Product ReviewsRome - The Complete First Season (DVD, 2006, 6-Disc Set)

Rome, the HBO series

When I die, I would like to be able to return and view the human struggle first hand by traveling through time and space. As a history buff, I was disappointed in Hollywood's rendition of events in the past that resonate throughout time. This collection of "Rome" depicts a more authentic scenario and richer panorama than previous films and thus earns my praise. Some of the dialogue however, seems contemporary but the portrayal of the double speak transcends language. Obviously, Romans spoke in latin and much is lost in the translation but the human aspect of what life was at that time (they were THE first world) is depicted fairly accurately imho. The wardrobe is quite accurate and the urban sprawl probably resembles more accurately what it was like in 1st century BC. So far, I would give this a 2 thumbs up. Hopefully, the sequels will keep the faith and not become a costly soap opera. Just IMHO.Read full review...

Slightly Flawed, but still Great!

This is my review of 'Rome'. I ordered it sight-unseen. When it came I was pleasantly surprised to find a very rugged box which opened in a manner that gave absolute protection to its contents. I wished every boxed set came like this. Inside was the usual fold-out box containing the discs, as well as a small booklet. Overall I would give it an extra star just for the packaging.

First, it was not as historical as I would have liked. They seem to have had trouble finding a strong, self-serving female character to match what is written about succeeding generations (Julia Livia, Valeria Messalina and Agrippina the Younger), so they took two fairly ordinary women and made them into earlier counterparts. History records very little about Atia, mother of Gaius Octavias, and Servilia, mother of Marcus Brutus, as respectable and pious women. On the other hand where would the fun be in that?

And 'Rome' is meant to be fun. Brutal, decadent, violent and dirty fun, but fun nonetheless. What it does tell of historic events, from the struggle between Caesar and Pompey to the final fight between Octavius and Marcus Antonius, it weaves a tale of intrigue and war covering the fall of the Republic to the creation of the Empire, and it weaves it very well. All the characters get plenty of air time, and all remain true to their belief in Mother Rome. They just have different feelings about how that belief could be best fulfilled.

My only other complaint would be about the major battles. They are rarely seen onscreen, and when they are it's usually wrong. That said, the local tactics, how the soldiers actually did the fighting, is carefully explained. It seemed odd to me, but it didn't diminish my enjoyment of the show itself.

The two main "fictional" characters, Lucius Vorenus and Titus Pullo, were real people, and the only "average" men mentioned by Caesar in his own writings. They are only mentioned once, in reference to an action the two carried out, so the characters we get here are indeed wholly fictional. That said, they help carry the story along and show what life was like for the common Roman citizen.

I started with the "bad". My complaints really are minor, and the good of the show far outweighs the bad. For me the best part of the boxed set was the extras on the discs. There is a feature called 'All Roads Lead To Rome'. It enables an onscreen explanation for much of the action. When a character makes an offering to a god it tells you who that god was and why and how offerings were made. When a major historical character takes an action it tells you more about what was going on, what they said, what they did and what they wrote about it afterwards.

I have many complaints, all of them minor, but overall 'Rome' is well written, well directed, well acted, well packaged and well worth the money.Read full review...

Rome is the best of HBO's history based series.

I have watched Rome from the beginning and could not wait to add the DVDs to my home collection. I am looking forward the Complete Second Season.
I think the writing is very well done. I particularly enjoy the role the women play in manipulating history.
The acting is great. The scenery and costumes are fantastic.
Every episode has left me surprised - it is amazing how unpredictable the characters and stories can be even though it is about the Roman history.
I like the little side stories and twists.
I recommend purchasing the Rome series.Read full review...

Buying for less than retail

I had watched Rome on HBO last year and really enjoyed the production quality, story line and the acting, I guess I'm a fan! Wanted to buy a copy but just couldn't push myself to pay $79.95 plus tax at the local retailer, so I decided to have a look on E-Bay I had heard about some great deals some people had made and decided to check it out on this vid. It took me awile but I found my way around and bought a new never opened copy for $42.00, wow almost half price. I'm sorry if this sounds like an advertisment, it's not but on this deal it worked out great for me.

Good LuckRead full review...

ROME The HBO series

I love ROME! It's a great historical telenovela with all the traps and trimmings of love, friendship, betrayal, incest, conquest and intrigue which one should expect of those decandent ancients! If you are familiar with any basic history of Julius Caesar's rise to power and the end of Republican Rome you'll love it. Even if you don't but enjoy good soap operas you will enjoy it as well. If you have seen "I Claudius" this is a must see as a prequel. There's no dry history here. Sure, it's not all gospel acurate history but who cares? What makes up for any inacuracies are attention to realistic cultural aspects of everyday life which leave one full of fascination and wonderment of the Roman's life and times. Basically, it's a fun trip to the past! FOUR STARSRead full review...

Rome- quite an adventure and well worth watching

I love this series! I have always enjoyed epic movies, and this one takes the cake. HBO has done an incredible job with the set, costuming, historical trueness, casting, everything. I watched the series when it was originally aired, but there is so much to each show that you have to watch it a couple of times to make sure you caught it all. I have watched the series again 3 times in a row and am still finding myself going, "oh now I get it." Anyone who enjoys the old stories of Rome, Ceaser, loves history or a good love drama, war scene, or adult content soap opera will LOVE Rome.Read full review...

