The Fall Of The Roman Empire (1964)

Limited Edition - Fall of the Roman Empire (3 DVD set)

Let me first preface my review by stating that the Fall of the Roman Empire is a wonderful movie. The cinematography and art direction are gorgeous. Sophia Loren is radiant. Stephen Boyd properly heroic, in spite of the bad blond hair dye. Alec Guinness, James Mason and Christopher Plummer are extraordinary.

No, my one star is not for the movie. It's for the limited edition 3 DVD set. The extras included can not justify its $39.95 price tag. The "extra" DVD (included only in this set) is nothing more than a collection of Encyclopedia Britannica movie shorts on Ancient Rome.

Do you remember those old (16mm) movies you watched in grammar school ? That's what they are. Those old movies. There's nothing new.

Also included are 4x6 replicas of the movie placards and program.

Are they interesting ? Yes, they are fun to look at. Are they worth the price of $39.95 ?

NO ! That's why the 3 volume limited edition set is a rip off !!!

If you are interested in this movie (and it is a good one), buy the 2 DVD special edition DVD instead. The limited edition set is a waste of money.




January 2, 2009

Numbing Spectacle

Anthony Mann apparently never saw a procession he didn't like. This bloated epic draws out everything almost beyond endurance (how many footsoldiers slogging by does one need to see to get the idea that they're on the march?). Battle scenes are incoherent, so we have no idea what's supposed to be happening. The actors were apparently told that the high import of the project required "serious" performances, which translates as awkward, wooden and dead. Christopher Plummer does his best to inject some life into the proceedings, but it's pretty much a lost cause. The sets are stunning (and you get a lot of time to look at them), the costumes avoid most of the pitfalls of the genre (no torpedo bras under the women's tunics), but the musical score (by Dmitri Tomkin) drives the final nail into the coffin -- apparently hoping to stand apart from the simulated antiquity of Rosza's scores for "Quo Vadis," "Ben-Hur" and "King of Kings," Tomkin creates a ponderous classical score that would better suit a film set in Austria in the 1800s. It's intrusive, banal and totally wrong for the period the visuals work so hard to make credible. All in all, a major disappointment. The transfer to DVD is excellent, however, both as to picture and sound. December 28, 2008

History Rolls On

A good video to understand the history of the Roman Empire. This video was instrumental in helping my child understand the history of what happened during this era. November 24, 2008

FANTASTIC AND ENJOYABLE TO SEE OVER AND OVER AGAIN I

I ALWAYS WANTED TO OWN THIS FILM AND WAS PLEASED TO PURCHES IT AS SOON AS IT CAME AVAILEB October 18, 2008

A Great Epic Brings History to Life

At times when the epic was often "mere spectacle," this is an attempt of taking history seriously, dissecting the real causes of the decline of the greatest empire in the ancient world. Thouh only semi-historical, with fictional elements and characters, it makes a point, that the fall of a great empire is a result of many causes, but essentially it is a decay from within that brings it about. Rome had five great emperors in succession, from Hadrian to Marcus Aurelius, in a span of two centiries, but subseuently fell into the hands of icompetent egomaniacs whose concept of Rome was based on central power and exploitation, rather than sharing its wealth and privileges with other peoples.
Though slow-paced and lacking in excitement and the dramatic action of some of its predecessors (Ben-Hur, Lawrence of Arabia), this majestic film makes up in depth of concept and characterization. It studiously avoids compromise and makes demands on the viewer to be taken seriously as a historical and moral document that highlights themes like friendship, treachery, ambition and a larger view of humanity under the stress of war. Its characters are fascinating, all of them played by actors lacking superstar status, with the exception of Sophia Loren. Stephen Boyd plays Livius, a powerful and principled general, who was the favorite of Marcus Aurelius to succeed him. In contrast to Ben-Hur, where he plays a villain, here he is shown as a good man, and he succeeds admirably in demonstrating his range. Livius sticks to principles and despises Commodus, an ex-friend, but his is unwilling to betray him when the latter subverts his father's will and takes over a Caesar. Christopher Plummer as Commodus displays his versatility in shifting from the noble aristocrat of The Sound of Music to a despicable egomaniac who single-handedly undoes the life-long struggle of his father to instill the concept of peace and equality among a vast number of national entities that comprise the mosaic of the Empire. Plummer gives us a mad Commoddus with the same gusto that Charles Laughton and Peter Ustinov gave us colorful renditions of Nero. And Sophia Loren, who hardly ever gave a bad performance, is quietly effective as Commodus's sister Lucilla, who is in love with and shares the principles of Livius. And Alec Guinness effectively renders Emepror Aurelius during the latter part of his career.
A forceful movie, with a powerful message, this is a good vehicle for both entertainment and history--carefully avoiding the pitfalls of a history lessson.
An excellent two-disc edition, brilliantly re-mastered, with many extras, this is much worth owning. September 7, 2008

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