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List Price: $59.99 | | Label: HBO Home Video
Salesrank: 1507
Released: August 7, 2007 |
| Our Price: $31.58 |
| Used Price: $19.94 |
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MPAA Rating: Unrated
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
The year is 44 B.C. Julius Caesar has been assassinated and civil war threatens to destroy the Republic. In the void left by Caesar's demise, egos clash and numerous players jockey for position. The brutally ambitious Mark Antony attempts to solidify his power, aligning himself with Atia, but coming to blows with her cunning son Octavian, who has been anointed in Caesar's will as his only son and heir. Meanwhile Titus Pullo attempts to pull his friend Lucius Vorenus out of the darkness that has engulfed his soul in the wake of personal tragedy. For once again, the fates of these two mismatched soldiers seem inexorably tied to the fate of Rome itself.
Description of Rome: The Complete Second Season:
Unlike another certain celebrated HBO series, Rome's end will satisfy those swept up in its lavishly mounted spectacle and invested in the human dramas of the historical figures and fictional characters. 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 (Kevin McKidd) and Titus "Violence is the only trade I know" Pullo (Ray Stevenson), 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 (an Emmy-worthy Polly Walker), 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's second season does not scrimp on the series' sex and violence, in both cases exceedingly brutal. But in this cauldron of treachery and betrayal, words, too, are vicious, as when a defiant Atia ominously tells Octavian's new wife, Livia, "Far better women that you have sworn to [destroy me]. Go look for them now." 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
Rome: The Complete Second Season Reviews:
"A Series Of Epic Proportions" 
2009-12-23 - Season two of HBO's "Rome" continues the story of what happened in Ancient Rome when Julius Caesar is murdered and his empire is fought over by evil Antony and Caesar's son Octavian. The beautiful friendship between soldiers Lusius and Titus continues as Lucius deals with disowning his children and coming to terms that they may have been murdered before he had a chance to tell them he truely loved them. The highlight of season two, however, is the campy, yet extraordinary performance of Polly Walker as Atia who continues her sordid affair with sexy Antony and attempts to destroy Caesar's wife Servilia by poisoning her and getting her assaulted. "Rome" is typical soap opera, but produced with the greatest production values ever for any television series along with amazing acting. Sadly, season two of "Rome" would be its last as HBO couln't afford any more seasons with the series' high production costs. "Rome" is daring, more so than other shows of its kind for its explicit use of sex scenes, the violence it depicts, and strong language, but these are attributes that make "Rome" an original, and the producers should be applauded for their inventiveness. "Rome-Season 2" has a slew of bonus features including commentary on five episodes (10 shows are included this season), interviews, and a making of featurette on "Rome". Word is a feature-length film is in post production with most of the cast already signed. Both season one and two of "Rome" are also available in a "Complete Series Set".
Great Show
2009-12-23 - This was an excellent HBO series. I'm sorry it didn't continue into a 3rd season.
One of my all time favorite series...
2009-12-05 - Drawn completely in by the first season, I couldn't wait to see how Octavian developed and what Marc Anthony did to avenge Caesar. Having studied Roman history I am aware of the facts, but to see them so faithfully portrayed in a work of fiction is absolutely amazing.
What is even more amazing is to see how the first season ended, with many of the main characters dead, and see how the second series would pick up and do just as well as the first season. The drama is powerful, the history is real and potent. The fictional characters Vorenus and Pullo a real and believable. The portrayal of not only Rome but of Egypt are so rich in detail that you can't help feel as though you were there.
I was heartbroken to see that the series was not to continue for a third season. It is understandable since costs were prohibitive, but also the fact that they had exhausted and killed off so many characters, remaining faithful to history, that it would be hard to continue on the series from there. No doubt Augustus Octavian Caesar's reign as emperor would have had enough fuel to power the show on, it is hard to reintroduce so many new characters into the series since, really, only Pullo, Octavian, Octavia and Atia are the only original characters still present.
That being said I absolutely love this series and rank this as one of my all time favorite shows to watch. I was eager to watch each episode, lost for an hour at a time before realizing it, and not the least worried about closure, since each series had closure in and of itself. I would recommend this series whole heartedly to any and all interested in watching a new series for its history and its drama.
5 stars.
Phenomenal! Best depiction of Rome ever!
