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Rome: The Complete Series

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Format: DVD November 17, 2009


Description

Rome: The Complete Series (DVD)Four hundred years after the founding of the Republic, Rome is the wealthiest city in the world, a cosmopolitan metropolis of one million people, epicenter of a sprawling empire. But now, the city's foundations are crumbling, eaten away by corruption and excess...And two soldiers unwittingly become entwined in historical events, their fates inexorably tied to the fate of Rome itself. The entire award-winning, critically-acclaimed series will be available as a gift set, just in time for the holiday season.]]> 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 transfixed viewers with its lavishly mounted spectacle and human dramas of the historical figures and fictional characters. Set in 52 B.C., 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 episode alone, she offers her already married daughter as a bride to the recently widowed Pompey, and the viewer eagerly awaits to see what (or who) she'll do next.Season 2 begins in the wake of Julius Caesar's assassination, and charts the power struggle to fill his sandals between "vulgar beast" Mark Antony (James Purefoy) and "clever boy" Octavian (Simon Woods), who is surprisingly named Caesar's sole heir. The series' most compelling relationship is between fellow soldiers and unlikely friends, the honorable Lucius Vorenus and Titus "Violence is the only trade I know" Pullo, who somewhat reverse roles when Vorenus is overcome with grief in the wake of his wife's suicide. Season 2 considerably ups the ante in the rivalry between Atia, who is Antony's mistress, and Servilia (Lindsay Duncan) with attempted poisonings and sickening torture. Another gripping subplot is Vorenus's estrangement from his children, who, at the climax of the season opener are presumed slaughtered, but whose true fate may be even more devastating to the father who cursed them.Rome is a painstakingly mounted production that earned well-deserved Emmy nominations in such categories as costumes, set design, and art direction. In writing Rome's epitaph, we come to praise this series, not to bury it. Although two seasons was not enough to establish a Rome empire, it stands as one of HBO's crowning achievements. --Donald Liebenson

Genre: Drama, Drama/Television, Television


Format: Box set, Color, Dubbed, Multiple Formats, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen


Contributor: Various


Language: English


Number Of Discs: 11


Aspect Ratio ‏ : ‎ 1.781


MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ NR (Not Rated)


Product Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 7.8 x 5.71 x 1.46 inches; 1.6 ounces


Item model number ‏ : ‎ 5821151


Director ‏ : ‎ Various


Media Format ‏ : ‎ Box set, Color, Dubbed, Multiple Formats, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen


