Rome: Complete HBO Seasons 1 And 2 [2005]

Amazon.co.uk Review

Family dysfunction. Treachery. Betrayal. Coarse profanity. Brutal violence. Graphic (and sometimes brutal) sex. No, it's not The Sopranos, it's Rome, HBO's madly ambitious series that bloodily splatters the glory of Rome just as savagely as Monty Python and the Holy Grail soiled the good name of Camelot (but with far fewer laughs; very few funny things happen on the way to this forum).

Set in 52 B.C. (Before Cable), Rome charts the dramatic shifts in the balance of power between former friends Pompey Magnus (Kenneth Cranham), leader of the Senate, and Julius Caesar (Ciaran Hinds), whose imminent return after eight years to Rome after conquering the Gauls, has the ruling class up in arms. At the heart of Rome is the odd couple friendship between two soldiers who fortuitously become heroes of the people. Lucius Vorenus (Kevin McKidd) is married, honorable, and steadfast. Titus Pullo (Ray Stevenson) is an amoral rogue whose philosophy is best summed up, "I kill my enemies, take their gold, and enjoy their women". Among Rome's most compelling subplots is Lucius's strained relationship with his wife, Niobe (Indira Varma), who is surprised to see her husband alive (but not as surprised as he is to find her upon his homecoming with a newborn baby in her arms!) Any viewer befuddlement over Rome's intrigues and machinations, and determining who is hero and who is foe, disappears the minute Golden Globe-nominee Polly Walker appears as Atia, Caesar's formidable niece and a villainess for the ages. In the first hour alone, she offers her already married daughter as a bride to the recently widowed Pompey. One eagerly awaits to see what (or who) she'll do next as much as we anticipate her comeuppance in the final episode of the first series.

Rome is a painstakingly mounted production that earned eight well-deserved Emmy nominations in such categories as costumes, set design, and art direction. Michael Apted (Coal Miner's Daughter) was honored with a Director's Guild Award for the first ever episode, "The Stolen Eagle." But artistic considerations aside, instantly addicted viewers will agree with Atia, who notes at one point, "I adore the secrecy, the intrigue. It's most thrilling." --Donald Liebenson

Customer Reviews:

Glorious Filth!.......2008-01-30

Revenge, treacherous intrigues, incest, betrayals, bloody violence, corrupting power, and explicit sex all contribute to the glory of Rome.
Rome delights viewers by giving them a delicious taste of the villainous history of the Roman Empire, between 52 B.C. and 31 B.C.. We see the rise and bloody fall of Julius Caesar and also the political machinations that followed, between Mark Antony and Gaius Octavian Caesar (Augustus Caesar). The stories of these characters are well-known to most of us, with writers such as William Shakespeare and Robert Graves offering us detailed character portraits. However, this is where Rome strives and succeeds to be different. Rome throws out all of these noble, heroic, and clichéd images and starts afresh. Antony, for example, is portrayed as the ultimate lad, his thirst for excess and vice unrelenting, and he just loves a good barbarous battle. Whereas Octavian is an intelligent and often cruel political strategist, who prefers to sit in his tent as the battle commences. Yet, this rehashing of characters is not all that Rome has to offer, for its genius lies in other quarters.
Rome brings to life creatures that are only briefly mentioned by historians, such as Vorenus and Pollo, two soldiers whose exploits are at centre-stage of all the action. And, according to Rome, both men have a profound, if often accidental, influence on Roman history. Vorenus is unintentionally responsible for Julius Caesar's death, and Pollo is responsible for Cleopatra's claim on the Roman Empire. If there are any heroes in Rome, Vorenus and Pollo are the most likely candidates. Vorenus is an honourable soldier, whose dedication to doing the right thing often leads him to ruin and unhappiness. However, Pollo is an entirely different sort of creature. He is just such a lovable, "big-bear," who the viewer can easily forgive the odd, homicidal rampage. Both men are fiercely loyal to each other, even after an argument, and they save each other's lives on numerous occasions.
But Rome's "piece de resistance" is without a doubt the character of Atia of the Julii, played by Polly Walker. She is scheming, vengeful, cruel, and, at times, foul-mouthed; you cannot help but adore her. She perceives life to be a series of trivialities sent by the God's to vex her. Only when she realises that she has lost Antony and that her son has become a cold, callous opportunist, just like his mother, do we see a solemn side to Atia's nature.
Of course, some will argue that Rome takes considerable liberties with history, but what writer worth their salt would ever let history get in the way of a good story?
Rome informs us of the salacious and villainous exploits of Roman nobility, yet it does not forget the Plebs and the Foot Soldiers, who constitute the life-blood of any empire. This epic saga is tantamount to glorious filth, and you will love every violently lecherous minute of it.
In short, Rome is a sumptuous production that sports a superb cast and outstanding writers, and is, quite simply, sublime.

Make more stars available for this series!!!.......2008-01-14

WOW!!!

What a fantastic series. This is story telling at it's best. Set around the time of Julius Caesar, it follows the lives of several people. Nobles, soldiers and even slaves are depicted here. Each has their own story to tell and each are as interesting as the others.

My favourite has got to be that of the 2 soldiers, Lucius Vorenus and Titus Pullo. They, for me at least, have made this series what it is...bloody brilliant! Put them together with all the scheming and back stabbing women like Atia and Servilia and you're on a rollercoaster ride.

The cast are perfect and work so well with each other. The sets are staggeringly beautiful and the costumes are to die for. The scenery is perfect too as it was filmed on location in Rome.

This will have you laughing out loud one episode and reaching for the tissues the next. There's a lot of nudity and sex shown here so if you're easily offended look elsewhere. All in all though I don't think you could find a more entertaining series. Just do yourselves a favour and buy it. It's just such a shame that it ended when it did as they could have kept going a while longer.

Nur die erste Staffel in deutsch!.......2007-12-26

Tolle Serie, allerdings sollte man den Artikelbeschreibungen von Amzon nicht immer Glauben schenken. Ich bin stinksauer, dass die Season 2 nur englischen Ton hat. In der Beschreibung steht immer noch: English, German.
Rückversand vorab auf eigene Kosten (EURO 17,00). Ob dann eine Erstattung bei einer geöffneten Box klappt? Meine letzte Bestellung bei Amazon/uk

Most entertaining Rome.......2007-10-29

Rome series doesn't claim to be history book accurate and that definitely isn't its main goal. Critics please get over it.
It uses roman history merely as a background to both Patrician and common citizens' everyday life drama.
It gives you an unprecedent rich description of what roman life must have been from several different perpectives: be it from a soldier's or a general's; slave or patrician; man or woman.
Don't miss it.

Doesn't get better.......2007-10-07

Rome recounts the events surrounding the time of Julius Caesar's ascendency as emperor of the Roman Empire. This is not a retelling of historic events, but a look at the seedy underbelly that the historians missed. This, my friends, is unmissable drama. Both seasons of Rome will leave you wanting more. The story of Pullo and Vorenus is the highlight of this show, and the surrounding characters a brilliantly brought to life by a talented cast.

Simply fantastic.

Rome: The Complete Season 1 and 2 [2005] (REGION 1) (NTSC)

Average customer rating:

Rome: The Complete Season 1 and 2 [2005] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
Starring: Kevin McKidd , and Ray Stevenson
Manufacturer: HBO Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000Q66PXE
Release Date: 2007-08-07

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