Amazon.co.uk Review
Augustus is equal parts history lesson and soap opera, and thoroughly engaging at all levels. Peter O'Toole plays Octavius/Augustus, heir to his doomed uncle Julius Caesar's command of the far-flung Roman empire. Surviving an assassination attempt and struck by news of the death of his old friend and ally, Agrippa (Ken Duken), in the same day, Octavius waxes nostalgic about his youthful exploits in Caesar's army (Benjamin Sadler plays the young Augustus in flashbacks) and his unprepared immersion in the deadly politics of the Mark Antony (Massimo Ghini) era. More immediate are Octavius' problems trying to stave off conspiracies by his wife Livia (Charlotte Rampling) to set up the emperor's stepson, Tiberius (Michele Bevilacqua), as heir, and talk his dutiful daughter Julia (Vittoria Belvedere) into a marriage she doesn't want. Roger Young directs this highly watchable costume drama, and O'Toole's golden presence makes the ancient intrigues tragically human. --Tom Keogh
Customer Reviews:
"Did I play my part well in this comedy called life?".......2005-03-28
I must confess that when I was at school, I was a Juno-Claudian junkie. It all started when I watched the acclaimed mid-seventies television series, I Claudius. I went onto to study this historical period at college, and found myself constructing elongated family trees of all the Emperors, in an effort to keep track of the whole family. Augustus is a glamorous made for television production, filmed in Tunisia with Italian financial backing. The series is certainly no I Claudius, although it is pretty effective in giving the lay-viewer some rudimentary historical details of the time. Peter O'Toole, however, doesn't come anywhere close to playing Augustus with the same intensity as Brian Blessed did, and Charlotte Rampling as Livia, while a fine actress, just doesn't have the veneer of malevolency that the wonderful Sian Phillips had.
There are parts of Augustus that are absolutely terrible: the acting is often forced and over-dramatized, the incidental musical score doesn't fit, the scene construction resembles a stage play or a screenplay shot on a small soundstage, rather like something from Lego-land, and there are some absolutely cringe inducing soap opera moments. While I admire the producers' intent - which was obviously to produce the battle scenes on a large scale - however, in reality, these scenes come across as manufactured and lacking in scope. For much of the series, it just looks as though people are walking around dressed up in pretty, period costumes - you never get the impression that you have actually been transported to ancient Rome. The series has also more than its fair share of anachronisms.
The story starts out with Augustus on his deathbed, surrounded by Livia and her son Tiberius. As he drifts in and out of consciousness, he remembers his life as an idealistic young man, who is getting ready to leave his adoring mother and sister to fight with Julius Caesar. Julius has been calling for Octavius (Augustus) to join him in Spain. After fighting, Octavius steadily becomes beloved by his legions and soon takes on the name that his great-uncle bestowed upon him: Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus, though he would become known as Caesar Augustus. As his popularity and power builds, he also becomes the first master of public relations, discovering that to succeed he must get the people to love him.
Helped by his two friends Agrippa (Ken Duken), the general, and the politician, Maecenas (Russell Barr, who plays him as a kind of blousy flamer), Octavius manages to win control of the Senate and beguile the people of Rome by becoming a master of the political. Much of the action takes place in the present, where Augustus, surviving an assassination attempt, is forced to share parts of his life with his daughter, Julia (Vittoria Belvedere). He tells Julia of his efforts to maintain stability and bring peace to Rome by becoming part of a second triumvirate with Marc Antony (Massimo Ghini). He also tells Julia of his attempts to discredit Antony by painting the general as a traitor and subservient to the Queen of Egypt Cleopatra (Anna Valle, dressed provocatively in some kind of sexy thong).
There's political intrigue everywhere because, as always, the throne and the stability of Rome is at stake. The film stays pretty close to the basic historical facts about Augustus' life, but leaves out an earlier marriage and, unlike I Claudius, there's much less of Livia's poisonous machinations. This is probably better; as it allows for Augustus' swift rise to power, and concentrates on his efforts to control the Senate, bringing peace instead of war to the republic. There's lots of clichéd, ridiculous moments, and most of the dialogue spoken is inappropriately contemporary. But this hardly matters, as Augustus, for the most part, is a reasonably enjoyable viewing experience, and most viewers will probably find something to like in it. Mike Leonard March 05.
O'Toole's bright twighlight........2004-10-30
For a TV mini this is a little daring in that there is a lot of talk, some of it rather good.
The performances are generally weak and are mostly dubbed as this production hails from Europe but Ms. Rampling is very scary and the actor who plays the younger Augustus comes across as a real person.
Mr. O'Toole (who from 1969 descided that acting was talking or shouting in his sleep has managed to wake up just in time for this and "Troy") carries the whole production on his shoulders. Great sets and moodly lighting.
UK DVD:
- A Walk on the Moon [1999] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
- A Zed And Two Noughts [1985]
- Between The Lines : Complete BBC Series 1 [1992]
- Bleak House [1985]
- Bound For Glory [1976]
- Breach [2007]
- Broadcast News [1988]
- Buddha of Suburbia [1993]
- Californication - Season 1
- Catch Me If You Can [2003]
UK DVD List
UK DVD
All Drama
|
Drama
|
Categories
|
DVD
|
Video
![Julius Caesar [2002]](http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B000IB0K6U.01.THUMBZZZ.jpg)
Julius Caesar [2002]
![Nero [2005]](http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B000MQCBOA.01.THUMBZZZ.jpg)
Nero [2005]
The Caesars - The Complete Series (2 Disc Set)
Julius Caesar
![Spartacus [2004]](http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B0002W1AKA.01.THUMBZZZ.jpg)
Spartacus [2004]
![Augustus : The First Emperor [2003]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/21KVMX583BL.jpg)
![Helen Of Troy [2003]](http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B0000C66AT.01.THUMBZZZ.jpg)
![Yoga For Wimps: Poses For the Flexibly Impaired [2004] (REGION 1) (NTSC)](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/21TH2VD17WL.jpg)