Run time ‏ : ‎ 20 hours and 29 minutes


Release date ‏ : ‎ November 17, 2009


Actors ‏ : ‎ Various


Subtitles: ‏ ‎ English, French, Spanish


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Top Amazon Reviews

    • Absolutely Over the Top!
I first bought this version of the series a week before Christmas 2009. It was an incredible price of $43.00 which I thought was stellar. It contained both seasons for the price on just one (at your local wal-mart or best buy). With the holiday free shipping thrown in I had to grab it. I instantly returned my individual copies (unopened) to the store and saved over $50.00! Well.. I was even more surprised when this collection arrived and I unboxed it. I've been an avid collector of DVD's and series, with over 500 DVD's, 100 Blu-Rays, and 30 complete series. I've never seen such quality put into a DVD holder. I was expecting to get a cheap box with two seasons of discs crammed into skinny holder like you usually get when you order a "the complete season of" at a ludicrously low price. My surprise made Christmas all the better. I've watched the complete season minus the last episode of season two (which i don't think was ever even aired?). Anyways I immediately began watching the series all over again on the DVD's. I did not encounter a single problem with sound or picture. I found the experience to be just wonderful. Two months later I have now watched the whole series twice over with my new DVD collection. The box still stands in the same condition that I got it in with no signs of wear starting to show. I anticipate with proper care this casing will never break down on you like standard series boxes tend to do. For those people wanting a review on the series and not on the casing or the DVD quality. I'll throw a brief summary up. The series focuses around the period of 60 BC to 29 BC, with the first season following the accounts of Julius Caesar and his triumph of Rome. Followed by his assassination at the end of the first season, the second picks up with his legally declared adopted son Octavian Caesar (later known as Augustus) taking up leadership. It proceeds to depict the problems between Mark Antony and Octavian as they fight for political power. Leading up until 30 BC when Mark Antony takes his own life along with Cleopatra after the split of the second triumvirate. Octavian is now still a young man with all of Rome at his fingertips and no opposers left to challenge him. I rate the series at a remarkable 5 stars overall. However I would have to say I would have loved to see the series run longer than two seasons. Where the first season does a magnificent job to follow along in a slow and progressive story. The second season is very rushed often jumping years to a decade per episode. Don't get me wrong, it is all very well done and some how they pulled a bold move like that off. But I would've loved to had seen it stretched out over a possible third or fourth season. In any event, perhaps it was for the best. This way they never had the chance to ruin it like they tend to do when trying to make shows appealing to all audiences over the course of several seasons. Be prepared for a very breathtaking and heart warming adventure with an incredibly climactic and sad conclusion. But alas, that is Rome. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on February 4, 2010 by Johnathan Mcilvride
    • Loved It. - And here's why...
Instead of going into explicit detail about the particulars of this series and plot, as I'm sure you have already read quite a number of these already, I will merely say that this series raised the bar of BOTH television and film forever. This is not Gladiator (or Sparacus [thank goodness!]). There is plenty of action, but the real brillance of this series is the capture of conflict through mostly 'the mind and tongue.' (Again, don't get me wrong - there is plenty of action.) The actors are superb; however, I infer this praise not only to the leading character actors on this series, but even to the very many side-characters who have limited moments on the series. Each one is excellent. In my opinion, the casting excellence can only be compared to the likes of the Godfather I & II. So much so that it is even worth taking a moment to reflect and stress in this review how the appreciation that such amazing actors came together and graced the same screen at the same time and truly did justice to the persona of the ancient Romans. The show is highly 're-watchable.' I've watched this series probably 5 times since it first aired, and I am still finding new little things that I haven't noticed during prior viewings. The more you watch, the more certain characters - some who you even may not have appreciated or liked before - grow on you. Also, the more you learn about the history of that time, the more you fall for this series. Additionally, it should be said that Rome is highly watchable for those who are NOT historically minded, nor have any background in Roman history. You will absolutely be able to follow this show and enjoy it effortlessly. After watching this series I have read numerous works on ancient Roman history - [start with Adrian Goldsworthy's Caesar: Life of a Colossus]. Now when I watch the show, I am incredibly thrilled that this period of history is so well-depicted in character, set, and details - to a surprising degree as most may and/or would go unoticed - all for the sake of authenticity to the period. Of course, due to time constraints and costs, there are few historical or factual liberties taken; however, I promise that in the scheme of things these are relatively very minor. The overall accuracy of the people, culture, world, and city at this time is as accurate as it could ever be. Unfortunately, the show was canceled due to the costs; and any hope of other seasons were shattered when the expensive set burned down. [...] The set(s) is/are quite pricey; however, this investment is worth it for three reasons: (1) The series is excellent; (2) highly (if not infinitely) rewatchable; and (3), HBO, as always, makes their box sets with a high-level of quality. As others have said, "this may never be equaled." I agree. I could not give a higher recommendation. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on December 30, 2011 by G.M.
