Highlander: The Search for Vengeance
The story centers on characters who are immortal.
The lead character, Colin MacLeod, became an Immortal after his first death in 125 AD in Roman Britain, when his village was attacked by the conquering Romans. Another Immortal, Marcus Octavius, was leading the Roman Empire's military forces in hopes of creating his dream of a utopian society. Octavius killed Colin's wife, but was not able to kill Colin whose unconscious body was dragged by a horse to within Stonehenge, a "holy ground" in the story, where Immortals are forbidden to fight.
Waking days later within Stonehenge, Colin is left confused about who and what he is, and why he is still alive. It is at this moment that the spirit of a former druid of this holy site, Amergan, begins communicating with MacLeod and explains to him what he is. Colin learns of The Game from Amergan, and the druid becomes his lifelong teacher and conscience.
The movie interlaces flashback scenes of this and Colin's following plight for vengeance throughout time, as Marcus attempts to re-enact his utopian society through force and fear. Throughout the next two millennia, Marcus serves as a high-ranking member of various powerful empires, ranging from the British Empire to Nazi Germany. Marcus wants to encourage the development of a utopian world-empire, but in contrast, the side he chooses tend to be ruthless and authoritarian (e.g. Nazi Germany). For 2000 years, Colin clashes with Marcus multiple times throughout history, always fighting on the opposing side trying to bring down which ever authoritarian regime Marcus is supporting. While Colin is often badly beaten, neither one ever succeeds in killing the other. Though Colin is ostensibly in the role of the "barbarian" and Marcus is the bringer of "civilization", Marcus cares more about building an empire and less about people's well-being, with an "ends-justify-the-means" mentality.
In the year 2187, Colin finds Octavius in a post-apocalyptic future of New York City. Octavius has stopped supporting other regimes but is setting up a new empire with himself as its tyrannical leader. When Colin arrives, Marcus is busy making plans to release a deadly virus which will further his goals of conquest. Colin falls in with the disaffected rebels in the city. After a final duel, Colin defeats Octavius, and his Quickening destroys the virus in question.
Following the defeat of Marcus, Colin leaves New York for an unknown destination with a new sense of belief and purpose other than revenge for the first time in his life.
violence, revenge, historical fiction, murder, flashback