As one reviewer has quoted, it has the appeal in 'eye candy' which is what an epic is all about. This had it all, but purported to display it as history (Well, I suppose they ALL do!) A classical world soap opera, especially with lovey-dovey interest with Loren and Boyd (Naturally being a 'sixties film it was going to have 'love interest' - perhaps as the boyfriend was going to take the girlfriend to see it!).
There were however some good actors in it, Sophia Loren as Lucilla and Alec Guinness as the Emperor Marcus Aurelius. Boyd (Livius) has never been a great actor and in some ways he reprises his role from Ben Hur dressed in Roman garb, only he's the good guy this time - even though he has his men push some deserters over the edge of a bridge as a punishment ! - "Thus does Rome punish cowards!"! He's at odds with Aurelius' son, Commodus, who, although the heir to the throne on Aurelius' death (Which conveniently happens) basically wants to destroy the barbarians and not make peace with them, like Aurelius wanted. For that reason Aurelius entrusted Livius as his heir, to carry out the good deeds, but Livius, after now being estranged by his boyhood friend, Commodus, (Understandably!) actually turns over the Emperor-ship TO Commodus, mainly because the Emperor forgot tell anyone BUT Livius and Lucilla and was murdered before he could publicly name his heir. In the hope he'll mature, also, Livius thinks he's done the right thing letting Commodus rule (But he doesn't mature which sets the two on collision-course over the Empire as Livius strives to carry out Aurelius' last aspirations).
Anthony Quayle as the sidekick gladiator to Christopher Plummer's megalomaniac Commodus and James Mason as Timonides do quite well. But it must be said the spectacle seems the best thing, the sets truly are outstanding.
Although there's no arena as such, the climax of the 'gladiatorial contest' between Livius and Commodus in the 'make-shift' arena of shields is well-handled, as is a chariot-race and some battles with the barbarians. With respect to the latter a lot of it is also centred on the barbarian frontier, and it copes quite well here in producing the atmosphere of isolation, savagery and beauty at the same time (As well as cold weather - I watched this film on New Year's Eve in 1983 and I made sure the fire was going!).
It also shows the intrigue of sycophantic senators to the Emperor with other fine actors, Eric Porter and Douglas Wilmer sliming up to Commodus (And the odd good one in Finlay Currie).
Livius though, a war-hero of the barbarian frontier humbled and turned into a peace-seeking soldier much like an early day UN which Marcus Aurelius envisaged is pitted against Commodus to march on Rome against him.
All in all watchable, kind of must-see for the sets, but lacking something compared to the other epics that preceded it. Excellent score by Dimitri Tiomkin though. It was a flop at the box office, maybe the title had something to do with that - but what else could you call it?
There were however some good actors in it, Sophia Loren as Lucilla and Alec Guinness as the Emperor Marcus Aurelius. Boyd (Livius) has never been a great actor and in some ways he reprises his role from Ben Hur dressed in Roman garb, only he's the good guy this time - even though he has his men push some deserters over the edge of a bridge as a punishment ! - "Thus does Rome punish cowards!"! He's at odds with Aurelius' son, Commodus, who, although the heir to the throne on Aurelius' death (Which conveniently happens) basically wants to destroy the barbarians and not make peace with them, like Aurelius wanted. For that reason Aurelius entrusted Livius as his heir, to carry out the good deeds, but Livius, after now being estranged by his boyhood friend, Commodus, (Understandably!) actually turns over the Emperor-ship TO Commodus, mainly because the Emperor forgot tell anyone BUT Livius and Lucilla and was murdered before he could publicly name his heir. In the hope he'll mature, also, Livius thinks he's done the right thing letting Commodus rule (But he doesn't mature which sets the two on collision-course over the Empire as Livius strives to carry out Aurelius' last aspirations).
Anthony Quayle as the sidekick gladiator to Christopher Plummer's megalomaniac Commodus and James Mason as Timonides do quite well. But it must be said the spectacle seems the best thing, the sets truly are outstanding.
Although there's no arena as such, the climax of the 'gladiatorial contest' between Livius and Commodus in the 'make-shift' arena of shields is well-handled, as is a chariot-race and some battles with the barbarians. With respect to the latter a lot of it is also centred on the barbarian frontier, and it copes quite well here in producing the atmosphere of isolation, savagery and beauty at the same time (As well as cold weather - I watched this film on New Year's Eve in 1983 and I made sure the fire was going!).
It also shows the intrigue of sycophantic senators to the Emperor with other fine actors, Eric Porter and Douglas Wilmer sliming up to Commodus (And the odd good one in Finlay Currie).
Livius though, a war-hero of the barbarian frontier humbled and turned into a peace-seeking soldier much like an early day UN which Marcus Aurelius envisaged is pitted against Commodus to march on Rome against him.
All in all watchable, kind of must-see for the sets, but lacking something compared to the other epics that preceded it. Excellent score by Dimitri Tiomkin though. It was a flop at the box office, maybe the title had something to do with that - but what else could you call it?