    • Rome - at last a properly sensored production from a U.S. company.
Rome: The Complete Series At last - and it has taken quite a while too - a production from a U.S. based movie maker (HBO) which has NOT been sanitized by U.S. prudish attitudes ... A brilliant production in which HBO has excelled in its portrayal of ancient Rome. Acting - first class. Costumes - first class. Storyline - first class. A production that for all intensive purposes follows historical records fairly closely. The use of English actors and actresses was a smart move to say the least ... (somehow American accents just don't quite cut it). The series follows the life and times of the Caesars starting with Julius and moving on to Octavian (Augustus). Then throw in the English styled sub-plot of two legionaries caught up in all the turmoil and you have the making of a great piece of viewing. So will there be more we ask? There should be, and there are plenty of characters to follow up on. Having read some of the earlier reviews - I'm a bit amazed that American reviewers don't think it is family entertainment - it certainly is family entertainment here in Australia. After all - we have had full frontal nudity at `prime time' since the early seventies - it is only the U.S. that feels `blood and guts' and `foul language' are ok but nudity is not. (No nudity please - we are American is the norm). Having lived in the U.S. for some ten years or so, I've seen some amazing things in censorship such as a black woman's breasts openly shown on TV, while seconds later in the same production the white woman's breasts were scrambled. (Yes it still happens). That to me is official `racists based' censorship - however that is not the case here in this production. Then perhaps we should consider the source - just take a look at the Lincoln or Jefferson monument and you'll see some very Roman looking architecture, throw in a needle like Cleopatra's for George Washington just for good measure and you have it - the new empire of Rome ie:- the good ol' U.S.A. with the attitudes of the Puritans or the Vatican thrown in. Even the military ex- service's clubs are named Legion No. ... - Rome still lives on but I digress. HBO has gone the extra metre (yard) and produced a credible program which can be enjoyed by viewers all over the world - thank the gods for that. So watch it, enjoy it, and if you are American - watch it with your families - it's normal. Well see for your self ... ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on December 12, 2011 by Shire storm guy
    • 'Rome' raises the bar for history-inspired TV shows
THE SERIES Rome wasn't built in one day, we all know that and its story can't be told over 2 seasons but this is probably the best we're going to have, audio-visually, for a long time to come. This is an interrupted, extremely ambitious and, eventually, unaffordable HBO project meant to illustrate the process though which an up and coming but flawed - expansionist, aristocrat driven, slave labor dependent - republic morphs into an equally or more so flawed, unsustainable empire. [Hmmm... lessons to learn? Anyone? Anyone?] HBO and the producers of the show should be commended for doing everything in their power to stay as close as artistically possible to the historical record, whatever was available, of the period - and 'Rome' covers Cesar's climb to power and the period shortly thereafter, up to Octavian's triumph and transformation into 'Augustus' - the struggles, the intrigue, the atrocities - and how the events it triggered affected the aristocrats and the plebes, rich and poor, citizens, free men and slaves. The point of view and the storytelling shifts or swings between the history makers - Cesar, his family, Octavian, the aristocrats opposing Cesar - and two more or less ordinary Forrest Gump-like Roman soldiers who find themselves involved with almost everything historians wrote about those years and are also depicted during their more ordinary moments. 