DramaHistoryWar

The Fall of the Roman Empire

- Never before a spectacle like the fall of the Roman empire

In the year 180 A.D. Germanic tribes are about to invade the Roman empire from the north. In the midst of this crisis ailing emperor Marcus Aurelius has to make a decision about his successor between his son Commodus, who is obsessed by power, and the loyal general Gaius Livius.

Release Date : 1964-03-24

Language :English

Adult : false

Status : Released

Production Company : Samuel Bronston ProductionsParamount Pictures

Production Country : United States of America

Alternative Titles :

Cast

Character Name : Lucilla

Original Name : Sophia Loren

Gender : Female

Character Name : Livius

Original Name : Stephen Boyd

Gender : Male

Character Name : Marcus Aurelius

Original Name : Alec Guinness

Gender : Male

Character Name : Timonides

Original Name : James Mason

Gender : Male

Character Name : Commodus

Original Name : Christopher Plummer

Gender : Male

Character Name : Verulus

Original Name : Anthony Quayle

Gender : Male

Character Name : Ballomar

Original Name : John Ireland

Gender : Male

Character Name : Sohamus

Original Name : Omar Sharif

Gender : Male

Character Name : Cleander

Original Name : Mel Ferrer

Gender : Male

Character Name : Julianus

Original Name : Eric Porter

Gender : Male

Character Name : Senator

Original Name : Finlay Currie

Gender : Male

Character Name : Polybius

Original Name : Andrew Keir

Gender : Male

Character Name : Niger

Original Name : Douglas Wilmer

Gender : Male

Character Name : Victorinus

Original Name : George Murcell

Gender : Male

Character Name : Virgilianus

Original Name : Norman Wooland

Gender : Male

Character Name : Cornelius

Original Name : Michael Gwynn

Gender : Male

Character Name : Marcellus

Original Name : Virgílio Teixeira

Gender : Male

Character Name : Claudius

Original Name : Peter Damon

Gender : Male

Character Name : Lentulus

Original Name : Rafael Luis Calvo

Gender : Male

Character Name : Helva

Original Name : Lena von Martens

Gender : Female

Character Name : Barbarian (uncredited)

Original Name : Roland Carey

Gender : Male

Character Name : Part of Court (uncredited)

Original Name : Margaret Fuller

Gender : Female

Character Name : Gladiators Trainer (uncredited)

Original Name : Mario Ghignone

Gender : Male

Character Name : Tauna (uncredited)

Original Name : Gabriella Licudi

Gender : Female

Character Name : Brother of Livius (uncredited)

Original Name : Jeffrey O'Kelly

Gender : Male

Character Name : Opening Narrator (voice / uncredited)

Original Name : Robert Rietti

Gender : Male

Character Name : Marius (uncredited)

Original Name : Guy Rolfe

Gender : Male

Character Name : Soldier on Horse (uncredited)

Original Name : José Terrón

Gender : Male

Character Name : Barbarian (uncredited)

Original Name : Friedrich von Ledebur

Gender : Male

Character Name : Roman Citizen, Slave Woman (uncredited)

Original Name : Patricia Wright

Gender : Female

Reviews

CinemaSerf

@Geronimo1967

2024-06-01

It's amidst the frozen forests of Germany that we meet Caesar Marcus Aurelius (Alec Guinness) who is pondering a crucial question. He is ailing, aware that he'll be with his gods soon and that his son "Commodus" (Christopher Plummer) should not be entrusted with the empire. That honour ought to go to his childhood friend, and the emperor's commander "Livius" (Stephen Boyd). When he announces this, it leaves the honourable general with a conundrum - not helped by his love for the princess "Lucilla" (Sophia Loren). Thanks to an apple and a very dodgy paring knife, things come to an head and what might have seemed like the honourable thing to do at the time soon comes home to bite "Livius" as his new boss turns out to be every bit as bad as his father had feared. With the empire facing battles on many fronts, the scheming Armenian king "Sohamus" (Omar Sharif) up to mischief in the East - he's now also married to "Livilla", it looks like a battle royal will have to take place to save Rome from itself and it's foes. This is a great looking and sumptuously staged drama with loads of attention to detail both in the wilderness of the trees and with the lavishness of the Imperial court. A veritable all-star cast support too - James Mason, a slightly wooden Anthony Quayle and a brief appearance from Mel Ferrer all add colour to the thing, but it's the surfeit of writing that slows down the pace. There's just way too much chat and not enough action. That said when it does liven up then the grand-scale battle scenes are superbly photographed by Robert Krasker. In the end, the whole just isn't the sum of it's parts, and though gorgeous, Loren doesn't look remotely interested in much, if any, of the proceedings. It'd be hard to shave much from it's three hour running time and make much difference, I think it just doesn't quite work often enough.