Movies and other shows depicting Rome.

[Dk0311USMC]

Im sure many here have seen plenty of movies and different shows on Rome, some good and some purely made for entertainment value only.   What shows do you think are the best at depicting ancient rome and which were atrocious at depicting life in ancient Rome?

To start this off, I watched HBOs Rome series.  I thought it was entreating, and somewhat historic but I think they over exaggerated a lot of the debauchery and other craziness associated with Rome during those times.

[dafnis]

without any doubt, for both dramatised story and quite faithful history, I Clavdivs, the TV series from the 70s with a great Derek Jacobi as emperor Claudius. And it is also the historical continuation of HBO's Rome series you mention. This one is nice to watch but historically lacks a lot.

Further than that, you have to go to the 50s/60s and the mega productions, such as Cleopatra, The robe, Spartacus, etc, and the latest Gladiator... all great films to watch with more or less accuracies/inaccuracies (specially the latter) from a historical standpoint.

[Dk0311USMC]

Gladiator was good. It was interesting how they made it of Commodus since he did like to fight in the arena, although he didn't die there.  HBOs Rome and the classic Cleopatra portrayed her and Antony completely different. But I guess Cleopatra is still a bit of a mystery.

[Soxfan]

Newer movies, and not so historical, but at least entertaining are Centurion and The Eagle.

[David Atherton]

Nonfiction wise, I quite enjoyed this well made BBC docudrama - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Rome:_The_Rise_and_Fall_of_an_Empire

Fiction wise, here are a few movies I've enjoyed over the years:

Masada
Quo Vadis?
Ben Hur (1959 version)
The Fall of the Roman Empire
The Robe
Spartacus (1960)
The Last Days of Pompeii (1984)
Agora
Centurion
The Eagle
Gladiator
The Roman Mysteries (CBBC Childrens TV series set during Titus' reign)
HBO's Rome
I Claudius

[benito]

Fiction wise I did like " the life of Brian". Do not agree with many scenes of the film or its dialogues but its difficult to forget the scene when he writes a graffito
 "romanes eunt domus " and he is corrected by a Centurion who was passing by  and forces him to write correctly  "Romani ite domum."

[mwilson603]

Fiction wise I did like " the life of Brian". Do not agree with many scenes of the film or its dialogues but its difficult to forget the scene when he writes a graffito
 "romanes eunt domus " and he is corrected by a Centurion who was passing by  and forces him to write correctly  "Romani ite domum."

Filmed mainly at the fantastic Ribat in Monastir in Tunisia.  I was lucky enough to get quite a good picture of that place on the way to a dive site a few years ago.
regards
Mark

[Bud Stewart]

... I watched HBOs Rome series.  I thought it was entreating, and somewhat historic but I think they over exaggerated a lot of the debauchery and other craziness associated with Rome during those times.

This is a very helpful, and timely, thread.  I’ve been contemplating purchasing HBO’s "Rome" on DVD and I am interested in reading my FORVM Mates opinions on the complete series.

[Dk0311USMC]

I already have a few movies mentioned on here that I'm going to have to hunt down now!

[Optimo Principi]

... I watched HBOs Rome series.  I thought it was entreating, and somewhat historic but I think they over exaggerated a lot of the debauchery and other craziness associated with Rome during those times.

This is a very helpful, and timely, thread.  I’ve been contemplating purchasing HBO’s "Rome" on DVD and I am interested in reading my FORVM Mates opinions on the complete series.

Get it now! It is an incredible show, my favourite in many years. The whole 1st season is currently £11.99 on Amazon.

[Randygeki(h2)]

... I watched HBOs Rome series.  I thought it was entreating, and somewhat historic but I think they over exaggerated a lot of the debauchery and other craziness associated with Rome during those times.

This is a very helpful, and timely, thread.  I’ve been contemplating purchasing HBO’s "Rome" on DVD and I am interested in reading my FORVM Mates opinions on the complete series.

Get it now! It is an incredible show, my favourite in many years. The whole 1st season is currently £11.99 on Amazon.

Definatly get it, it has some interesting extras too. Only Complaints I have about HBOs Rome is 1) though its a very quick shot, there are some coins that look more like Licinius or Galerius rather that caesar, and 2) theres only 2 seasons.



Ancient Rome: The Rise and Fall of an Empire is great! I want to buy  it, if I can get one with a NA region code and be able to watch it.

