It's September 2nd 476 A.D. Only two days before the Ostrogoth Foederati finally sack the City of Rome in the early morning hours of September 4th. When Ostrogoth Chieftain, and the Leader of the Foederati, Odoacer (Mark Roeder) finally takes over the City that same day, and Ends the Empire, by the famous Act of Deposing of the Last Western Roman Caesar Romulus Augustulus (Anthony Cubba). Hence with this famous/infamous act of deposition of the Emperor Augustulus, Odoacer officially ends the 1,300 years of Roman Power, thus giving way to the next 1,000 years of the Dark Ages.
The tension between young Aëtius Patrius Majorian (James Russell), and the plotter of his father's Falvius Aëtius' murder, the brash malapert Senator Flavius Magnus (Piotr Gzowski) hits culmination. As the imminent seems inevitable, the obvious tension in the air is rising, as the time being a factor, keeps on running out by the minute. With the clock ticking, the fire burns under the toes of the entire Roman Hierarchy.
In his final hope to evacuate the women and children out of Rome, the young General Aëtius Patrius Majorian, in his desperation, and in the name of his respected Late Father, General Flavius Aëtius, he tries to appeal to the Senate for one last time. However, the young Aëtius' attempt is arrogantly ignored by the brazen presumptuous Senators, as possibility of Rome falling, seems practically inconceivable to the overly confident Roman Senate.
With their Popular Tradition of holding Barbarians in Contempt, there is simply a misconception of false hope and safety for the "Eternal City of Rome".
This delusional overconfident bias takes away from the objective accuracy behind the real risk and danger of destruction that stands in the way of evacuation. However, following the usual tradition of Senators swearing loyalty to whom ever takes control, the cunning and corrupt Senator Magnus, aware of danger, secures his safety and that of the Senate, by making a deal with Odoacer.
While, at the cost of their own safety, the Senate leaves the People of Rome completely at the Mercy of the Barbarians, while the young Caesar Romulus, is literally set as a Scapegoat Figure for the classic Coup d' état.
The young Caesar seems to understand this, as he sees that at this point of time, such a fate is simply unavoidable for his obviously Political Puppet Figure. Therefore, even though the young General Majorian offers the last Emperor Romulus a chance to flee the City of Rome, like a Captain of a ship, he kindly explains to young Aëtius, why he can't leave the Eternal City, and his People of Rome.
Obviously forsaken by the Senate, the young General Aëtius Patrius Majorian now realizes, that he is finally left only with the Last of the Roman Patriots, including his Father's old loyal Centurions, which forces him to bring up his own late father's name Flavius Aëtius (I. Pavletic), to the very people who plotted his murder, some 20 years earlier. This Moment of Truth for Senator Magnus, exposes the entire mastermind of the Infamous Plot against Majorian's late Father Flavius.
This leaves the betrayed General Aëtius Patrius to only find hope, comfort, and courage, within his real life long friends he trusts, and the one woman he truly loves, his wife Valeria (Kirsten Deane).
With the Roman Administrative Capital, and the Last Roman Stronghold of Ravenna destroyed earlier that same day, North of Rome is now completely undefended, thus the path to Rome becomes completely open for attacks. While the Army of Odoacer's Foederati finally moves toward the Outskirts of Rome, ready to fulfill their Centuries Old Dream of crushing the Eternal City on the Tiber.
Young General Aëtius ends up left with only the Last of the Roman Patriots, and the leftovers of the old Pratorian Guard and the Garrison of Rome, to defend their City on the Tiber.
Nevertheless, with all these omens clear, it is understood that only one Last Stronghold remains, to fulfill and seal the Final Chapter, between the New Barbarians, and the Ancient Culture of Eternal Rome. Although forsaken by the Senate, and greatly outnumbered, young Aëtius knows that he is surrounded with the Last of the Best, until the Very End.
With confirmation of Ravenna taken over and destroyed, it is clear that the once great Empire can never recover at this point, and the once un-destructible City of Rome is at this point completely open to its inevitable, and sad fate. Hence, with the way for Odoacer's Barbarians to the Gates of Rome, only one realistic question remains.
When?
However, in this dark moment of uncertainty and betrayal, Aëtius' long life friend, and Second in Command, Libius Severus (Spencer Kane), assures Aëtius of the left-over Roman Army's readiness. Thus with Libiuses long experience in Warfare, this uncertainty of the Dark Roman Fate, is very certain in his eyes. Therefore, as the former second in command to his father, and as a Father Figure him self, Libius employs his old friend, the young General Aëtius, to not fear, and see the light through love and the Fire in the Heart, and spend this One Last Night before the Final Battle, with his One Long Love, his wife Valeria.
At the same time, the very man who literally sold the Empire to Odacer, the same Senator Flavius Magnus (Piotr Gzowski), allows this End to occur. While leaving the way to the Barbarians to change this extraordinary Chapter in History, and crush the Ancient Roman Civilization forever.
