A compelling portrayal by Palance, and just Nero also. Basically lots of turnabouts reminisces the s.w. genre cycle is about just this. Standout theme is the whistle tune and nothing else quite like that. Something else: Carnival is a recurring theme here showing up with masked people, clowns, showing this element of the fun, the actors going another dimension where even the characters wear masks. As for Nero, certainly an emperor worth portrayal of cooly done up.