After viewing the first two episodes of HBO's "Rome", one must be impressed at the unique perspective given to the story of Caesar and Pompey and the intrigues of Roman society.
HBO Hits Home with ROME
Seen in part through the eyes of regular soldiers,
we are introduced to the life on the streets of Rome, B.C.: disorderly,
complete with slum-like alleys, bordellos, markets and slave-trading. The
film assumes that the viewer has some knowledge of that period of history,
so that it can skip attempts to bring us up to speed. This gives the series
the freedom to move rapidly and intelligently from scene to scene, such
as its presentation of Caesar and his legion crossing the Rubicon River:
an act that turned him and his legions into "enemies of the state".
The dialog is crisp and economical. The casting is superb, as each actor,
relatively unknown to this audience, lends authenticity to his/her role.
Ray Stevenson, playing the role of the Roman soldier Titus Pullo, brings
an edge to his character who acts as a somewhat independent individual with
a wry sense of humor. He serves as our "everyman" as he observes the historical
events as he tries to survive in that society while plying its pleasures.
Other series dealing with this period of history, such as "Cleopatra", focused
on the lives of the nobility; HBO's "Rome" lowers the focus to
the lives of the more common Roman citizens during this period, making the
story seem more fully developed and enhancing the interest of the viewer.
If the rest of the episodes are as satisfying as the first two, HBO has another winner in "Rome". It attracts those appreciative of history as well as those who love a good soap opera.
ROME
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