Warrior Queen

Starring:Alex Kingston, Steven Waddington, Emily Blunt, Leanne Rowe, Ben Faulks, Hugo Speer, Gary Lewis (III), Alex Hassell, James Clyde, Angus Wright, Steve John Shepherd, Jack Shepherd, Gideon Turner, Frances Barber, Andrew Lee Potts, Theodor Danetti, Cristina Serban, Alin Olteanu, Emil Hostina, Claudiu Bleont
Director: Bill Anderson (III)
Studio: Wgbh Boston
Product Type: DVD

Editorial Review:
Description
The Celtic queen who shook the Roman Empire. Wife of a king. Mother of two daughters. Leader of her tribe in first century Briton. Boudica (Alex Kingston, Moll Flanders and ER) is one of history's first and fiercest women warriors.

Sickened by ceaseless war, the king of the Iceni accepts a treaty with the Romans in exchange for his tribe's continued independence. But oppressively high taxes impoverish the tribe and soon the Romans want something more  slaves. Refusing to submit, the Romans, led by the greedy and psychotic Emperor Nero, move to crush the Iceni and control their lands. When the king dies mysteriously, his wife, Boudica, is left alone to face the rapacious Romans and save her people.

Drawing on the strength of her warriors, mystical druidic powers, and her own pain, Boudica unites the historically fractious tribes of Briton to unleash a stunning onslaught on the Roman colonial camps. The ferocity of Boudica's attacks will shake the foundations of the Roman empire and make her a legend.

Taken from the pages of Roman history books, the spine-tingling tale of the fearsome Queen Boudica, who dared to take on the most powerful army on earth, bursts into life as a story of love, treachery, and unquenchable thirst for revenge.

Special DVD features include: selected cast filmographies; selected cast list; biography of host Russell Baker; a link to the Masterpiece Theatre Web site; closed captions; and described video for the visually impaired.

Description

The Celtic queen who shook the Roman Empire. Wife of a king. Mother of two daughters. Leader of her tribe in first century Briton. Boudica (Alex Kingston, Moll Flanders and ER) is one of history's first and fiercest women warriors.

Sickened by ceaseless war, the king of the Iceni accepts a treaty with the Romans in exchange for his tribe's continued independence. But oppressively high taxes impoverish the tribe and soon the Romans want something more — slaves. Refusing to submit, the Romans, led by the greedy and psychotic Emperor Nero, move to crush the Iceni and control their lands. When the king dies mysteriously, his wife, Boudica, is left alone to face the rapacious Romans and save her people.

On one DVD5 disc. Region coding: All regions. Audio: Dolby stereo. Screen format: Letterboxed.

Customer Reviews:

Not up to Masterpiece Theater Standards.......2007-06-12

I wouldn't know about the historical inaccuracies some mentioned here, but I was expecting a bit more. I am familiar with her story and was eager to enjoy this, but it just felt flat for a PBS produced piece. There is a film in production on Boudica, but I don't know its status.

Not All Celts Come From Ireland.......2006-08-15

This movie is a fast and loose stab at telling the tale of the English Celtic queen Boadicea (or Boudica)although apparently at least one reviewer thinks she was Irish. All a bit too sword and sorcery-like for me. Costuming for the Iceni tribe and particularly for the heroine was atrocious and unrepresentative. Since the only written narrative of the rebellion came from the Romans we have only their inherent biases to go on for historical accuracy. This is a story that longs to be told and filmed well...this attempt just isn't it.

A passionate question: What of life to cherish and fight for--and live for?.......2006-05-11

This is a case of badly-targeted promotional material hitting the wrong audience. The movie is really not so much about the battles themselves, nor particularly about historical accuracy. It is a story which poses a perennial question amid the tight bonds of simple tribal family life: What is it in life that is most worth cherishing, and how much is it worth sacrificing to fight for it?

Heavy pre-promotion on PBS emphasized battle scenes. I was not interested. Happenchance led me to switch on the T.V. anyway. I only intended to watch for a few moments out of curiosity over the depiction of life in the tribal village. To my surprise, I was drawn in by the emotional portrayal of a people who drink in deeply of simple pleasures of life and fight passionately to retain the life they love.

Boudica's point of view as a warrior leader who is also a wife and mother entwines in one character passionate viewpoints at once fiercely defensive, yet fiercely feeling and sympathetic to those she loves. Their way of life--their culture, their families, their relationships, their very freedom--is threatened. They fight for it with a passion.

As the costs and risks of battle become higher and higher, they must continually revisit and reaffirm what it is they are fighting for. What is it about their way of life which is to be cherished and preserved at so great a cost--and at how great a cost should they continue to fight for it? What is worth sacrificing to keep it? Is it better to be alive though enslaved, or to face annihilation in an attempt to preserve a life of freedom and joy?

This dilemma is highlighted by the various responses of Boudica and her daughters to trauma they suffer at the hands of the enemy. One daughter is emotionally crippled by the experience, finding her joy in life has been robbed of her. Boudica's heart mourns with her daughter, and at the same time tries to rekindle a passion within her that there is a life for her yet worth living, and one worth fighting for.

