Some prayed for help, others wished for death while watching Pompeii.
Paul W. S. Anderson’s natural disaster epic Pompeii showed a lot of promise in the build up to its release. Pompeiicentres on Milo, a young Celtic boy turned slave, who leaves his native Britain behind when he is sold to the gladiator arena in Pompeii. There he meets the noble woman Cassia, and they share a brief passion before being caught up in the 79 AD eruption of Mt Vesuvius.
Pompeii was a film on the precipice in terms of quality. It could have gone either way. For me, even after viewing the film, it teeters on that precipice. In particular aspects the film soars, but the narrative itself has holes that detract from the overall quality, holes which cannot be filled with flashy special effects.
Kit Harrington stars as Milo, the Celtic gladiator. His performance was admirable, but it was like watching John Snow in a gladiator’s costume. This doesn’t mean his acting was bad, but there was no stand out Oscar moments from Harrington. Emily Browning however was a little more standout. Cassia (Browning) is the daughter of a local politician (Jared Harris), and when the film begins is returning from a year long stay in Rome. She is a clever character, and able to hold her own against the intimidating Senator Corvus (Kiefer Sutherland), who relentlessly pursues her hand in marriage.
I found Cassia and Milo’s romance to be rushed. The time frame is just three days between his arrival in Pompeii and the eruption of Mt Vesuvius, and in this time he and Cassia fall madly in love, so much so that when the eruption begins he returns for her as opposed to fleeing the city to safety. It is the Titanic complex. This is another mimic of the Jack and Rose, Romeo and Juliet plot line, but in Pompeii the execution could have been better.
Cassia (Browning) and Milo (Harrington)
The production design for the film was brilliant. The cityscape of Pompeii appeared incredibly realistic, and the looming presence of Mt Vesuvius an ominous reminder of the eruption to come. Notable features of the set include the harbor, arena and Cassia’s villa. The detail to which the designers have re-created Roman culture is stunning. Anderson and his team did their homework and it paid off.
The Arena
Anderson did not however do his homework on the eruption. There was no tsunami in the 79 AD eruption and although it was a sight to see in 3D, it did little to enhance the drama and tension. The earthquakes and final eruption were phenomenal. The lava bombs though, were too conveniently placed, and this was very noticeable.
Vesuvius erupting
All in all, it is a film worth seeing once, but don’t expect a satisfying ending. Pompeiineeded just a couple more minutes to allow the impact of what had happened to sink in, and for the devastation to be truly felt by the audience. I left the cinema without closure, but for the most part satisfied with what I got; a flashy disaster film, with a trashy love story.
6/10
Check out Vesuvius’ wrath in the trailer below:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6TRwfxDICM]
-JoelE
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