'Rome' is a feast to the eye, at least in the Blu-ray version that I'm watching. The colors are vibrant and the details on ornaments, wall graffiti, costumes, makeup are as accurate as they come. I would say almost the same about the sounds of Rome but we know so much less about the music of antiquity... Due to obvious budget constraints, camera angles are almost always narrow, focusing on specific buildings or people with the occasional, probably CGI-produced, panoramic shots. And no large, uber-expensive battle scenes but that's okay because the overall story is told well. I don't believe we ever see more than a few dozen humans on any scene but we should admire the director and the camera people even more for their ability to maintain our suspension of disbelief with the limited means at their disposal. Having some of the scenes shot on location - 'Rome' was made in Italy at the Cinecita studios - makes watching even more enjoyable. THE BLU-RAY EDITION The Blu-ray edition excels in every aspect, from packaging to the quality of the actual episodes to the Blu-ray specific extras. The two season's 22 episodes of about one hour each are delivered on 10 discs. They come inside an amazingly beautiful book-like binding with each disc on its own 2-page presentation/display that consists of one picture on the left page and some details on each of the episodes on that specific disc on the right-side page which also holds the disc. There are additional pages that contain titles or some artwork for a total of 30, thick cardboard, full color pages. It's nice that a cloth bookmark was added to help keep track of where one may be with the viewing. The box the book slides in is color-coordinated with the book covers - dark, weathered dried-blood reddish-brown with gold lettering and accents. Simply amazing. Each episode is presented in 1080p, 16:9 screen and DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 Surround sound for English and German as well as DTS Digital Surround 2.0 for Spanish, French, Castilian and Polish (voice over). Subtitles are available in dozens on languages. Blu-ray specific extras include the invaluable "All Roads Lead to Rome" - a historian presents the historical fact as the episodes run, a 'must watch' when 'Rome' is viewed the second time around because the abundance of information would make watching it the first time too distracting. Also Blu-ray specific is 'Bloodlines', another interactive guide that shows and helps us understand the connections between the various Roman families. In addition, 13 of the 22 episodes come with audio commentary alternative sound tracks from the cast and crew - presumably to be listened to on the third watching of the series. There are also a number of the usual 'behind the scenes' and 'how did we make this' featurettes. MY RATING Not surprisingly, I will rate 'Rome' as a 5-star. It's not perfect but it doesn't need to be so to earn its stars - Amazon's five stars mean 'I love it' not 'it's perfect'. And I absolutely love it. In fact, I am going through the second watching now - the one with 'All Roads Lead to Rome' turned on - and I love 'Rome' even more. My only issue is that which earned 'Rome' its MA (mature audiences) rating. I am quite frustrated for not being able to watch 'Rome' with my kids in the same room. I know that some would call it 'butchery' but Blu-ray technology should allow for a 'cleaned', PG-13 version that kids could watch too because I can see how watching a show like this, especially with the historical interactive guide turned on, would make some curious enough to actually read more on the topic. ___________________________________________________ FAIR WARNING Anyone considering watching 'Rome' in a 'family' setting should be aware that the show is rated TV MA and for good reason. 'Rome' attempts to accurately depict the Rome of 2000 years ago where sexual inhibitions were all but absent, most women were viewed as 'property' and slaves were numerous. You WILL see explicit sex, frontal male nudity and covering your kids eyes won't be enough - consider earplugs or frequent use of the 'mute' button because the sounds of sex are even more explicit than the images. Besides engaging in sex largely for amusement, violence was part of the Roman way of life - torture, gladiator and other arena fights, assassinations were common. Well... those were the Romans - love them or hate them. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on December 10, 2009 by Cthulhu
    • Great series, but problems with dvd set -- help getting problems corrected please?
I have seen this series before and love it so much I wanted to own it and share it with my husband. There is much detail (graffiti, costuming, sets, props, and more -- rich, and appearing to be historically accurate (as far as we -- or at least I -- know). The story is well-told and comes to life, bringing to life also an historical period that has had great influence on our lives since. The characters are multidimensional and well-acted and scripted. Parents should be aware that there is nudity and sex as well as violence. Unlike one reviewer, I did not find any of these (the nudity, sex, or violence) to be pornographic or gratuitous -- they served the story and were appropriate to the times and characters. But many parents would absolutely consider this series adults-only fare. The depiction of the religious practices, and their role in the state, was fascinating and rich. I ordered this boxed set of the series in April of this year, and am finally (in October) getting a chance to share it with my husband, who really likes what he has seen so far. Unfortunately, disk 3 of season 1 is defective and does not play, so we are stuck, with appetites just whetted. I cannot find how to get a replacement, so I am writing this review to see if I can get some help with that. Another problem I want to mention is that several of the disks were stuck in their sleeves and came out finally with gummy glue along the edge where they were stuck. This is a truly wonderful series, and I would certainly give it 5 stars if the problems with the dvd set itself could be corrected. We at least need a working disk 3 of season 1 -- how do we go about getting a replacement? ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on October 16, 2016 by Amazon Customer
