The factual errors in this movie are quite simply astounding. It's shameful. Shame shame shame. Great acting at times, especially from Boothe, but the screenplay is appalling.
1. Attila and the Huns were Turkic, not Caucasian. Contemporaries descriptions of him painted him as a Mongol. Flat nose etc. Genghis Khan traced his lineage to the Huns.
2. He and Flavius Aetius were both hostage exchanges as children. Attila spent time as a child in Rome, the same time Flavius was with the Huns. That could have made for an interesting film.
3. Attila jointly ruled with his older brother (who I believe was from the same father? Ruga was both mens uncle) for a fair while, building the empire together, before he allegedly killed him and ruled solo.
4. Aetius and Attila became friends when Aetius spent a brief exile with the Huns. Why leave that out?
5. this is what wikipedia says about Honoria's situation and the dowry etc:
"However Valentinian's sister Honoria, in order to escape her forced betrothal to a senator, had sent the Hunnish king a plea for helpand her ringin the spring of 450. Though Honoria may not have intended a proposal of marriage, Attila chose to interpret her message as such; he accepted, asking for half of the western Empire as dowry. When Valentinian discovered the plan, only the influence of his mother Galla Placidia convinced him to exile, rather than kill, Honoria; he also wrote to Attila strenuously denying the legitimacy of the supposed marriage proposal. Attila, not convinced, sent an embassy to Ravenna to proclaim that Honoria was innocent, that the proposal had been legitimate, and that he would come to claim what was rightfully his."
more truth is found here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attila_the_Hun
I wish Hollywood would learn that truth is more interesting than finding fabled swords and screwing around with what actually happened.
This is a lame film with bad dialogue, terrible motivations for the protagonists (I'm just starting to build my empire" puhleeeeez!!!), and zero credibility. What a shame. So much potential yet again wasted.
1. Attila and the Huns were Turkic, not Caucasian. Contemporaries descriptions of him painted him as a Mongol. Flat nose etc. Genghis Khan traced his lineage to the Huns.
2. He and Flavius Aetius were both hostage exchanges as children. Attila spent time as a child in Rome, the same time Flavius was with the Huns. That could have made for an interesting film.
3. Attila jointly ruled with his older brother (who I believe was from the same father? Ruga was both mens uncle) for a fair while, building the empire together, before he allegedly killed him and ruled solo.
4. Aetius and Attila became friends when Aetius spent a brief exile with the Huns. Why leave that out?
5. this is what wikipedia says about Honoria's situation and the dowry etc:
"However Valentinian's sister Honoria, in order to escape her forced betrothal to a senator, had sent the Hunnish king a plea for helpand her ringin the spring of 450. Though Honoria may not have intended a proposal of marriage, Attila chose to interpret her message as such; he accepted, asking for half of the western Empire as dowry. When Valentinian discovered the plan, only the influence of his mother Galla Placidia convinced him to exile, rather than kill, Honoria; he also wrote to Attila strenuously denying the legitimacy of the supposed marriage proposal. Attila, not convinced, sent an embassy to Ravenna to proclaim that Honoria was innocent, that the proposal had been legitimate, and that he would come to claim what was rightfully his."
more truth is found here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attila_the_Hun
I wish Hollywood would learn that truth is more interesting than finding fabled swords and screwing around with what actually happened.
This is a lame film with bad dialogue, terrible motivations for the protagonists (I'm just starting to build my empire" puhleeeeez!!!), and zero credibility. What a shame. So much potential yet again wasted.