2009-11-25 - When I was younger, I used to love watching movies like Spartacus, not so much because they provided particularly great depictions of ancient Rome, but because they were the way anybody get any sense of the grandeur of the Roman empire. In fact, looking back, those films were often quite cheesy. Hollywood stopped making movies about ancient Rome for a long while, until Gladiator came out in 2000. As a movie, Gladiator was awesome and showed a vastly more realistic yet grander Rome than ever before seen in Hollywood. Yet, as history, the movie had its flaws (most notably that it distorted the historical record quite bit). However, I'd despaired that it would be the pinnacle of our ability to visualize Rome.
I was pleasantly surprised to find that HBO did an excellent job at recreating the ancient Roman empire in its miniseries Rome. At first, I was suspicious, worried that Rome would become twisted by HBO, the same creators of Sex and the City. Yet, the series is awesome. In terms of the production quality, it looks and feels like a big budget movie (indeed, the cost of the series eventually doomed it). The acting, visual effects, and soundtrack are exceptional (be sure to get Jeff Beal's soundtrack Rome: Music from the HBO Series).
HBO also took care to portray Rome in a somewhat historically accurate fashion. HBO hired expert historians and consultants for every detail. Unlike most movies about ancient Rome, HBO did not shy away from portraying the less glamorous sides of Rome. In fact, much of the series deals with everyday citizens, from prostitutes to roving gangs. This in turn means that the series includes a lot of explicit sex and violence. While this means the series isn't appropriate for kids or the faint of heart, it does mean that Rome shows Rome as it actually was.
One thing I love about this series is that it deals with the last years of the Roman Republic, one of the most compelling eras in history. Most movies and TV shows shy away from historically important events, but HBO tackles it with gusto. The show manages to remain historically accurate while using actual historical to provide the drama in the show. HBO did a great job finding actors to portray Julius Caesar, Pompey, Mark Antony, Cato, and the rest of the dramatis personae (although I wasn't as pleased with their choices for the Augustus side of the family - see below). At times, you almost feel like you traveled back in a time machine to witness these epic events. If you're interested in this period, I'd recommend Tom Holland's Rubicon: The Last Years of the Roman Republic for more depth on events during the period. I only wish the series had been longer rather than only two seasons - it would have great to have seen the Battle of the Teutoberg Forest in 9 AD, or the end of Augustus' reign. However, apparently the budget for the show grew so large that HBO (foolishly) decided to cancel it.
My only criticism of the show is the portrayal of Augustus and his mother, Atia (Polly Walker). Historians don't necessarily have accurate information on the personalities of these figures, and there probably isn't a "definitive" interpretation of their lives. Still, I thought the show took a few too many liberties. While Atia in real life was probably cunning and ambitious, Polly Walker's version of Atia makes her into a psychotic and sadistic woman. In one scene, she even has a torture room and tortures Servilla. There's no historical basis for any of that, and it does seem a bit outlandish. For his part, Augustus as played by Simon Woods seemed a bit too dull and cynical. Again, while I'm sure Augustus must have had excellent political acumen to rise so high, he was also a brilliant administrator and did have a vision for Rome. I just didn't think HBO's depiction of either character stood up well or resembled what I had read in Anthony Everitt's excellent Augustus: The Life of Rome's First Emperor.
A quick note about the DVDs themselves. They are excellent quality and include hours of bonus materials, including deleted scenes and "making of" featurettes. I found some of the commentary about the interpretation of the characters pretty interesting. IF you or anybody you know loves ancient Roman history, Rome should definitely be on your Christmas list.
Why Do Good Things Always Come to an End?
2009-10-26 - Yes, there are enough 5 star reviews out there for Rome, but I had to weigh in. This is a completely entertaining series that will make you want to keep watching even if it is already midnight and you have to get up in the morning. The creators of Rome did a fine job of intersecting the lives of wealthy, upper class Romans with those of the middle and lower classes that leaves the viewer with a better understanding of what life might have been like in Roman times. Moreover, the series blends the big, historical events of Roman times with those smaller, daily-life events that give you a sense of what it must have been like to live in those times. The acting is exceptional. How can you not love and hate Polly Walker's Atia or James Purefoy's Marc Antony?? I am so completely happy with this series and only wish there was more, but alas, all good things must come to an end.
