Fire Over Rome (1965)

After successfully campaigning in Gaul for seven years, Consul Marcus Valerius arrived back in Rome with his legion. He and his men were looking forward to celebrating their return with ... See full summary »

Director:

Guido Malatesta

Writers:

Guido Malatesta, Giorgio Marzelli (story)

Stars:

Lang Jeffries, Cristina Gaioni, Moira Orfei

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Lang Jeffries	...	Marcus Valerius
Cristina Gaioni	...	Giulia
Moira Orfei	...	Poppaea
Mario Feliciani	...	Seneca
Luciano Marin	...	Fulvius
Evi Maltagliati	...	Livia Augusta, Marcus's Mother
Franco Fantasia	...	Clodius
Massimo Carocci	...	Young Christian
Vladimir Medar	...	Nero
Vladimir Bacic
Anita Todesco
Domenico Maggio	...	(as Mimmo Maggio)
Franco Daddi
Riccardo Pizzuti
Demeter Bitenc	...	Menecrate

Storyline

After successfully campaigning in Gaul for seven years, Consul Marcus Valerius arrived back in Rome with his legion. He and his men were looking forward to celebrating their return with families and friends. The fearless warrior expected his Emperor to be pleased with his conquests, but Nero showed little interest. Other priorities were far more important. Nero ordered Marcus to assist Menecrate, the hated leader of the Praetorian Guards, in cleansing the city of its Christian presence but he refused and resigned as consul in protest. He was immediately sentenced to death and his legion disbanded. Marcus Valerius is a valiant soldier and the killing of innocent people goes against all his principals. The former hero now becomes the hunted.

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Plot Keywords:

christian | ancient rome | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

Copyright dated 1963, but not submitted to the British Board of Film Censors until 27 June 1975 when it was passed with a "U" certificate under the title Revenge of the Gladiators. Distributors Miracle Films selected it to go out with Colossus of the Stone Age (1962), but the release was limited. The ITV network eventually acquired the film and its television premiere (under the title Fire Over Rome) was on 30 September 1991 throughout most ITV regions, excluding Yorkshire Television who saved it until 11 November 1991 to be screened as the third of their "Roman Follies" series, (a light-hearted season of the worst of the Italian epics).

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Quotes

Nero: There's only one god on this earth. One single god that all men must adore. All! And that god is Nero!

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Connections

Edited into Poppea's Hot Nights (1969)

User Reviews

Effective, glossy-looking spectacle reveals its budget constraints in failed special effects.

Lang Jeffries looks good in this ambitious tale of a Roman Centurion returning to the Eternal City only to find himself at odds with his mad emperor Nero's persecution of the Christians. To his horror, Marcus eventually learns that both his mother and his fiancee are numbered among those Christians destined to become Nero's human torches and resulting in Fire Over Rome. This glossy spectacle looks good and is well acted until it reveals its budget constraints with laughable burning models supposed to represent Rome burning. (Stock footage from the same sequence in "Quo Vadis? would have answered better) If the viewer overlooks this flaw the film is otherwise admirable.

Details

Country:

Italy Yugoslavia

Language:

Italian

Release Date:

20 March 1965 (Italy)

Also Known As:

Fire Over Rome

Company Credits

Production Co:

GMC, Jadran Film

Technical Specs

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1