"Empire" (2005) TV mini-series

Directors:

John Gray
Kim Manners

Writers:

Sara B. Cooper (writer)
Chip Johannessen (writer)

Release Date:

28 June 2005 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Drama | History

Plot:

Epic four-hour series about the rise of Octavius who succeeds Julius Caesar and tangles with Marc Anthony for control of the Roman empire and finally went on to become the emperor Augustus.

Plot Keywords:

Julius Caesar | Roman Empire | Assassination | Emperor | Betrayal

Awards:

1 win & 2 nominations

Cast

Santiago Cabrera	...	Octavius
Vincent Regan	...	Marc Antony
Emily Blunt	...	Camane
James Frain	...	Brutus
Jonathan Cake	...	Tyrannus
Christopher Egan	...	Agrippa (2005) (2005) (as Chris Egan)
Michael Maloney	...	Cassius
Fiona Shaw	...	Fulvia
Colm Feore	...	Caesar
Michael Byrne	...	Cicero
Orla Brady	...	Atia
Trudie Styler	...	Servilia
Graham McTavish	...	General Rapax
Dennis Haysbert	...	Magonius
Amanda Root	...	Noella

Runtime:

360 min (including commercials) (6 parts) | Finland:236 min (DVD)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Singapore:M18 | Australia:M | USA:TV-14 | Finland:K-15

Filming Locations:

Rome, Lazio, Italy

Company:

Storyline Entertainment

Trivia:

Real swords were used in close-up shots for authenticity. This risky decision resulted in Jonathan Cake being cut during filming for the first episode. The cut became infected and Cake required hospital treatment.

Goofs:

Continuity: During the final battle between Antony's and Octavius's armies, Tyranus removes two silver emblems from his chest to denounce Antony and fight for Octavius. In the next shot, they are there again. Later, they disappear once more.

Quotes:

Octavius: What animal forest spirit shoots an arrow into a man's arm at 500 yards?
Agrippa: A good-shot spirit?

Movie Connections:

Version of Imperium: Augustus (2003) (TV)

Junk

Imagine, 2000 years from now, someone decides to tell the story of George Bush. Sure, there are historical records about the time, but why not just make things up as you go along, to "improve" the story? So...there was once an elected king of America, Bush I, whose son wanted to succeed him; but Bush II was challenged by the evil Prince Gore. The people voted and chose Gore, but the 12 Lords of Justice decided the match should be decided by a duel, in which Bush II killed Gore. Hooray! Then America was attacked by a missile fired by King Saddam of Arabia. Bush II, already famous as a fighter pilot, led a jet attack on Saddam, and brought back his head on a stick, which was mounted atop the statue of Abraham Lincoln in the capitol, New York. And so on...

And that's about how seriously the makers of EMPIRE take one of the most crucial, and well-documented, episodes in all of history, the aftermath of the assassination of Julius Caesar and the beginnings of the Roman Empire. Why bother with the incredibly fascinating reality of the people and their times, when we can just make up anything we want? It's all just fodder for the Hollywood TV grist mill, which provides wish-fulfillment fantasies for viewers whom the filmmakers hold beneath contempt. Sad.

Beyond the ludicrous flights of fancy and boneheaded mistakes, some of the glitches are simply careless bloopers, as when the black general (yes, they made him up, too) refers to the "Serbian Walls" that encircle Rome. They're actually called the Servian Walls, and have been for about 2500 years, but who gives a frack?

But...I'll give EMPIRE 1 star for eye-candy, especially Jonathan (can I have it and eat it, too?) Cake. And another star for some not-bad casting. (Fiona Shaw as Fulvia: "I always leave before the orgy.") The rest is all junk.

Viewers interested in a more serious treatment of the same events might want to watch the Euro mini-series AUGUSTUS (available on DVD), starring Peter O'Toole as the emperor, which includes flashbacks to his early days. It's a far more handsomely produced film, with good battle scenes, great costumes, the most realistic interior and exterior sets so far created for a Roman movie, an intelligent script, and a memorable performance by the great Peter O'Toole.