    • Excellent, But Be aware of Amazon Antics
I will start this with a brief comment on the packaging. Be aware that (like Amazon typically does) they lump different versions together. The version I got was two jewel cases (one for each season) in a slip cover. This was perfectly fine and what I suspected I would receive. Amazon seems to want to give the impression you're getting the more limited set HBO made which was made of a cardboard book. I will note that the packaging I got was great and given how few episodes there are per sesason, it wasn't a big issue. You're not talking about those jumbo 20+ disc sets you may be used to with other TV shows. For my review on the transfer, I watched it on my 4K player (Panasonic UB-420) and Samsung QLED (QN65Q70RAFXZA). I thought the transfer was great, not mind blowing or anything, but definitely not disappointed with it. Almost certainly the best we are going to get and I can live with it. The show itself is excellent and I highly recommend it. You should be aware it is historical fiction. Like the Robert Graves "I Claudius" book (and BBC creation) it takes its liberties but its a ton of fun and the characters are great. Don't expect it to be a 1:1 to your favorite historian though. I think season 1 was far better than the second. A lot of people will blame it on the older actor used for Octavian in season 2, but I just think that the whole tone of the show is for the worse in season 2. Still I very much enjoy this show and am glad to add it to my collection. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on May 22, 2024 by Andrew
    • The Roman Civil War in Battlefield and Bedroom
The HBO / BBC TV series Rome, in two seasons, covers the behind the scenes events of the Roman Civil War. Act I brought Julius Caesar to power as dictator for life of the Republic, only to be assassinated on the senate floor. Act II is the alliance of Caesar's appointed heir, Octavian, with Caesar's former general and loyal ally, Mark Antony to defeat Pompey Maximus and the Senators. Act Three is when Mark Antony travels to his eastern half of the empire, becomes the lover of Cleopatra, and is finally defeated by Octavian and Marcus Agrippa. The obvious comparison of this series is with the famed series, I Claudius, which played on Masterpiece Theatre. The two series meld together perfectly, since Rome ends shortly after the battle of Actium, and I, Claudius opens with the celebration, 7 years later, of the victory at Actium by Augustus (nee Octavian), his wife Olivia, his daughter and son in law, and Marcus Agrippa. I, Claudius covers a period of unprecedented peace, often called Pax Augustus. "Rome" covers a period of almost constant civil war. Another big difference is that there are at least three intertwined circles where the action take place. The first is in the politics of the leaders, Caesar, Antony, Cicero, Cato, Pompey, Brutus, and Octavian. The second is between the houses of Caesar's niece, Atia of the Julii, and mother to Octavian versus Servilia, Caesar's lover, and mother of Marcus Brutus, one of Caesar's assassins. The third is in the lives of two soldiers, Lucius Vorenus, a centurion (lieutenant) and Titus Pullo, a legionnaire (private) in Caesar's elite 13th legion. These two men are actually mentioned in Caesar's books on the Gallic wars, but just barely mentioned, giving their characters a slim basis in history. Their lives weave in and out of the lives of the major players cited above. The most important connection is forged when "retired" legionnaire Pullo is hired by Atia to teach young Octavian how to fight. The two close friends set the scene in season one for the season two climax when they accompany Caesar to Alexandria and succeed in sneaking the "exiled" Cleopatra into the camp of Caesar, whereby Caesar deposes her younger brother and places her on the throne of Egypt. What may surprise us is what is missing. This history has been covered by both the greatest playwrights (Shakespeare, "Julius Caesar" and "Antony and Cleopatra" and George Bernard Shaw's "Caesar and Cleopatra", plus the Hollywood extravaganzas such as Burton and Taylor's "Cleopatra") Thus, we immediately miss the famous oration (I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him...) which Shakespeare puts into the mouth of Mark Antony, which is credited with turning the people against the assassins. There is also virtually no large scale combat. All the great battles of the Civil war, including the spectacular naval battle at Actium (shown in the film "Cleopatra") all happens in the background. The writers claim they have aimed less for historical accuracy than for "authenticity". I suspect they have been very successful in achieving that effect. This is not the Rome of "Cleopatra" or "Gladiator" or even "The Robe" and "Ben-Hur". This is a dirty city where the populace was always one step away from starvation if any twist of the civil war interrupted the grain shipments from Egypt. The streets seem to be ruled by "collegia", which appears to our eyes as an exact replica of Mafia families, run by graft, extortion, and murder. Except that their "product" was not primarily drugs, gambling, and prostitution (although there was lots of that to go around). It was primarily the staples of life, grain, olive oil, wine, and pork. Sometimes these collegia worked with the government, and sometimes they didn't. One dreadfully realistic aspect of ancient Roman politics is that political assassination was accepted as simply one of many tools for doing