The Fall of the Roman Empire (1964)

The death of Marcus Aurelius leads to a succession crisis, in which the deceased emperor's son, Commodus, demonstrates that he is unwilling to let anything undermine his claim to the Roman Empire.

Director:

Anthony Mann

Writers:

Ben Barzman (screenplay), Basilio Franchina (screenplay)

Stars:

Sophia Loren, Stephen Boyd, Alec Guinness

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Sophia Loren	...	Lucilla
Stephen Boyd	...	Livius
Alec Guinness	...	Marcus Aurelius
James Mason	...	Timonides
Christopher Plummer	...	Commodus
Anthony Quayle	...	Verulus
John Ireland	...	Ballomar
Omar Sharif	...	Sohamus
Mel Ferrer	...	Cleander
Eric Porter	...	Julianus
Finlay Currie	...	Senator
Andrew Keir	...	Polybius
Douglas Wilmer	...	Niger
George Murcell	...	Victorinus
Norman Wooland	...	Virgilianus

Storyline

Action-packed look at the beginnings of the fall of the Roman Empire. Here is the glory, the greed and grandeur that was Rome. Here is the story of personal lust for power, and the shattering effects of that power's loss. Here is the tale of the plight of a people living on the brink of a political abyss.

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Plot Keywords:

roman empire | 2nd century | european history | ancient rome | based on true story | 

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Taglines:

The Most Magnificent Re-Creation . . . Of An Ancient Empire . . . Launches A New Epoch In Motion Pictures . . .

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Genres:

Drama | History | War

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

26 March 1964 (USA)

Also Known As:

La caída del imperio romano

Filming Locations:

Comunidad Valenciana, Spain

Box Office

Budget:

$19,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$4,750,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

Samuel Bronston Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

188 min 172 min (1970 re-release)

Sound Mix:

Mono (35 mm optical prints) 70 mm 6-Track (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Alec Guinness became good friends with Sophia Loren. On an evening out, Loren persuaded Guinness to dance "The Twist" with her, which he did for the first time in his life.

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Goofs

When Commodus and Livius are holding the torch during Marcus Aurelius' funeral pyre, their hands move further away from the flame between shots.

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Quotes

Commodus: Livius, if you listen very carefully, you can hear the gods laughing!

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Crazy Credits

The Paramount logo did not appear on American prints.

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Connections

Referenced in Mañana será otro día (1967)

User Reviews

Historical and epic film with big budget financed by the great producer Samuel Bronston and spectacularly shot in Spain

The movie deals with the great emperor of Rome , Marco Aurelio (Alec Guinness) , of the dynasty of Antoninos , formed by : Nerva , Trajano , Adriano , Antonino Pio , Marco Aurelio and Commodo (Christopher Plummer , though Richard Harris was originally cast and he withdrew because of artistic differences with the director) . After that , there happens several riots and coups d'etat until Diocleciano , who imposed peace and order with the Tetrarchy . Being dead Marco Aurelio , succeeded his son Commodo , a nutty gladiator emperor , he'll take on his sister Drusilla (Sophia Loren) and Livio (Stephen Boyd replaced Charlton Heston and he blamed the massive commercial failure for ruining his career) . They'll have to fight against German barbarians (commanded by John Ireland) and Persians (ruled by Omar Shariff).

In the picture there are struggles , epic events , a love history and being very interesting , in spite of the fact that the runtime is overlong : about three hours . Budgeted at about $20 million , this was Paramount's biggest flop of 1964 , its failure cost producer Samuel Bronston his Spanish production facility . Cast and support are frankly well . As Alec Guinness as a stoic and thoughtful philosopher emperor craving the ¨Pax Romana¨ (Latin for the "Peace in Rome¨) is top-notch . Christopher Plummer's interpretation as the nut-head son is first-rate , he was 33 at the time of filming , although his character Commodus became Emperor at the age of 19 ; while other main actors as Stephen Boyd and Sophia Loren are a bit wooden . James Mason as Marco Aurelio's broody and good adviser is excellent . This lavishly financed film was originally intended to be made after El Cid and to reunite Charlton Heston and Sophia Loren . The set for the Forum Romanum was actually being built when Heston rejected the script but expressed an interest in '55 Days at Peking' instead . Samuel Bronston immediately ordered that the work on the Forum be stopped and the landscaping and foundation work be adapted for the Peking set . After filming , the Peking set was torn down and replaced by the Forum , if you look carefully , both sets share a very similar topography . Colosanti and John Moore production design is breathtaking . Battles staged by Yakima Canutt are incredible and impressive . Scenarios are overwhelming : the Roman Forum , Roman Capitol , the temples...the sets are spellbound . Colorful cinematography by the great cameraman Robert Krasker is awesome , similar to Dimitri Tiomkin's fascinating and romantic musical score . Anthony Mann's direction in his last film is spectacular and outstanding . The motion picture didn't achieve success at the box office , it was a real flop and collapsed Samuel Bronston's empire . Rating : Above average . Well worth Watching . Very Good .