History in pictures

In roughly 100 AD a supposedly "crack" Roman legion was sent to quell Pictish tribes in what is now modern day Scotland. If one scours a map of modern day Britain you'll find the 70 mile long wall Emperor Hadrian built across the very top of northern England because he could not contain to Roman satisfaction the tribes that lay north of it. The Romans, always revered in Europe yet ignored as the brutal murdering Imperialists that they were, consider that this ninth Legion "disappeared". Rubbish. The Picts annihilated them.

A book in the early 1950's by Englishwoman Rosemary Sutcliffe called “The Eagle of the Ninth” attempted to set the record straight about their "disappearance". For reasons that I'll politely not speculate on this sent many an English academic into a tizzy. The attempts by the latter to deny the Picts on this and for instance "cite evidence" that the Ninth Legion "disbanded" or ended up in the East of England or was recalled to Rome are in a word: nonsense. So if this film and others on the way help set the record straight then I'm all for it.

Other than upsetting the Romans the Picts are noteworthy for other reasons. They painted their faces blue and thus we derive the word picture from them. They themselves disappeared from history and the vast majority of the evidence suggests that they assimilated with the Gaels and Vikings to form the beginnings of who we now consider the Scots. PITlochry is perhaps the most famous Scottish placename that we have thanks to the Picts. We have many artefacts as well but ultimately we don't know that much about them. Adds to the mystery I say.

Despite portraying the Picts in these films as something approaching native American "Indian savages" (the cosy PC view of wronged minorities not the "John Wayne" view of inconvenient blood-thirsty natives) it's heartening that Scottish history continues to inspire film-makers. I suppose if Scots are to be portrayed at all then we might as well be portrayed as barbaric but thankfully noble as well. Yes, thanks Hollywood. There's far worse out there at the end of the day. Director Kevin Macdonald is a Scot who should perhaps know better though. Ultimately however, this is but a distraction. The real subtext to these films since the US invasion of Iraq is to somehow warn perspective superpowers not to underestimate one's enemy. Sometimes they signpost this a little too heavily but again I suppose at least it's an attempt to respond to what has happened in the real world.

But what I think really appeals to people about these films is the classic David and Goliath nature of these films and the continuation of the Epic from Ben Hur onwards. It's the tradition and power of these archetypes that draws audiences world-wide to these films and, aside from the fact I feel it's a film about my ancestors, will be drawing me to see it as well.