"Today, for instance, man and woman, lover and beloved, I rode in a forest on an autumn afternoon under the yellow leaves, and I was also the horses, the leaves, the wind, the words my people spoke, even the red sun that made them half-shut their love-drowned eyes."

Gustave Flaubert, from a letter to Louise Colet on January 23, 1853

This quote could not seem quite suitable on "Centurion" pages, but what is at issue is one of the human abilities: the empathy... that is what happens when you feel the other person not as yourself, but yourself as that person, whom you want to be and whom you should be right now...

Empathy allows the writer to make tangible and alive not only any character of his future work (regardless of gender, age and historical period in which he lives and act), but anything that is involved in action...

And if you cannot be tiny pebbles on the beach, dusty sage by the road and the copper pot that warms up the porridge within itself, the only one that the hero will be eating, then you'd better not to take on writing...

The capacity for empathy is a guarantee of actor's success... not the receiving of awards at prestigious festivals... not at all... but the way to audience's heart, which you cannot to deceive... to viewers, the very ones that are sitting in the dark cinema halls or settling in front of TV and computer monitors, impatiently pressing the 'play' button... they will believe in your character or will reject him without remorse...

And it only depends on how deep you managed to get into his skin: feel his soul as your own and make your heart beat in unison with the heart of the man that you are now...

The strange things happen with "Centurion"... or, perhaps, quite contrary – it's absolutely natural...
The critics' opinions were diametrically opposed... from the warm approval and speaking of it as of the one of the best films from several historical blockbusters that hit the big screens at the same time, to charges it of being in pointless raptures of blood - the end in itself for creators...

There was no doubt to anyone that the cast of the film is unique in its expression...



and the main character Quintus Dias is absolutely alive, warm, perceived as real man, who could be your friend... brother... son... beloved... the one to whom you wanted to compassionate and with whom you were ready to run... fight... and fight again... and then again to run... to this 'special' tree by which you will be caught up by the Pict's axe...

This is the power of empathy that Michael has... You accept him as Quintus or Quintus as him, and this 'or' becomes absolutely unimportant to you, because you became close to each from the first shots already... let it will be not 'forever' but for a short screen time – he will be by your side for much longer, even when the screen will go black... Then Quintus will go somewhere too (on his own 'strange' businesses), and you will definitely want to see him again... call him and ask: Hey, mate, how are you? Are you OK? Well, glad to hear it. And let your Roman gods help you, even if they renounced all the others...

The fuss about "Centurion" calmed down long ago... the "tides", what else can be said… Logically the absolute calm replaces the caprices of sea currents and currents of human caprices... but this did not happen... and again and again the twitter 'search' results explodes with someone's passionate words: "Watched Centurion! Bloody cool. Best historical movie. Quintus (Michael Fassbender) forever!"

So what's the secret of Centurion? The film with a budget that even couldn't be called magnificent? Without blue and green screens, 'eminent' group of PC designers that can make anything out of pixels, and turn the same pixels into nothing...

The answer is simple, like and everything that is unique and brilliant: the team... where everyone was equal, no one was trying to press 'the neighbor' and win over him a bit more light... a bit more place for himself... where enthusiasm for the process was the main thing no matter on what temperature, spatial and high-altitude tests it will drive you to...

Just the excitement of boys and girls who got the opportunity to play 'war' again on the backyard... It's just the horses are real... and the water is cold not because it was you who think up it like this, but because it's true... you're getting into this Pictish-Roman skin and forgetting about reality... and you're running... hiding... slaughtering the enemy in not-computer not-childish forest... and you're particularly good from all of this...

And then happens the miracle of 'pandemic empathy', when viewers that caught up the virus fee themselves within everything, which is happening on screen... and this is hot... delightful... intoxicating as the Water of Life (or, in Bothos' opinion, Water of Death), which drink and Roman legionnaires, and hairy Picts...

But now the Quintus is 'in focus' of discussion... The man, who convinced that ability to feel how breathe, think and what feels not only your friend, but and your enemy, could help you if not to win, then to save life, at least... who never forgot the words of the legendary gladiator, his father: "You must know your enemy better than yourself"...

to be continued...