In a barrage of fleeting blockbusters, The Old Guard stands eternal, blending raw combat with profound questions of immortality.

Released in 2020 on Netflix, The Old Guard captures the essence of an undying squad of warriors navigating the chaos of modern warfare while grappling with the weight of centuries. Directed by Gina Prince-Bythewood, this adaptation of Greg Rucka’s Image Comics series thrusts viewers into a world where immortality is both gift and curse, wrapped in visceral action sequences that echo the grit of classic mercenary tales.

  • Explore the intricate lore of immortal mercenaries, from their ancient origins to contemporary battles, revealing how their endless lives shape unbreakable bonds and moral dilemmas.
  • Unpack the film’s stylistic nods to retro action cinema, including practical fight choreography and ensemble dynamics reminiscent of 80s and 90s ensemble adventures.
  • Trace the cultural ripple effects, from comic fandom to streaming phenomenon, cementing its place in modern nostalgia for timeless heroism.

Eternal Warriors: The Old Guard’s Unyielding Saga

Forged in Blood, Bound by Time

The narrative kicks off with a breathtaking prologue set in the dusty battlefields of the Crusades, where two immortal soldiers, Lykon and Nicodemus, charge into a hail of arrows, their bodies pierced yet reforming in a grotesque ballet of resilience. This visceral opener sets the tone for The Old Guard, introducing Andy (Charlize Theron) and her team: Booker (Matthias Schoenaerts), Joe (Marwan Kenzari), and Nicky (Luca Marinelli), a quartet who have fought in every major conflict from the Napoleonic Wars to present-day skirmishes. Their latest gig unravels when they’re ambushed in South Sudan, left for dead in a fiery trap that would fell mortals. Emerging unscathed, they realise a new immortal, Nile (KiKi Layne), a US Marine, has manifested, pulling them into a web of pursuit by pharmaceutical magnate Merrick (Harry Melling), who seeks to dissect their regenerative secret for profit.

Andy, the oldest at over 6000 years, leads with weary authority, her blonde locks matted with the grime of ages. The film masterfully weaves flashbacks: Andy and Quynh (Veronica Ngo) storming French trenches in World War I, bayonets flashing under mustard gas clouds; Joe and Nicky, former enemies turned lovers, clashing swords during the Crusades before sharing a defiant kiss amid slaughter. These vignettes humanise the immortals, showing how eternity frays the soul. Nile’s baptism by fire in Afghanistan, where she dies from a suicide bomb only to revive gasping in a body bag, mirrors the audience’s shock, thrusting her into this clandestine world.

The plot thickens as Booker betrays the group, driven by grief over his son’s death, allying with Merrick to capture Nile. This fracture exposes vulnerabilities: Andy’s healing falters, her body failing after millennia, symbolising the toll of ceaseless violence. Kidnapped and tortured in a sterile lab, the team unleashes chaos, Andy wielding a lab table as an improvised shield, bones snapping and reforming in balletic fury. Nile, trained hastily by Andy on a remote island, learns not just combat but the ethics of their curse: they intervene selectively, saving lives without upending history.

Immortality’s Heavy Mantle

Thematically, The Old Guard probes the paradox of undying life. Immortals witness lovers age to dust, wars cycle endlessly, humanity’s flaws persist. Andy’s monologue atop a snowy peak, lamenting lost ideals, resonates deeply: “We wanted to help, we wanted to change the world… but it never lasts.” This echoes philosophical undertones from ancient myths like the Wandering Jew or Highlander, yet grounds them in diverse representation—Joe and Nicky’s queer romance defies medieval bigotry, their love enduring sieges and stake burnings.

Diversity pulses through the veins of the story. Nile, a Black woman from Fort McNair, embodies fresh blood, questioning the team’s Eurocentric history. Quynh’s fate, chained eternally underwater, adds horror: immortality as drowning torment, her rescue attempt a gut-wrenching failure. These layers elevate the film beyond action, critiquing colonialism—Andy fought for Carthage against Rome—and modern exploitation, Merrick’s greed a stand-in for Big Pharma’s real-world sins.

Action choreography shines with practical grit. David Scheuneman’s stunt coordination favours weighty impacts: Theron’s Andy grapples in zero gravity-like lab fights, flips sending foes through glass. Gunfuu sequences blend John Wick precision with squad tactics, Joe’s sniper shots poetic amid sandstorms. Sound design amplifies: bones crunch, blood squelches, David Dastmalchian’s score swells with tribal drums evoking ancient rites.

From Panels to Pixels: Adaptation Alchemy

Greg Rucka’s 2017 comic miniseries birthed this vision, its stark art by Leandro Fernandez capturing raw emotion. The film expands Nile’s arc, adding emotional heft, while trimming subplots for pace. Rucka penned the script, ensuring fidelity: Merrick’s lab mirrors comic horrors, Booker’s betrayal a pivotal twist. Netflix’s backing allowed global shoots—from Morocco’s deserts doubling Sudan to London’s docks—infusing authenticity.

Production hurdles abounded. COVID-19 halted filming, yet Prince-Bythewood fostered intimacy on set, actors training months for authenticity. Theron, producer via her company, championed female-led action, drawing from her Atomic Blonde brawls. Visuals eschew CGI excess; flames lick realistically, wounds practical, harking to pre-digital era craftsmanship that collectors of retro cinema cherish.

