Premise:
After witnessing her people suffer cruelty and oppression at the hands of Roman invaders, a young tribal woman named Énna takes up spear and shield in hopes of saving her family and homeland.
Review:
Anyone who reads our reviews regularly knows that we are no stranger to ambitious filmmakers, but every now and again a film comes along that not only swings for the fences, but straight up knocks it out of the park.
Writer, producer and director Tamas Levardi seems to have approached the epic scale of the film’s premise by taking the visually gargantuan production one step at a time. When focusing on the wider plot, which follows two siblings standing up to the oppressive force of the Roman Empire, this premise would seem too big and sprawling for a film of its 22 minutes.
Where Levardi makes the seemingly impossible possible is in the minutiae of the relationship between protagonist Énna (Maya Katherine) and her brother Aehd (Nikolas Balfe). We follow the siblings as they seek out nearby Roman soldiers to tell them they can no longer afford to pay their tribute. While Aehd seeks to negotiate, Énna is intent on finally standing up to them, thus framing the bulk of the story around the conversation of freedom vs security. This is not just twenty minutes of talking. The journey is set against some truly breath taking cinematography and stunning locations.
Maya Katherine carries her character with a physical defiance that makes her a formidable presence. Embodying the determination of Énna to no longer stand for the subjugation of her people by outsiders. This singular determination sets her on a collision course with one of the greatest empires in history and as such promises a showdown that will require every ounce of the strength alluded to in her commanding portrayal.
The final conflict promised in the film’s mission is delivered in fine form with no holds barred fight scenes that are as well staged as they are brutal. But rather than feature fight scenes for their own sake or because the plot alludes to it, the bone crunching climax is presented as an extension of the characters we have come to know. Levardi does not look away from the unrelenting brutality that would be wielded by soldiers of a global empire.
While much of the location takes place in uninhabited land, the attention to detail when it comes to uniforms, armour and weapons is highly impressive. The Roman soldiers are authentic and the large scale of the opening and closing of the film cement us into the time frame and into the film’s big threat. In short, Tamas Levardi along with his cast and crew successfully deliver an epic period piece and a well-paced and ambitious adventure movie. Foretoken: Omen of the Outsiders is immersive, powerful and a masterclass in what can be done in short film.
Listen to our interview with director Tamas Levardi on our podcast below.
Studio: Tamas Levardi | Year: 2023 | Genre:Period Drama/Action/ Adventure | Duration: 22 Mins | Suitability: Mature
Cast:
Crew:
Director: Tamas Levardi | Producer: Tamas Levardi | Writer: Tamas Levardi
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