DVD FAVORITES

THE DECADENCE & BRUTALITY OF THE ERA IS WONDERFULLY PORTRAYED. THE FRUITION OF A BITTER RIVALRY BETWEEN MARK ANTONY & OCTAVIAN BECOMES CENTER STAGE AFTER THE DEATH OF CAESAR. AS SENATORS TRY TO ASSUME ROLE OF CAESAR & PLOT MARK ANTONY'S & THE FAMILY OF CAESAR'S ASSASINATION/EXILE, YOUNG OCTAVIAN "SURPRISINGLY" INHERITS TITLE OF CAESAR, SHOCKING ALL. HOWEVER, MARK ANTONY HAS PLANS OF HIS OWN, WHICH WORK TO HIS ADVANTAGE AS OCTAVIAN'S MOTHER'S LOVER. HE MANIPULATES THE SENATORS & KILLS HIS ENEMIES OFF & TRIES TO GOVERN ROME & ITS WEALTH. OCTAVIAN STILL A YOUNG BRAT IN ANTONY'S EYES REGARDLESS, WANTS TO MANAGE ROME'S WEALTH & HAS HIS HEART SET ON TAKING UP THE CHALLENGE AS CAESAR, ANTONY BEATS OCTAVIAN FOR HIS DEFIANCE OF HIM & OCTAVIAN FLEES ROME TO GATHER HIS OWN ARMY TO RETURN & TAKE HIS RIGHTFUL PLACE AS CAESAR. IT MAKES FOR A SPECTACULAR SEASON 2 FYI!!Read full review...

History visualized

To anyone familiar with the history of the last years of the Roman Republic and its' transition to the Roman Empire all the names of the major players are as well known as our own. Gaius Julius Caesar, Marc Antony, Gaius Pompey Magnus, Gaius Brutus, Cassius, Gaius Octavian, Cicero and so on, were the stuff of high school classes in Western Civ and any number of media productions since. The story has been told and retold accurately and well, a la History Channel, and not so accurately and not so well, a la movies like "Cleopatra" and "Julius Caesar" to name a few. Colleen McCullough's magnificent historical novels covering much the same period, while a real achievement and a treat to read, can be heavy going for someone looking for "light" entertainment.
Now comes HBO's "Rome". Produced in conjunction with the BBC and rumoured to be one of the most expensive projects ever undertaken for the small screen, "Rome" remains true to the historical record and is immensly entertaining television in it's own right.
Season one takes us from the conclusion of Caesar's Gallic wars, through the civil war with Pompey, and up to his eventual assassination. The series follows not only the major characters whose names we know, but two ordinary legionaries and their lives in a turbulent time. These parallel stories do intersect at many points but remain seperate enough to hold our interest individually. The story of the two legionaries, whose names Titus Pullo and Lucius Vorenus are real and come directly from Caesar's commentaries as soldiers who saved each other's lives, is used to show us the everyday life of a Roman citizen - warts, violence, amorality, uncertainty and all. The performences here are so well done that it is impossible not to like these two "odd couple" characters and, in some respects, theirs is the more interesting story.
Beautifully photographed, lavishly set, well acted and well paced, "Rome" is a feast for the eyes and well worth the time spent to view it.
Personally, I am not in the habit of purchasing DVD sets of television series I have already seen. "Rome: Season One" has been an exception.
As I write this, Season Two is already two episodes old and is promising to be as good or even better than the first. Should it continue as it has started, I will need to save space on my bookshelf for the Season Two DVD set when that becomes available. My only disappointment has been the announcement by HBO that, due to the prohibitive costs of producing a series like "Rome", there will be no Season Three.Read full review...

A Magnificent Prequel to "I, Claudius."

Whereas "I, Claudius," spanned 60 years and the lives of Rome's first four emperors, HBO's "Rome" deals with the struggle for control of the empire between Julius Caesar and Pompey, so the scope is much narrower given a time span of less than 10 years. And this is a good thing because it permits a more detailed observation of the characters and the various plots they contrive or by which they are affected. "I, Claudius" begins with Augustus having recently taken control of the empire; in "Rome" Octavian (who will later become Augustus) begins as a boy and grows to young manhood, under the control of wicked Atia, his mother and Julius' neice. The machinations between Atia and Julius's mistress, Sevilia, who is the mother of Brutus, largely control the history of the series. Julius is magnanimous, to a fault, to his enemies. Mark Antony is somewhat sinister and as Julius' right-hand man, the perfect counterpoint to Caesar's generosity. But where "Rome" excels is its portrayal of the Roman everyman, reflected in the lives of its main characters, Lucius Vorenus and Titus Pullo, veterans of the 13th Legion and the Gallic Wars. Through them the series not only conveys the major historical plot the Roman aristocracy experienced but also shows how difficult (and dangerous) the day-to-day life of the city's citizens was. I don't know that there will be a second season of "Rome" from HBO, but I sincerely hope there will be. I would love to see a more detailed series that deals with the rise and reign of each of the Caesars in just the way that series one dealt with Julius and Pompey's conflict. In the meantime, "I, Claudius," and "Rome," are magnificent bookends of a largely forgotten era in the rise of western civilization.Read full review...

Great series!

I watched this 2-year series when it first aired on HBO years ago. I was glued it. Fabulous historical story, great acting, great scenery. Even if you're not a history buff, I think you will enjoy Rome.Read full review...

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