[Soxfan]

HBO's rome is fantastic. Season 2 is very abbriviated due to the director being informed that there would NOT be a 3rd season. The set of "Rome" was actually in Rome and the extras were actually romans. The cost was too much for HBO to stomach....

[Dk0311USMC]

Im not sure about how the Rome series played Antony and Cleopatra in the end though.  They seemed out of their minds at the end, especially Antony.  I don't know if he was really that pathetic when in Egypt as they portrayed him. 

[Dk0311USMC]

Fiction wise I did like " the life of Brian". Do not agree with many scenes of the film or its dialogues but its difficult to forget the scene when he writes a graffito
 "romanes eunt domus " and he is corrected by a Centurion who was passing by  and forces him to write correctly  "Romani ite domum."

Isn't that a monty python movie?  Haven't seen it but I would imagine that it would be strait humor through the whole movie then? I have wanted to check it out.

[Fornix]

The BBC series The Battle for Rome is fantastic.
6 1hour episodes each highlighting a different personality and time period,the acting is awesome.

1.Tiberius Grachus
2.Caesar
3.Nero(manicly played by Michael Sheen)
4.Vespasian
5.Constantine
6.Alaric the Goth and the sacking of Rome.

[Randygeki(h2)]

Ironically my mom got me"ROME Rise and Fall of an Empire." Its not "Ancient Rome: The Rise and Fall of an Empire," not the BBC, its hte History chanel one.

[Andrew McCabe]

Here is the Wikipedia list of films set in ancient Rome:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_films_set_in_ancient_Rome

What is quite depressing about the list is the unimaginative nature of the plot choice in a range of films spanning a century. For example, in the late Republic there are precisely two plots covered, namely Spartacus and Julius Caesar/Cleopatra.

Spartacus (1960), partly set in Rome
Spartacus (2004 film)
Spartacus: Blood and Sand (2010)
Julius Caesar (TV miniseries)
Druids (2001), on Vercongetorix and Julius Caesar
Caesar and Cleopatra (1945)
Caesar the Conqueror (1962)
A Queen for Caesar (1962)
Carry On Cleo (1965), parody of Cleopatra, set in the reign of Julius Caesar
Cleopatra (1934 film)
Cleopatra (1963 film)
Cleopatra (1999 film)
Julius Caesar (1953)
Julius Caesar (1970 film)
Rome (2005)

Oh dear.

[Optimo Principi]

The BBC series The Battle for Rome is fantastic.
6 1hour episodes each highlighting a different personality and time period,the acting is awesome.

1.Tiberius Grachus
2.Caesar
3.Nero(manicly played by Michael Sheen)
4.Vespasian
5.Constantine
6.Alaric the Goth and the sacking of Rome.

Yes in the UK this was called Rome: Rise and Fall of an Empire, a great series. The Constantine and Alaric episodes were particularly excellent.

[Soxfan]

What I find sad is that there is a plethera of actual Roman History that would make a blockbuster movie, if done on a scale like Gladiator.
I would love to see an epic modern remake of Spartacus or even Cleopatra. Heck, im reading about the 14th legion right now, that would make a fabulous movie.

[Bud Stewart]

... I watched HBOs Rome series.  I thought it was entreating, and somewhat historic but I think they over exaggerated a lot of the debauchery and other craziness associated with Rome during those times.

This is a very helpful, and timely, thread.  I’ve been contemplating purchasing HBO’s "Rome" on DVD and I am interested in reading my FORVM Mates opinions on the complete series.

Get it now! It is an incredible show, my favourite in many years. The whole 1st season is currently £11.99 on Amazon.

Definatly get it, it has some interesting extras too. Only Complaints I have about HBOs Rome is 1) though its a very quick shot, there are some coins that look more like Licinius or Galerius rather that caesar, and 2) theres only 2 seasons.

Thanks for the advice/recommendations Mates.  Well, I purchased HBO’s "Rome" (The Complete Series) today.  This evening, I plan to sit down with a cup of coffee and enjoy the first episode. 

[Bud Stewart]

I highly recommend History Channel’s “Rome: Rise and Fall of an Empire”.  This is a presentment of the History of Rome, Republican & Imperial, via the many battles fought by the Legions, but it is so much more than a “Military History”.  Since many believe that the “Rise & Fall” of Rome was tied to the ebbs & flows of its military accomplishments, one can argue that this is a splendid way to “tell the tale”.

