Attila the Hun: Movie

Introduction

Attila The Hun: the movie, which was aired in 2001, highlights the life of Attila from boyhood to his untimely death aged about 50, although watching this DVD he seems to be about 30 and there is no attempt on the director's part to show him ageing. It begins with the slaying of the young Attila's family during an assault by a neighbouring clan, and his escape from the attacked village (www.lovefilm.com). He is ultimately saved by his uncle, who is king of his clan, and Attila grows into the role of Prince almost by default. After dealing with his less-ambitious half-brother, Attila embarks on a drive to unite the Huns under his rule, with a view to conquering the world (www.slashfilm.com).

Plot

The film does have its own vaguely twisted charisma, though. The storyline is astoundingly intricate, involving plots and counter plots, and the movie does reveal a sense of classic somewhat in the vein of Gladiator, but is sadly missing the budget, style or talent. The acting is awful (as befits anything that stars Steven Berkoff) and reduces the political machinations of Rome to little more than Dynasty in togas. Gerrard Butler is a fine actor--as he proved in the recent TV drama The Jury--but is woeful here, delivering his lines in a bizarre trans-Atlantic Scottish accent. At three hours it's way too long, too (www.lovefilm.com).

Theme

Attila The Hun is presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1 and is 16x9 enhanced, so it wins Brownie points straight away. Being made for television, this was unexpected. The picture is generally clear and sharp, with just a little softening. Shadow detail is good, and there is almost no evidence of grain. There is some very mild low-level noise, but generally black levels are acceptable (www.slashfilm.com).

Cinematography

Colours are rich, and in an epic such as this with its many costumes, sets and scenery, it adds to the splendid touch. There is no evidence of any colour bleeding or cross-colouration. There are a few film artifacts, but not enough to be disturbing. Aliasing is a trivial problem, but generally this is a very watchable transfer (www.lovefilm.com).

It is a shame that the only audio on offer here is Dolby Digital 2.0, as there is much that would have sounded even grander and had more impact in 5.1. There are a number of fighting scenes, for example that would have sounded more menacing in full surround sound. Also, the music is quite dramatic, and would have been more so had it been presented in full surround sound (www.slashfilm.com).

What is presented still sounds good, however. The low-level sounds do have a good charisma, and there is noticeable separation between left and right speakers. No other speakers or the subwoofer are used. The dialogue is lucid and in sync, and no accents hamper the audio.

Analysis

Much of the legendary Attila has been re-worked over time so that many nations in Europe and Asia have claimed at one time or another either kinship with or conquest over or suppression ...