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Paramount Pictures
Not part of a collection.
Never before a spectacle like the fall of the Roman empire
In the year 180 A.D. Germanic tribes are about to invade the Roman empire from the north. In the midst of this crisis ailing emperor Marcus Aurelius has to make a decision about his successor between his son Commodus, who is obsessed by power, and the loyal general Gaius Livius.
CinemaSerf
Jun 1, 2024 · via TMDB
It's amidst the frozen forests of Germany that we meet Caesar Marcus Aurelius (Alec Guinness) who is pondering a crucial question. He is ailing, aware that he'll be with his gods soon and that his son "Commodus" (Christopher Plummer) should not be entrusted with the empire. That honour ought to go to his childhood friend, and the emperor's commander "Livius" (Stephen Boyd). When he announces this, it leaves the honourable general with a conundrum - not helped by his love for the princess "Lucilla" (Sophia Loren). Thanks to an apple and a very dodgy paring knife, things come to an head and what might have seemed like the honourable thing to do at the time soon comes home to bite "Livius" as his new boss turns out to be every bit as bad as his father had feared. With the empire facing battles on many fronts, the scheming Armenian king "Sohamus" (Omar Sharif) up to mischief in the East - he's now also married to "Livilla", it looks like a battle royal will have to take place to save Rome from itself and it's foes. This is a great looking and sumptuously staged drama with loads of attention to detail both in the wilderness of the trees and with the lavishness of the Imperial court. A veritable all-star cast support too - James Mason, a slightly wooden Anthony Quayle and a brief appearance from Mel Ferrer all add colour to the thing, but it's the surfeit of writing that slows down the pace. There's just way too much chat and not enough action. That said when it does liven up then the grand-scale battle scenes are superbly photographed by Robert Krasker. In the end, the whole just isn't the sum of it's parts, and though gorgeous, Loren doesn't look remotely interested in much, if any, of the proceedings. It'd be hard to shave much from it's three hour running time and make much difference, I think it just doesn't quite work often enough.
User reviews courtesy of TMDB.
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Sophia Loren
Lucilla
Stephen Boyd
Livius
Alec Guinness
Marcus Aurelius
James Mason
Timonides
Christopher Plummer
Commodus
Anthony Quayle
Verulus
John Ireland
Ballomar
Omar Sharif
Sohamus
Mel Ferrer
Cleander
Eric Porter
Julianus
Finlay Currie
Senator
Andrew Keir
Polybius
Douglas Wilmer
Niger
George Murcell
Victorinus
Norman Wooland
Virgilianus
Michael Gwynn
Cornelius
Virgílio Teixeira
Marcellus
Peter Damon
Claudius
Rafael Luis Calvo
Lentulus
Lena von Martens
Helva
Roland Carey
Barbarian (uncredited)
Gabriella Licudi
Tauna (uncredited)
Robert Rietti
Opening Narrator (voice / uncredited)
Guy Rolfe
Marius (uncredited)
José Terrón
Soldier on Horse (uncredited)
Friedrich von Ledebur
Barbarian (uncredited)
Patricia Wright
Roman Citizen, Slave Woman (uncredited)
Robert Krasker
Director of Photography
George Tyne
Dialogue Coach
Cecilio Paniagua
Second Unit Cinematographer
Yakima Canutt
Stunt Coordinator
Anthony Mann
Director
Andrew Marton
Second Unit Director
Yakima Canutt
Second Unit Director
Michał Waszyński
Associate Producer
C.O. Erickson
Production Manager
Dimitri Tiomkin
Conductor
Dimitri Tiomkin
Original Music Composer
Ben Barzman
Screenplay
Philip Yordan
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The Stranglers - Live '78, SF
1978
Saddle Leather Law
1944
Sign in to vote
Battle your watched movies head-to-head
Community Top Movies
Evil Dead II
1987 · 14 wins
The Dark Knight
2008 · 14 wins
Halloween
1978 · 13 wins
Final Destination
2000 · 12 wins
Halloween II
1981 · 11 wins
Trivia
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