This one man who gave way for this, the very same historical Senator Magnus, who due to his opportunistic nature, literally survived 10 different Caesars, coming and going, during his 25 year long reign in the Roman Senate. Between Rome in the West, and Constantinople in the East, through the decades of influence, and thanks to his favoritistic nature, and political greed for power, this politically powerful Senator, rose from simply being a regular Roman Senator during the reign of Caesar Valentinian III in 451 A.D. to literally influencing the start up of Catholicism, and Rome as Vatican, as in 451 A.D. he personally helped arrange and influence the famous Coucil of Chalcedon, the Fourth Ecumenical Council by the Church.
He simply kept on constantly rising in power, to the Council of Rome by 460 A.D. and finally, making it all the way to a Praetorian Prefect of Gaul, by the appointing of Last Roman Caesar Romulus Augustuilus in 475 A.D.
Only to shift the entire control over the Roman Herarchy a year later in 476 A.D. and betray the very same Caesar Romulus, who appointed him there.
By this Ambitious Greed for Power, and Malapert Power-Greed misuse of political position for his own personal Benefit and Greed, this Very Man might be one of the most Responsible People behind Ending the Thousand Year Power of the Roman Rule and Culture.
This unusual film also depicts something completely New and Unconventional, in its Surreal "Nostradamus" type of Premonitious, and Precognitious Nightmare Sequence, as there is a moment in the film, where the entire Genre it-self completely changes and shifts from a Historical Drama, to a Science Fiction type Psychological Horror, through a Psychedelic Journey.
Through its Unorthodox Method of Storytelling, and Surreal Trip, this film takes us on a Surreal Journey in Time, yet in a form of a Timeless Epoch of Anthropocene, the very Human Epoch and influence in Touching the very Commencement in any significant Impact of our Humanity on the very Planet Earth we live on. Literally using the very element of History and Time it self, via the element of (Latin Proverb) "HISTORIA EST MAGISTA VITAE" (History is Life's Teacher), to Touch our Very Future, as well as Our Survival on this Earth. Be that through the Future of Ecology, or Ecosystems, but also the Survival of our Planet through the Future of Anthropogenic Climate Change.
When in this Unconventional Method of Filmmaking, through a Surreal Sci-Fi Form, it literally Travels Through the Ages, some 3,000 years in the Future.
From the Fall of Rome in 476 A.D. through the Dark Ages, the Black Death of the Bubonic Plague in the 1300's, and via Renaissance in Art, and the Colonization of America in the 1500's, it continues to the French Revolution, the Wars of Napoleon, and the American Civil War. Only to continue further, through the Industrial Revolution, to the birth of the 20th Century, with the Discoveries of the Great Nikola Tesla.
However, with the Turbulent 20th Century of Change, it also touches the Dark Chapter of Dictatorships of Communism, Nazism, and the Horrors of Destruction, Mass Murder, and the Holocaust of the WWII.
As well as the beginning of the "Nuclear Age" with the Nuclear Horrors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945.
We then continue this Psychedelic Journey into the Modern Age of Assassination of John F. Kennedy in 1963, and the Post-JFK Military Industrial Complex, War in Vietnam, and the Dawning of the Age of Aquarius. With the Woodstock Sexual Revolution of the 1960's and the 70's. To the Dark Hate Filled Chapter of the Ethnic Cleansing in the War in the Balkans in the 1990's. As well as the Tesla foreseen Age of TVs, Remote Controls, Computers, Internet, and the Wi-Fi Cellular Technology we all use today.
Only to Bypass the Present 21st Century, and through a Nostradamus type of Psychosis Premonition and Precognition, this Journey takes us Beyond our known Present Time, and a whole Millennium into the Future.
By using certain Tesla's Fortetllings and Visions of the Future, many Centuries from now. As well as certain Ancient Egyptian Logic and Knowledge behind its Pyramids, and even older Ancient Vedic Predictions, through a UFO Technology, and Alien Intelligence, all the way into the Year 3,476 A.D.
In this Darker Chapter, 476 A.D. Chapter Two: Dawning of the Age o Pisces, also called the "Blue" or "Water Chapter", we have a Depiction, but also an Analysis of the Human Epoch between the Ages of Antiquity, and the Overshadowing Dark Ages, while this certain Momentum of Uncertainty hits Culmination.
476 A.D. Chapter Two: Dawning of the Age of Pisces, touches the Concept of (Latin Proverb) "IN VINO VERITAS" (In Wine Lays The Truth) The Moment of Truth.
However, even more then the Cold Dark Sinister Truth that lurks underneath, it brings us that Certain Sadness, of feeling the Good Memories Slipping Away Right Before Our Eyes, Right Before the Final End.
James Russell as Aëtius Patrius Majorian
Kirsten Deane as Valeria
Spencer Kane as Libius Severus
Piotr Gzowski as Senator Magnus
Anthony Cubba as Caesar Romulus Augustulus
Directed and Produced by Ivan Pavletić
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