The ending--which I don't want to give away--brings us back to this daughter's choice, and thus confirms the spirit implied by the screenplay: this is a story about living and cherishing life.

I appreciated the screenwriter's imagination that brought a history of battles down to a people's joy and passion in simple things of life. I only later recognized who the screenwriter was: the same screenwriter Andrew Davies who had already established a gift for so playfully humanizing the screen characters and their relationships in "Wives and Daughters" and the popular 1995 "Pride and Prejudice."

the worst t.v show mini-series ever.......2006-04-29

This "movie" is absolutely horrible. I stopped watching after 5 minutes.

One of the reviewers said the Roman costumes looked like they were foil. He/she wasn't lying. The Roman costumes look like they were cut out of cardboard and then taped together. I have never seen anything so ghetto in my life (on video). The Celtic costumes looked a little better; on the other hand, how hard is it to recreate a costume that resembles rags?

The acting looked pretty uninspired.

The sound editing was also horrid. I skipped around to see the battle scene, and it looks like they didn't even bother to add in any sound effects.

Have you ever seen "Druids" (starring Christopher Lambert)? That's a t.v mini-series that deals with Vercingtorix. Anyways, that show runs circles around "Warrior Queen." That's how bad "Warrior Queen" really is. Whoever produced this movie doesn't deserve a single penny for this ghetto flick.

Boadicea Iceni Queen.......2006-04-05

I saw this movie on pbs channel 8 in arizona. This movie was well done never mind the terrible critics who love to critize movies and never can be satisfied. I liked this movie. The actors did a great job. If you like Celtic historical dramas like Braveheart and Druids then you will like this movie too. Makes me proud to be a breton.

Average customer rating:

Poor on two important fronts.

Boudicca - Warrior Queen
Starring: Boudicca-Warrior Queen
Manufacturer: Arts Magic
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video

Drama | Military & War | Genres | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $9.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( B ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Warrior Queen
Druids
The Celts - Rich Traditions & Ancient Myths
Augustus
Pompeii - The Last Day/Colosseum - A Gladiator's Story

ASIN: B000EHT5NW
Release Date: 2006-03-28

Description

Boudicca…or Boadicea….rose up against Rome, and in doing so became a symbol in later British consciousness of many things: of the ability to withstand oppression, of the courage of wronged innocence, and of the nobility of standing up against overwhelming odds, until her image merged in the nineteenth century into that of Queen Victoria and the island nation itself. "Boudicca, Warrior Queen", examines the history and the myth of this queen of an obscure Celtic tribe who levied the greatest force ever put together in Britain… a force that dwarfed anything the British mustered at one time and in one place, until the grim trench warfare of the First World War. How was this possible, and what forces were at work underpinning her? These are just two of the subjects investigated as we put together a picture of the times in which this woman, flogged by the Romans and with her daughters raped, issued one of the greatest challenges the Empire ever faced.

Customer Reviews:

Poor on two important fronts........2007-01-12

There have a been few Boudica specials and one film in the past few years. This one, Boudicca - Warrior Queen has the distinction of being the only pro-Roman one of the lot. While most are subtle in their pro-Celt, pro-woman stance, this one is open and clear about the positive effect of the Roman eradication of the Druids on Ynis Mon and the Romanization of the native British. At one point it calls Catus Decianus "far from a coward", when every other account (even Tactius, the Roman historian agrees that his fleeing to Gaul was out of fear) call him just that, and dismisses Catus' role in the beating of Boudica and the rape of her daughters. A final point of its pro-Roman appeal is that it suggests that the beatings and rape of Boudica and her family was a story used by a Druid conspirsicy to stage a revolt against the Romans. The narrater then states simply that whatever the reason, the British were better off after the decimation of the druids because the Roman brutality couldn't compare with the bloody nature of their own native religons and traditions.

The other great failure is in presentations. Unlike the vast majority of historical specials, this one stayed clear of living re-creations and maps, and instead used historical-like art (not original artwork but art done for the show that looked "old".) The few costumed recreations were of the major Roman figures (see the above point).

The History Channel recently did a "Warrior Queen Boudica" special. The two could easily be confused by title but the History Channel one was far more entertaining and less biased.

Decisive Battles - Boudicca: Warrior Queen

Average customer rating:

Decisive Battles - Boudicca: Warrior Queen

Manufacturer: The History Channel
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

DVD+R format
Detailed computer re-enactments bring these pivotal moments to life.
Examine the greatest conflicts in history.
Military historians, archeologists and other experts share their insights.

ASIN: B000G2NJMS

Product Description

A callous and distant empire inspires a formidable and unlikely warrior to rise up in ancient Britain. In the farthest flung province of the Roman EmpireBritain--a warrior queen named Boudica rises in revolt. The heavy-handed tactics of Roman administrators incite the anger of the Britons, and the torch paper is lit when the Romans order Boudica's daughters to be raped by Roman soldiers and Boudica to be flogged. In response, she raises a mighty army and takes the fight to Rome.

DVD:

DVD

Striptease [Unrated International Version] [1996] (REGION 1)

DVD: Heat and Sunlight

Tony Bennett - Live In Concert