I finally finished all the discs (twelve episodes).

Wow.

First, a few comments in the way of a preface.  This series was produced by HBO.  It is oriented toward an adult audience.  The themes, the social interactions, the war and gladitorial scenes, and the gratuitous nudity/sexuality are not meant for those who are either easily offended or under the age of eighteen.

Rome follows the rise of Julius Caesar from Consul and Conqueror of Gaul to Dictator of Rome. (Dictator was an actual title given to Caesar by the Senate.)  The show has a distinctly Roman flavor in both its settings and its portrayal of culture.  The men and women involved in the inevitable conclusion react to their surroundings as history teaches us that Romans would do, rather than with watered down American or Western European sensibilities.  It is brutal and breath-taking all at once.  Some sub-plots will cause viewers to wrinkle their nose in disgust, but they will remain riveted to their screens.

Ciaran Hinds, the actor chosen to play Caesar, is magnetic and compelling in the role.  His command of his men, of the Senate, and of his deft manipulations of the people of Rome are backed with a charisma that is palpable.  I can imagine no one more perfect in this role.

The plot follows the high points of history very well.  However, the conspiracy against Caesar takes dramatic license.  The plot unfolds with a maddening, glacial pace, sending several characters to a point of no return over a period of three episodes.  Caesar’s willingness to embrace his enemies and his mistaken assumption that everyone shares his dreams for Rome result in his tragic demise, ultimately from one he considers a son.  The final, climatic moment of the first season is heart-wrenching in its tragedy, both for Caesar and his muderers.  The writers did an excellent job in capturing the juggernaut of peer pressure and a desire for honor that motivated each of the characters to do what they had to, no matter the cost.

Some of the most memorable moments of the series are those that occur in the side plots.  They capture the day to day Roman life in vivid, lurid detail, hinting at the shadow players in the power games of Rome, as well as how soldiers in Caesar’s legions fare.  It is here that the true brilliance of the series shows–viewers will invest themselves in these common people as they try to put the changing Roman world into an acceptable frame of reference.

Obviously, I can’t say enough good things about the series.  Put it on your Netflix list.  Buy it.  Rent it.

This entry was posted on Thursday, February 1st, 2007 at 9:21 pm and is filed under Television, DVD, and Film Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.