right??? The only explanation I can come up with is that Germans are always the bad guys, no matter what.

[trobadora]

You know, back in 2011 the Eagle of the Ninth movie cast Americans as Romans, and right now I just want to send them a very belated thank you note.

[rheasilvia]

For casting Americans as Romans...?

This reminds me I have yet to see that movie. :-)

[trobadora]

Yeah, the Hollywood cliché is English accents for Romans, but the Eagle creators made the connection with US imperialism instead. Which I really appreciate.

[rheasilvia]

Oh, I see what you mean. Do you think it was a truly intentional parallel? Because that would be both impressive and unexpected from a Hollywood movie...

[trobadora]

Yes, absolutely deliberate - they talked about it in interviews. (See here for an example.) It was a British/American co-production, which probably accounts for it, though it's still impressive!

[rheasilvia]

That sounds excellent, and really makes me want to see the movie! :-)

Maybe Americans identify with Romans now, and that's why they are so inexplicably the good guys in The Originals. *g* (Reminds me of the moral outrage of J. Caesar when complaining that his soldiers couldn't safely rape, loot and plunder the countryside because of those barbarous Germans lying in wait to kill them! Honestly, the gall!)