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Big, bold, bloody - and bawdy. That's Rome.
Big, bold, bloody - and bawdy. That's Rome. HBO's extraordinary new series may push farther the boundaries on quality, intelligent television programming after it premieres Sunday night on TMN and Movie Central.
In fact, the production values of this sword-and-sandal period piece rival anything seen on the big screen; at least, if the first three episodes are any indication.
Beautifully filmed, the $120-million US epic features a huge, talented (mostly British) cast, sumptuous costumes and sets and a foreign locale.
HBO teams up with BBC
Rome is the first co-production of a TV series between the BBC and HBO, the same teaming that brought us the Emmy Award-winning miniseries, Band of Brothers, in 2001.
Depicting the fall of a republic and the rise of an empire, the first episode opens in Imperial Rome in 52 BC. Julius Caesar has completed his eight-year conquest of Gaul and plans to return to Rome - armed with rich plunder, loyal battle-hardened soldiers and a populist agenda for radical social change.
Rome's aristocracy is terrified and threatens to prosecute Caesar for war crimes if he enters the city. Meanwhile, plebeians are primed for revolt. This delicate balance of power is played out in the first season, which spans the years 52-44 BC.
Sex, action and political intrigue take place among some of the most beautiful, lavish sets ever staged for television. Indeed, the 12-episode dramatic series is almost incomparable in terms of scope to any other series I've seen on TV.
"You rarely see onscreen the complexity and colour that was ancient Rome," said co-creator, executive producer and writer Bruno Heller. "It has more in common with places like Mexico City and Calcutta than quiet white marble.
"Rome was brightly coloured, a place of vibrant cruelty, full of energy, dynamism and chaotic filth. It was a merciless existence, dog-eat-dog, with a very small elite and masses of poverty," said Heller.
"There's the potential for social mobility - if you're smart."
One million people inhabited Rome, then the wealthiest city in the world, a population mostly unfettered by religious morality. Whether or not an action was wrong depended on whether people more powerful than you approved of it.
"You were allowed to murder your neighbour or covet his wife if it didn't piss off the wrong person," said Heller. "Mercy was a weakness, cruelty a virtue, and all that mattered was personal honour, loyalty to yourself and your family."
Rome is the first English-language series shot entirely in a non-English speaking country- in this case, Italy. Comprising five acres of backlot and six soundstages at Cinecitta Studios, Rome boasts the largest standing set in the world. The huge Forum set is roughly 60% the size of the original.
Cinecitta Studios was where the 1959 classic sword-and-sandal epic, Ben-Hur, and more recently, The Passion of the Christ and Gangs of New York were filmed.
Production staff took enormous efforts to be true to the past, even researching the physical gestures of ancient Romans.
References for the colours of the temples, statues and streets - as well as graffiti and signs - were taken directly from the ruins of Pompeii, Herculaneum and Ostia Antica.
More than 4,000 pieces of wardrobe were needed. All the fabrics used in costume design and set dressing are authentic to the times - wool, silk and cotton.
Actors even trained with swordmaster Giorgio Antonioni for one month before shooting, learning authentic Roman fighting techniques rarely displayed on film or television.
Battle scenes represent one of the few times the actual mechanics of the "Roman Wall" have been shown. Shoulder-to-shoulder, thrusting straight from above and below the shields, men on the front lines rotated to the rear every 40 seconds - alerted by a whistle - ensuring well-rested soldiers in the fight at all times.
The first three episodes of Rome were helmed by British director Michael Apted (Coal Miner's Daughter, The World Is Not Enough). Other directors take over from there.
Actors starring in the first season include Kevin McKidd as Lucius Vorenus, Ray Stevenson as Titus Pullo, Ciaran Hinds as Julius Caesar, Kenneth Cranham as Pompey, Polly Walker as Atia of the Julii and Lindsay Duncan as Servillia of the Junii.
The 12 hour-long episodes will broadcast on consecutive Sundays on Movie Central, commencing with The Stolen Eagle this weekend (for Romans, that's VIII, XXVIII, MMV) at 8 p.m.
Various storylines
The network repeats each episode during the week, allowing viewers another peek, which is just as well. In my case, rewatching each show allowed for a better understanding of the many characters and the various storylines.
Although historical figures like Caesar, Mark Anthony and Brutus appear prominently, the earthy drama really follows the fortunes of two fictional Roman soldiers, Vorenus and Pullo.
Did I say earthy? Simulated sex, full-frontal nudity and graphic gore (I dare you to watch Pullo undergo brain surgery in Episode 3 without cringing) add plenty of piquancy. But then, what did you expect from the network responsible for the ground-breaking Sex and the City and The Sopranos?