business. This is another way in which the ancient Roman government seems to have been run like the Corleone family in "The Godfather". A big similarity between "Rome" and "I, Claudius" was the presence of slaves at every level, even at the highest. Caesar's most trusted advisor was a slave, probably Greek, named Posca. He plays a key role at several turn, yet the pamphlet of principle characters is so full, they don't even list him. This highlights one of the weaknesses in the overall structure of the series. There are so many minor and intermediate characters, it is hard to keep them all straight, especially Atia, Servilia, and their households. Oddly enough, even second ranked male characters such as Cato, Cicero, Timon, and Pompey are easier to tell apart by both dress and manner. I found that the underlying source of antagonism between the two principle women was never really brought out. One is unsure whether the primary reason is sexual or political. There may be one or two side stories, such as the fortunes of Atia's Jewish mercenary, who is urged to join his older brother to assassinate Herod the Great when he comes to court favor with the new triumvirate, Octavian, Antony, and Lepidus. Lepidus is another unfortunate loose end, but the writers are stuck with him, since he was a loose end in the actual history of the Civil War. These may interwoven threads with their loose ends is the one area where "Rome" suffers most in comparison to "I, Claudius". Another is in the quality of the acting and directing. "I, Claudius" had several important, recognizable actors such as John Hurt, Sian Phillips, Patrick Stewart, John Rhys-Davies, Derek Jacobi, and Brian Blessed. Most of "Rome" actors are unfamiliar to us, although the four most important parts, Ciarin Hinds as Caesar, James Purefoy as Mark Antony, Kevin McKidd as Vorenus, and Ray Stevenson as Pullo carry off their roles quite well, especially Stevenson, who may actually be familiar to American viewers for his roles in American movies such as "The Book of Eli" and "King Arthur". In case you didn't notice the content rating, this series would easily rate an R rating if it were shown in theatres. Every episode has one or more soft core porn scenes. To be sure, sexual passions were one of the driving motivations for the characters, especially Mark Antony and the two lead women, but one does get the sense that these scenes are added as eye candy and less for their dramatic importance. One almost prefers "I, Claudius", with its one very short scene, and ambitions driven by power, to the testosterone drenched atmosphere of "Rome". "Rome" is very high quality entertainment. If I were to give "I, Claudius" an A, "Rome" would get a "B+". ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on May 25, 2011 by B. Marold
    • A Super Soap Opera
Five stars for the set, the costuming, and the buildings! All of it in this movie were superb! I can readily see the vast expense the producers and directors went to in filming Rome; they spared no expense, spared no detail. All I can say is, if I had what the set for this movie cost in my checking account, I would be one happy camper. All the critiques I read of this movie raved about it and thus prompted me to purchase the entire series. My wife and I watched it together over a period of several days. And we were both quite disappointed. I gave the film three stars only because the costuming and sets were beyond phenomenal. I had expected to see a story of the Roman people perhaps covering several generations, something akin to “The Rise and Fall of The Roman Empire”, but this was not to be; instead, we watched an X-rated soap opera rife with family dysfunction, treachery, betrayal, coarse profanity, brutal violence, and graphic (and sometimes brutal) sex as stated by the editorial review. As far as I could tell, that is all there basically was to the entire story. The tale meandered hither, thither and yon and I waited in vain for the real point to the story, for the real climax, but the only climax I saw were the ones achieved by the Roman characters on the screen. The story line had no real defined point and, for hours on end over 11 CD’s, just ambled and meandered from one incident to another, heartthrob to heartthrob, with no real reason or point to the story. At times, it was difficult to follow what was going on with some of the scenarios which I felt were injected perhaps as fillers from time to time to flesh out the allotted time, punctuated by crude sex, full nudity and foul language. Yes, in human life, all these things are certainly a reality, but when one pays some $50 plus another $6.00 shipping and handling, I expected at least a story of some worth to accompany all this murder, nudity, flesh and desire. Alas, but this was not to be. While it more or less held my interest, the story dragged on and on, slowly, never achieving any point in particular, jumping from one incident to another, and then suddenly ended as the bodies of Mark Anthony and Cleopatra were paraded by on a cart while the Romans looked on. I was left with the feeling, “I watched all these hours and it ends like this? Did the camera suddenly run out of film?” For those who enjoy the daily soap operas, with sex, cheating, nudity and so on ad nauseum, then Rome is for you. However, please note there certainly isn’t much of a story to it and definitely not worth fifty bucks. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on March 10, 2013 by Jack

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