Excellent
Rome, HBO's ambitious, and expensive, series revolving around the events leading up to the assassination of Julius Caesar (Ciaran Hinds), is a sight to behold. Created and filmed by a plethora of talented individuals (including legendary film maverick John Milius), Rome is brought to life with a fantastic set design that must be seen to be believed; it's as if the city is breathing. The story follows two of Caesar's soldiers (Ray Stevenson and Trainspotting's Kevin McKidd) who find themselves throughout many events in Roman history, beginning with inadvertantly rescuing Octavian (Max Pirkis), being lost at sea, assisting Cleopatra (in more than one way, this episode will leave you laughing) and Caesar's struggle with Pompey Magnus (Kenneth Cranham). Despite some historical inaccuracies, Rome is everything you'd come to expect from an HBO series: rich characterizations, an engrossing story, and a superbly assembled, large cast (including James Purefoy as Marc Antony, Kerry Condon,...
Full of violent and sex? Yes and so was ancient Rome
I suppose that the only other series on Ancient Rome which comes to mind was the superb I Claudius with Derek Jacobi as the club footed Emperor. Rome is different from I Claudius. I Claudius was concerned only the workings of the Imperial family and never stepped outside of the world of the Rome elite. It is true that in Rome many of the main figures are also from an earlier elite, Caesar, Cato, Brutus Pompey etc but we also see what life was like for those at the bottom and in the middle of Roman society. This is done through the two retired Roman soldiers played by Kevin McKidd and Ray Stevenson, both of who struggle to come to terms with the cut throat world of late republican Rome. It this case the term cut throat means just that, make a mistake in business or in life and you did end up with your throat cut.
What this series shows, which I have never seen before, is how the spendour of the offical Rome sat along side the ramshackleness of ordinary Roman life...
The gods that walk beside us
Many people here have talked about the quality of this series, which opinions I agree with. The show is sumptuous not only in its depiction of noble Rome, but also that of common Rome, the people whose lives and work made the Republic possible. The characters are well-drawn and excellently acted, and the production is top-notch, especially considering it as a TV production, which usually come off as less polished to me.
The theme I would like to talk about is the depiction of religion in Roman life. It is rare to see a pagan culture portrayed as well as this one is, and in as detailed a manner. Not that the religious aspects of the culture are harped on; they're not. But the gods are ever-present in just the way that gods are in any culture that is centered on its religious beliefs and practices. There are paintings, murals, mosaics and figures; shrines and priests and rituals; blessings exchanged between spouses and curses thrown between enemies; all of them with the...
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