When in Rome....
Ancient Rome was built with blood: Martyrs, soldiers, emperors, almost everybody's.
The mini series ROME was also shot with ample red dye that could make the Red River really run red.
I came across parts 1 and 2 of this HBO epic soap opera in sandals in one of the bargain bins of Future Shop. These were sold at just a fraction of the 120$ which they were selling them for several years.
When it first came out in Toronto around 2005, a free disk of episode 1 was mailed with the regular Canada Post. The producers were expecting that it would hook a lot of couch potatoes to watch the whole series on Pay TV.
The first episode was something you have to watch when the kids are all asleep. There was ample nudity, sex and gore ( not depicted in earlier epics like QUO VADIS or BEN HUR ) that makes you wonder what kind of sex maniacs were ruling Rome at that time.
Anyway, we started watching the 12 episodes of ROME part 1 just to satisfy our curiosity. The next episodes up to the 12th ( and final ) of part 1 are addictive, to say the least. In short, Mig and I were hooked. One night we slept at 3:00 am just to see how an episode concludes..
In summary, the movie centers on the career of Julius Ceasar, the founder of the dynasty that ended several years after the birth of Jesus Christ who was born under the reign of Emperor Augustus. The camera people of the teleseries maximized the use of certain techniques that would minimize the use of manpower. Thus battle scenes were not shown from a distance. Just the prelude and the aftermath of key battles . If soldiers are seen fighting, close ups and blurry movements of arms and falling bodies would convey what is happening. These are the new techniques that came out first in modern day sword and sandal epics like Ridley Scott's GLADIATOR.
Two fictitious characters ( good friends under Ceasar's 13the Legion ) had their lives entertwined with the birth of the new Republic as founded by Gaius Julius Caesar. One of them, Titus Pulo would capture your heart. He is big, naive and handsome. He was portrayed as a Superhero without any blue suit or a red cape. He has the body of a WWW wrestler and he could lick a whole squad of enemies by breaking their necks, snapping their spines or cutting off their heads..Nice!
Errors in historical references are inevitable but considering the amazing sets, the uncanny plots and sub plots and the superb acting of ALMOST all the cast, this made-for-TV work is a keeper. The dialogue was bolstered with words and phrases borrowed from Shakespeare's JULIUS CESAR.
Mark Anthony was portrayed as an insatiable sex machine who seems to enjoy it as a dessert or as an appetizer. But if you expect him to deliver his piece "Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears.." during Ceasar's grand funeral, you will be dissapointed. Then you will know you are watching the wrong movie---#
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