Rome (2005-2007)

Title: Rome

Year: 2005-2007

Genre: Action | Drama | History |

Seasons: 1 | 2 |

Runtime: 52 min

Creator: Bruno Heller, William J. MacDonald, John Milius

Starring: Kevin McKidd, Ray Stevenson, Polly Walker

8.7/10

In this British historical drama, the turbulent transition from the Roman republic to an autocratic empire, which changed world history through civil war and wars of conquest, is sketched both from the aristocratic viewpoint of Julius Caesar, his family, his adopted successor Octavian Augustus, and their political allies and adversaries, and from the politically naïve viewpoint of a few ordinary Romans, notably the soldiers Lucius Vorenus and Titus Pullo and their families.

IMPRESSIVE AND INTIMATE

BBC and HBO‘s epic historical series that aired between 2005 and 2007 puts on a spectacle worth redeeming. The story takes place in an uncertain time in antique Rome as the senate has begun conspiring against the dictator Julius Caesar.

The series has a widely recognized accuracy when it comes to history. It’s gritty, brutal, and gory at some points. The dialogue follows both soldiers, Pompey Magnus and Caesar. We get to follow the conflict through the vile city of Rome. We get a cast that is fully committed to the story and the plot within each character. That’s maybe why this series feels so natural and humane despite the brutal settings. Kevin McKidd is a brilliant actor who has worked in various roles in history now but even if there are some flaws along or out and Ciarán Hinds has an incredible range of emotions, from the most loving and compassionate to the coldest and darkest. But it is also an emotional journey for Hinds himself, as he must deal with the pressures of love, politics, and conspiracy. Everyone from the main cast does a splendid job of bringing the antique of Rome alive in a natural and exciting way.

The series isn’t perfect nor is it definitive by any means. But like “The Wire,” this television drama should have been given another chance because of its ability to create great emotional moments on an intimate level for those fans that liked watching shows with darker themes before they became more mainstream in their audiences. The series only run for two seasons as the production with overboard with the budget. It was planned for five seasons and thus seasons 3 and four were included in the second season. The second series is not as good as the first but still a complement of the overall story and plot.

The series shines light both on the glamours and the faithful ill days of the glory of the Roman Empire. It has such a variety of telling different people that it serves the purpose of giving the indication of depth. Whether it’s a relationship concern, family, friendship, politics, or colleagues the series does it all with a such classy elegance. An unprecedented so. The high budget the series has gives it such interesting characters and art design. The environment is accurately believable with the character embedded in that setting.