Ciao, Roma

[saavedra77]

HBO's Rome wrapped up a couple of weeks ago, and I was already missing it, the next day. The series' finale was rushed, as the financial plug had been pulled and there were so many loose ends to sort out before we reached the series' logical/historical conclusion. Still, I have to say that I was immensely pleased with the two years we got of this show, which provided the most compelling dramatic interpretations of Julius Caesar, Mark Antony, and Cleopatra I've seen (yeah, I'm talking about you, Bard of Avon: your Caesar was never so shrewd or passionate; your Antony and Cleopatra never so magnificently dissolute). The meticulous recreation of the details of Roman life always impressed, too: from political intrigues of the Senate chamber to the brutal street life of the Aventine.

A note for others of you who have gotten to or who get to the end of Rome jonesing for more lusty ancient depravity and backstabbing: If you haven't already done so, you absolutely must check out the BBC's '70s adaptation of Robert Graves' I, Claudius. Conveniently, this series begins about a dozen years after Rome's finale. You might find Brian Blessed's older, seemingly more genial Caesar Augustus hard to adjust to compared to Simon Woods' icy, calculating Octavian, but Livia, Agrippa and other characters will seem quite familiar. Plus, you'll get to meet several more generations of power-hungry Julio-Claudians (from Tiberius through Nero), all viewed from the standpoint of Derek Jacobi's frequently-underestimated Claudius--well worth it, trust me on this.

Those of us who've already seen I, Claudius will of course have to be contented with the modern depravity and backstabbing that will be on view in that familiar Sunday-night spot again starting tomorrow, when the final half-season of The Sopranos gets underway.

Speaking of The Sopranos, fans who haven't checked out 7 Years of The Sopranos in 7 Minutes (and who aren't afraid of spoilers) should get clicking, right now; it's a great summary, and excellent preparation for tomorrow night.

Comments

[marginalia.livejournal.com]

i am still just through season 5, and i am deathly afraid that someone will spoil me. if they do, they will have to be deaded liek whoa.

[saavedra77.livejournal.com]

I would so never do that! :)

But I'm looking forward to when you catch up & we can dish on who's whacked/got whacked ...

[marginalia.livejournal.com]

i know -you- wouldn't, but i do not trust the rest of the intarwebs! i am thinking of torrenting this season as it goes, so then i won't have to wait for the dvd, and the dish can happen that much faster :)

also while i'm here, i have no idea if you have any interest, but barnaby and i are batting around the idea of hitting grindhouse on tuesday. i'm mostly in for the trailers, well, and the machine-gun leg. want we should keep you in the loop?

[saavedra77.livejournal.com]

Yeah, sure: I'm not sure how into it I am, bu the Seattle Weekly review made m curious ...

[morganminstrel.livejournal.com]

I only saw the Rome pilot (no HBO), but it looked like it had potential. However, I, Claudius is possibly one of my favorite television series of all time, and (when seeing it at a far too young age) helped engender a love of history in me that...well, you know how I feel about ancient and medieval history. :-) As good as the show was, though, the books are even better--I, Claudius and Claudius the God by Robert Graves.

Also, have you read the Roman Republic series by Colleen McCullough? It essentially chronicles the last century of the Republic, starting with Gaius Marius and going all the way to Actium (the end of the Republic, essentially.) I enjoyed them a hell of a lot; the first one is called The First Man in Rome.

But yeah. At some point, I'll have to watch the series. And "The Tudors" too. 'Cause I'm a sucker for historical drama. That doesn't suck. ;-)

[saavedra77.livejournal.com]

The Beeb's I, Claudius was pretty eye-opening for me, too, back in high school (which was, y'know, kind of an eternity ago, in my case ....): it was like nothing I'd ever seen on television, before, and it certainly did spark my interest in things Greco-Roman.

I picked up Graves' two Claudius novels ages ago, too, although I must admit that I've never gotten beyond the first one. Advance knowledge of the plot, from the TV series, may have deterred me. It's something I've been meaning to return to, though.

I'm not familiar with McCullough's books, but I'm fascinated by the late-Republican epoch: I've always thought that this period has gotten short literary shrift compared to the principate and dominate. I'll have to take a look at First Man ...