The Column (film)
| Columna | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Directed by | Mircea Drăgan |
| Produced by |
Artur Brauner Constantin Toma |
| Written by | Titus Popovici |
| Starring |
Richard Johnson Antonella Lualdi Ilarion Ciobanu Amedeo Nazzari Ştefan Ciubotăraşu Florin Piersic Amza Pellea Sidonia Manolache Emil Botta Franco Interlenghi Mircea Albulescu Gheorghe Dinică |
| Music by | Theodor Grigoriu |
| Cinematography | Nicu Stan |
| Edited by | Dragoş Vitkovschi |
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Release date
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Running time
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133 minutes |
| Country | Romania |
| Language | Romanian |
The Column (Romanian: Columna) is a 1968 Romanian historical film directed by Mircea Drăgan. The film was selected as the Romanian entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 41st Academy Awards, but was not accepted as a nominee.
The action starts near the end of Trajan's Dacian Wars (106 AD), when south western Dacia was transformed into a Roman province: Roman Dacia. It covers the years after the war, including the beginnings of the Romanization and Romanian ethnogenesis, the construction of Ulpia Traiana Sarmizegetusa, resistance of the Free Dacians and first barbarian invasions.
As the Romans under Trajan take the Dacian capital Sarmizegetusa, the Dacian king Decebalus and his closest followers are forced to retreat. Trajan takes command of the city and orders one of his officers, Tiberius, to pursue the defeated king. In a cave, Decebalus broods on his defeat, and tells his devoted supporter Gerula that the Dacian people must continue to resist. Tiberius and his men catch up with Decebalus and Gerula. Decebalus kills himself to avoid capture. To Gerula's horror, Tiberius chops off Decebalus' head and right hand as trophies to take back to Trajan. While they are returning to the Roman camp Gerula escapes. He gathers together a group of Dacians and takes them to a part of the land not yet under Roman control.
At Sarmizegetusa, Trajan orders Tiberius to remain in Dacia and preside over the Romanisation of the territory, building fortifications, victory monuments and Roman settlements. Tiberius initially meets resistance from the local people, but wins over influential local chief Ciungu when he shows clemency to his rebellious son. One of the Roman centurions, Sabinus, falls in love with a local woman, a devotee of the Dacian god Zalmoxis. They become lovers.
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Wikipedia