[dougsmit]

Here is the Wikipedia list of films set in ancient Rome:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_films_set_in_ancient_Rome

What is quite depressing about the list is the unimaginative nature of the plot choice in a range of films spanning a century. For example, in the late Republic there are precisely two plots covered, namely Spartacus and Julius Caesar/Cleopatra.

.....Spartacus: Blood and Sand (2010)....
Oh dear.

It gets worse.  Spartacus: Blood and Sand is a Starz network made for TV drama about a Gladiatorial school most noteworthy for the blood pressure of the stand-ins who spurt Old Faithful grade geysers when their body parts get chopped off.  Unfortunately, I believe they came closer to an accurate portrayal of the social structure with the owners of the school trying to better themselves socially in a society that did not make that an easy task.  Slaves are shown as property with no human value. 

If Blood and Sand was bad the next season's Prequel called Spartacus: Gods of the Arena 2011 was worse.  It develops the characters before the one named Spartacus got to the school.  For accuracy, we should mention that his name was Spartacus but he was not the guy by that name that you knew from history (or at least he hasn't revolted yet - season 3???).   It makes no matter, however, since the character named Sparticus does not appear in this season's episodes even though his name heads the title.   One villain is named Tullius, a high level aristocrat who makes life miserable for the nouveau riche family.  I wonder what percentage of people involved with the production know where they got the name Tullius. 

The cartoon fights and softcore porn scenes (barely suitable for cable TV after a certain hour) of the two Spartacus seasons have to remind you of the movie Caligula 1979 where a perfectly good costume drama with all star cast was run full tilt into a porn flick probably making a more accurate rendition of Roman society in the upper classes (who actually had no class at all) than we are willing to admit and certainly nothing we can teach in public school Latin classes.  I really hoped for better and believe that the footage shot could have been made into a decent series but someone decided that they needed to cartoon up the live action violence so it would not be taken seriously.  I'd be interested in hearing if anyone who watched any of the episodes (and is willing to admit it) saw any redeaming social values in the shows.  If what you know about Rome came from the high school safe version, these will be too shocking to be believed but if you believe that Rome was a society where 1% of the people abused 99% of the power, this may seem way too possibly accurate.  Slaves who already consider themselves dead, aristocrats whose power has no checks and film producers who are so far over the top that they don't care what they include as long as it gets them noticed combine to make quite a different look at Rome as we never knew it before Bob Guccione.  Recommended?  I believe it was more accurate than Cleopatra or most of the old favorites intended to make us think that Romans were 'noble'.   

[commodus]

Well, to each his own. "Spartacus: Blood and Sand" and its "prequel" aren't trying to be historically accurate (good thing, 'cause they aren't), but they do represent first rate entertainment for sophomoric males with an interest in Roman culture, such as myself -- So don't be knocking them too much!
Here's a thread on the subject: https://www.forumancientcoins.com/board/index.php?topic=63893.0

By the way, try sitting through the edited version of "Caligula" with the naughty parts expunged and you'll realize just how tedious a movie can be. It is pretty bad indeed when the pornographic bits are all that save a film from complete and utter mediocrity, even with a cast featuring Malcom McDowell, Helen Mirren, and John Gielgud and with a fake coin on the box cover!

[Randygeki(h2)]

Well, to each his own. "Spartacus: Blood and Sand" and its "prequel" aren't trying to be historically accurate (good thing, 'cause they aren't), but they do represent first rate entertainment for sophomoric males with an interest in Roman culture, such as myself -- So don't be knocking them too much!
Here's a thread on the subject: https://www.forumancientcoins.com/board/index.php?topic=63893.0

By the way, try sitting through the edited version of "Caligula" with the naughty parts expunged and you'll realize just how tedious a movie can be. It is pretty bad indeed when the pornographic bits are all that save a film from complete and utter mediocrity, even with a cast featuring Malcom McDowell, Helen Mirren, and John Gielgud and with a fake coin on the box cover!

you read my mind.

[Andrew McCabe]

The cartoon fights and softcore porn scenes (barely suitable for cable TV after a certain hour) of the two Spartacus seasons have to remind you of the movie Caligula 1979 where a perfectly good costume drama with all star cast was run full tilt into a porn flick probably making a more accurate rendition of Roman society in the upper classes (who actually had no class at all) than we are willing to admit and certainly nothing we can teach in public school Latin classes. 

When you refer to "Roman society in the upper classes" that could as easily refer to certain events in the modern Italian political sphere. Perhaps that's what you meant?