Corrected entry: The inconsistency occurs in the scene where Marcus confronts and kills the chief of the Seal People, thus recapturing the Eagle. As he is about to kill the chief, he asks him where he got his father's ring. Up to that point, the only way Marcus could communicate with the British tribes was if Esca interpreted for him. This was indicated in the film by the fact that the Romans spoke English (representing Latin) and the Britons spoke another language, which was subtitled. So as the film sets it up, Marcus and the chief do not speak a common language. Yet in this instance, the chief apparently understands Marcus's question with no problems. And yet, when he gives his answer taunting Marcus about his father's cowardice, he speaks his own language (subtitled) which he knows Marcus does not speak. Indeed, we know Marcus did not understand what he said, as he asks Esca several times afterwards what the chief said about his father. So when did the chief suddenly become able to understand Marcus's language, and if he can actually speak it, why not reply in it when taunting him?
The Eagle (2011)
1 corrected entry
Directed by: Kevin Macdonald
Starring: Donald Sutherland, Channing Tatum, Jamie Bell
Continuity mistake: When Marcus Aquila and Esca set off for the North they are riding horses, Marcus on a dark brown horse, with a short mane and Esca on a bay (you see close ups of them on the horses, and several screen shots of them galloping on them). However, after their first overnight stay in the North, Marcus' Horse is black with a long mane, Esca's bay horse is suddenly a white horse with no explanation for this. His horse remains white for the rest of the movie.
Marcus Aquila: He's not a slave. And he knows more about honor and freedom than you'll ever know.
Trivia: The director was not able to find a suitable Scottish Gaelic-speaking actor to play the boy of the tribe of Britons, so he cast Thomas Henry who is a native speaker of Irish Gaelic from Belfast.
Join the mailing list
Separate from membership, this is to get updates about mistakes in recent releases. Addresses are not passed on to any third party, and are used solely for direct communication from this site. You can unsubscribe at any time.
Check out the mistake & trivia books, on Kindle and in paperback.
Correction: These are questions, not mistakes. But to answer them; the chief could understand Marcus' language, but not necessarily speak it. My ex wife is Russian, and while I can understand some of what she says when speaking Russian, I can't speak enough Russian myself to make myself understood. The chief could easily have learned the basics of Marcus' language from the other Romans who settled in the region.
rswarrior