Every great BBC comedy series seems to run two seasons or less with few exceptions. The Office and Extras followed Fawlty Towers in stopping at its peak, as opposed to dropping in quality. It’s coincidental that historical epic Rome would follow suit, but mainly because neither network wanted to foot the series’ $100 million per season price tag. But, at two seasons, perhaps not moving any further was a wise move as the series went out at its very peak.
Following the tale of Roman soldiers Vorenus (Kevin McKidd) and Pullo (Ray Stevenson), we are given a look into the politics of Rome from the time of Caesar’s ascension to his assassination, and the battle for power in the vacuum that followed his death. We get to see the era, with significant dramatic license of course, in all its glory and squalor alike, as the empire of Rome goes through one of its more turbulent eras as it transcends from Republic to Dictatorship. The interesting thing is that historical figures such as Caesar, et al, all pop in as we get to see a fictionalized version of historical events.
The first thing that stands out about this series is how rich and vibrant it looks. This is a series that was expensive and it looks better then most period swords and sandals films of the past several years. This is a dirty, grimy world outside of the grand city of Rome and there is no glorification of the era’s living conditions. It’s remarkable to behold as purely a spectacle, but the series is much more then that.
This is a series with a large, epic story that focuses on smaller storylines to comprise it. One of the more tumultuous times in period is jazzed up a bit, given a more soap operatic effect as opposed to a true look at the history of the time, but the show makes it work because it has an overall story to follow. With the actual history already being written, it’s a matter of filling in the blanks so the show doesn’t’ have much to invent. It does it, however, with a lot of style and manages to take what could be a dull subject and makes it interesting. With enough sex and violence to keep the drama from coming stale, Rome manages to gives us a good starting point for those interested in the era.
Though only 22 episodes, this is one of the finer things to come from HBO.
Presented in a widescreen format with a Dolby Digital surround, the series looks and sounds magnificent. This is a series that cost a lot to make and the DVD makes every penny come alive, as the transfer looks and sounds terrific.
Friends, Romans, Countrymen is a brief piece where each of the main members of the cast discusses their respective character in slight detail.
All Roads Lead to Rome gives you factoids and other bits of information to give an in-depth, historical perspective on the proceedings.
Shot X Shot is a series of features scattered throughout the disc set, each focusing on a particular episode. Each feature goes into some depth about the technical aspects of creating various “big moments” in some of the more prominent episodes of the series.
The Rise of Rome is a 24-minute piece about the making of the series, more specifically the actual scenery used to recreate the era.
When in Rome is another feature about trying to recreate the context of the era, from its religious worship to its moral codas and its treatment of women.
A Tale of Two Romes is a look at how the aristocracy and the common man differed in various ways, from religious services and practice to drug use.
The Making of Rome, Season II is a piece focusing on the production aspects of the second season, obviously.
The Rise of Octavian: Rome’s First Emperor is a historical retrospective piece on Octavian’s rise to power, featuring most of the cast and crew commenting on the events as well as various historians discussing his reign as well.
Antony & Cleopatra is a retrospective on the romantic liaison between the two, and how he compromised it all for her, is covered in slightly over 20 minutes. While not nearly enough to give it anything more then a cursory look,
Rome may have only had a fleeting moment of time to be televised, it’s further proof that you don’t need an extended run to have a great television series.
HBO presents Rome: The Complete Series. Starring Kevin McKidd, Ray Stevenson, Polly Walker. Simon Woods, Lindsay Duncan, James Purefoy, Ciaran Hinds, Tobias Menzies, Kerry Condon, Indira Varma, Allen Leech, Camilla Rutherford. Created by Bruno Heller, John Milius, William J McDonald. Running time: 1229 minutes. Not Rated. Released on DVD: 11.17.2009. Available at Amazon.