Culturally, it taps nostalgia for ensemble warrior tales like The Dirty Dozen or Expendables, but with emotional depth absent in those. Streaming debut amid lockdowns made it a comfort watch, fans dissecting lore on forums, theorising future immortals. Merchandise—comics reprints, Funko Pops of Andy’s axe—fuels collector frenzy, bridging graphic novels to home video vaults.

Legacy of the Undying

Sequel teases abound: Quynh’s return, Andy’s decline, a swelling immortal roster. Influences ripple into The Eternaut adaptations, Arcane’s mature animation. Critically, it scores for representation, grossing metaphorically via Netflix metrics, spawning discourse on immortal tropes in YA like Twilight versus gritty realism here.

For retro enthusiasts, The Old Guard revives 80s/90s video nasty vibes in lab torture, mercenary machismo softened by vulnerability. Collecting tie-ins—original comics fetch premiums, steelbooks hypothetical—position it as modern classic ripe for VHS-style nostalgia edits.

In conclusion, The Old Guard transcends action, forging a tapestry of loss, love, and defiance. Its immortals remind us: true eternity lies in connections, not conquests, a message enduring beyond screens.

Director in the Spotlight: Gina Prince-Bythewood

Gina Prince-Bythewood entered cinema as a trailblazer, born 11 June 1969 in Chicago, adopted by an African-American family in South Carolina. A University of California, Los Angeles film graduate, she penned episodes for shows like Felicity and Soul Food before directing her debut feature Love & Basketball (2000), a romantic sports drama starring Sanaa Lathan and Omar Epps, earning NAACP Image Award nominations for its authentic portrayal of Black love and ambition.

Her sophomore effort, The Secret Life of Bees (2008), adapted Sue Monk Kidd’s novel with Dakota Fanning, Queen Latifah, and Jennifer Hudson, exploring sisterhood in 1960s South Carolina; it garnered Golden Globe nods. Prince-Bythewood directed Beyond the Lights (2014), a music industry romance with Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Nate Parker, praised for emotional depth and soundtrack synergy.

Television expanded her palette: episodes of Shot (2017), Greenleaf (2018), and David Makes Man (2019), showcasing nuanced Black experiences. The Old Guard (2020) marked her blockbuster leap, blending action with intimacy. She followed with The Woman King (2022), a historical epic on Dahomey Amazons starring Viola Davis, which she co-wrote and directed, earning Oscar buzz for its warrior women narrative.

Influenced by Spike Lee and Kasi Lemmons, Prince-Bythewood champions female empowerment and diversity, often producing via her company. Upcoming projects include The Old Guard 2 and potential series expansions. Her filmography reflects a commitment to stories amplifying marginalised voices: Love & Basketball (2000, writer-director); The Secret Life of Bees (2008, director); Beyond the Lights (2014, writer-director); The Old Guard (2020, director); The Woman King (2022, writer-director), each a milestone in representation and craft.

Actor in the Spotlight: Charlize Theron as Andy

Charlize Theron, born 7 August 1975 in Benoni, South Africa, rose from ballet prodigy—training at Joffrey Ballet School post a knee injury—to Hollywood titan. Discovered modelling, she debuted in 2 Days in the Valley (1996), exploding with The Devil’s Advocate (1997) opposite Al Pacino. Oscar glory came for Monster (2003), transforming into serial killer Aileen Wuornos, gaining 30 pounds for authenticity.

Action prowess shone in Aeon Flux (2005), Hancock (2008), and Atomic Blonde (2017), her spy thriller with brutal one-takes. Producing via Denver and Delilah, she backed The Old Guard (2020), embodying ancient warrior Andy with stoic ferocity. Voice work includes Kubo and the Two Strings (2016), The Fate of the Furious (2017) as Cipher.

Awards abound: Oscars for Monster, nominations for North Country (2005); Golden Globes for both. Recent: The School for Good and Evil (2022), Fast X (2023). Filmography highlights: Mighty Joe Young (1998); The Italian Job (2003); Monster (2003); Aeon Flux (2005); Hancock (2008); Snow White and the Huntsman (2012); Mad Max: Fury Road (2015); Atomic Blonde (2017); Long Shot (2019); The Old Guard (2020); The Woman King (2022, producer). Andy, the character’s millennia-spanning weariness, mirrors Theron’s range, cementing her as action’s immortal queen.

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Bibliography

Rucka, G. (2017) The Old Guard Volume 1: Opening Fire. Image Comics.

Prince-Bythewood, G. (2020) The Old Guard Director’s Commentary. Netflix.

Theron, C. (2020) ‘Behind the Axe: Charlize on Andy’, Entertainment Weekly. Available at: https://ew.com/movies/charlize-theron-the-old-guard-interview/ (Accessed 15 October 2023).

Scott, A.O. (2020) ‘Immortals Under Fire’, The New York Times. Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/10/movies/the-old-guard-review.html (Accessed 15 October 2023).

Collura, S. (2020) ‘The Old Guard Review: Charlize Theron Kicks Immortal Ass’, IGN. Available at: https://www.ign.com/articles/the-old-guard-review-netflix (Accessed 15 October 2023).

Rucka, G. (2019) ‘From Comics to Screen: The Old Guard’s Journey’, Image Comics Blog. Available at: https://imagecomics.com/blog/greg-rucka-interview (Accessed 15 October 2023).

Radish, S. (2020) ‘Gina Prince-Bythewood on Directing The Old Guard’, CBR. Available at: https://www.cbr.com/gina-prince-bythewood-the-old-guard-interview/ (Accessed 15 October 2023).

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