teevee: Rome
Mar. 5th, 2006 12:33 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
anotheranonI know I'm very late coming to the game, but I'm finally seeing HBO's Rome for the first time and am quite enjoying it.
For those even later to the game than I am - it's a historical drama that takes place in Rome after the Gallic War and covers the political/martial machinations between Caesar (military) and Pompey (Senate). A lot of the action is seen through the eyes of two of Caesar's soldiers.
The "making of" feature suggests that this series is what happens when hardcore historians are given a budget - my surface impression is that sets, costumes, social/mores, religion, etc. were researched to within an inch of their lives and presented as accurately as possible, with all the sex, violence, and gore that suggests. Even the two soldiers are based on people mentioned in a historical account of the Gallic Wars. If this is true (and I have my doubts, see below), I have to ask - why aren't more historical movies/tv shows as thorough and good as this? Is it funding, or just skimping on the details to appeal to a wider audience?
But, I'm no expert on Roman history so I'm throwing the question out there (aimed particularly at![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
wcg, but anyone who knows feel free to pitch in): are they getting this right? How much creative license are they taking? I'm particularly curious about the role of women, as Atia and the other female characters seem to have a lot more autonomy/freedom of movement than my high-school level "history of the Roman Empire" suggested.
For those even later to the game than I am - it's a historical drama that takes place in Rome after the Gallic War and covers the political/martial machinations between Caesar (military) and Pompey (Senate). A lot of the action is seen through the eyes of two of Caesar's soldiers.
The "making of" feature suggests that this series is what happens when hardcore historians are given a budget - my surface impression is that sets, costumes, social/mores, religion, etc. were researched to within an inch of their lives and presented as accurately as possible, with all the sex, violence, and gore that suggests. Even the two soldiers are based on people mentioned in a historical account of the Gallic Wars. If this is true (and I have my doubts, see below), I have to ask - why aren't more historical movies/tv shows as thorough and good as this? Is it funding, or just skimping on the details to appeal to a wider audience?
But, I'm no expert on Roman history so I'm throwing the question out there (aimed particularly at
wcg, but anyone who knows feel free to pitch in): are they getting this right? How much creative license are they taking? I'm particularly curious about the role of women, as Atia and the other female characters seem to have a lot more autonomy/freedom of movement than my high-school level "history of the Roman Empire" suggested.
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Date: 2006-03-05 08:26 pm (UTC)I just love Atia, she's so EVIL and has no idea she's being anything but pragmatic. And Pullo is just interesting - - .
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Date: 2006-03-05 11:42 pm (UTC)The interaction between Pullo and Lucius V. (can't spell his last name) is interesting to watch, because Pullo is so fun-loving and Lucius is so stern - very Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, though not really comedy :P
I'm only about 3 episodes or so in; it will be interesting to see how their loyalties divide because of Caesar's power grab.