Murder, corruption, coitus, war, tyrannicide, lesbianism, witchcraft,
deities, breasts, large penises…’IT’S EDUCATIONAL!’ as The Pixies might say. Considering the popularity, or at least, spectacle of Hollywood’s renaissance with the swords and skirts epics: Gladiator, Troy, Alexander, et al, it was only a matter of time before Gladiator: The Series raised its hackneyed head; yet we may have feared not; brothers, for Rome, the amalgamated works of drama-titans HBO and the BBC, is an study of ancient civilisations not through it’s scale, but through the eyes of its people; chiefly two soldiers of the 13th Legion: Lucius Vorenus (Kevin McKidd) – the staunch traditionalist, and Titus Pullo (Ray Stevenson) – warrior, happy-go-lucky thug and impudent womaniser.
Season 1 starts with Gaius Julius Caesar’s (Ciarán Hinds) altercation and eventual triumph over armies of Gaul – his triumphs on the battlefield have taken Caesar from nobleman to chief conqueror, amassed with riches, slaves and popularity within the Roman army. Caesar’s once trusted colleague and fellow chieftain Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus (Kenneth Cranham) has stayed in Rome during Caesar’s absence, and the rift between the two lends the series’ focal point and changes the lives and fates of everyone in the heartland. As you can guess, it all ends in tears. Or rather, knife wounds.
Considering the wealth of history dealt with within the series (around 6 or 7 years of politics and war) and taking into account a less exuberant budget than the movie adaptations (kudos should be given for filming in Rome and also rebuilding it’s 52BC décor and architecture convincingly with scaffold and polystyrene) – vital scenes, particularly the great war between Pompeius and Caesar is brushed over with a simple: ‘Tell Rome I have won’. Moreover, for the sake of narrative, Verenus and Pullo’s omnipresence, from Robinson Crusoe-styled marooning, to Gladitorial combat, to ‘doing’ Cleopatra, all gives a slight whiff of character-opportunism, yet despite the rest of the brilliantly written and acted characters – from future emperor Octavian and Octavia’s altercations with their amoral and calculating mother, to Servilla’s scorn over her abandonment by Caesar – it is our Legionary heroes and their touching friendship that the audience are drawn to; along with Pullo’s one-sided and sweet-natured love for a slave girl, and Lucius’s prickly attempts at re-establishing a bond with his family.
Rome is awash with Aristocratic flappings, debauchery and strewn blood and despite its unavoidable corner cutting, it is a wondrous achievement in historical re-enactment and dramatic craftsmanship, acted – despite the occasional clunky dialogue – admirably by all concerned. Considering the premature death’s of HBO’s other efforts; - the magnificent Carnivàle was cancelled after its second season, the excellent Deadwood struggles to find a British audience and The Mighty Sopranos will spit its final obscenity – for the series continuation, we should all sacrifice a baby lamb in the name of Bacchus and Fortuna. When in Rome… as they say.