Rome. Season One: *Discuss* (1 Viewer)

What did everyone think? I did not like the opening credit sequence, too bland imo.

Overall I am on the fence about the acting. I can't quite tell if Caesar is a good actor in this debut.

The camera direction is quite odd, I can't quite put my finger on it, but the filming looks... "cheap"?

I will agree with you on the opening credits and was actually thinking the same thing, just didn't mesh with the actual show.

I'm not 100% sold on it yet, but I thought the first show was pretty good. Definately enough T and A for my liking though...

I enjoyed it. I actually had my doubts about it, but it was better than I was expecting. As for the opening credits...who cares???? In HD it was phenomenal.

I thought it was good, but not impeccable like Deadwood or Carnivale or Six Feet Under. The acting is good, but there isn't a really gripping magnificent character or performance. The cinematography was mostly bland except for a few scenes

I agree with you on the opening credits. Kind of weak.

I'll be watching next week.

To me, the film looked lush, almost surreal.

Lots of players introduced, so I can't draw any conclusion other than it looks interesting so far.

I'm sure many will wonder what HBO's doing with a sword and sandle series just after so many duds from the Gladiator backwash.

Given their recent history, I expect it to be excellent, but only time and a few more episodes will tell.

E

I thought the first episode was very solid at setting up the dynamic between Julius Caesar and Pompey and what will eventually become the end of the Republic. T and A aside (Damn, Polly Walker is hot!), you can tell the filmmakers are well-schooled in their 'I, Claudius' and that's a very good thing, IMO. I was also struck by how much Kenneth Cranham (Pompey) resembles Louis Calhern (the guy who played Julius Caesar in the early '50's film version of Shakespeare's play). I'm guessing that this is a conscious casting choice in that we're used to seeing Caesar being victimized by the machinations of younger ambitious men, but here Caesar is ready to usurp power.

I liked how the battle scenes showed the discipline of the Roman army. This is what seperated them from the conquered, and though you don't see that much combat yet, you get a real sense that they were well-trained and fearless. A well-oiled machine, as it were. Looking forward to the rest of the series!

On a side note, Ciaran Hinds (Julius Caesar) is a tremendous actor, but relatively unknown in the US. He was brilliant in 'Persuasion,' an adaptation of Jane Austen's novel, and every time I see him in a film, he seems to add to it in a positive way.

I didn't think much of the young actor playing Octavian (the future Caesar Augustus). But maybe I'm not supposed to.

The opening credits were predictable, but the music made me think it was the Six Feet Under theme played with Roman instruments. Thankfully, the rest of the show played better for me than the opening credits.

Jan - I enjoyed Ciaran Hinds as the Russian President in Sum Of All Fears

I agree about the battle scenes. Something different from our usual mass of people crashing into each other.

I liked the overhead shot of the romans swaping front position - I assume for rest or somethng else?

The shot was very compact.

E

I wasn't blown away but what I saw was good. I think this show has a lot of potential. I'm gonna need to rewatch the episode to get a hold of who was who (and their motives, etc.) since I think almost every male character looked the same thanks to their haircuts.

I thought the theme sounded SORTA like the theme to Carnivale. Maybe I'm nuts


That I agree with but not of those series had their best episode with their pilot either.

I know it's inevitable, unfortunately, but comparing this story to other HBO shows is pretty ridiculous, particularly after one episode.

One can only hope that at the end of its 12 episode run, we can see where $100 million dollars went. HBO is sitting on a goldmine, though, in terms of what the story of the Roman Empire has to offer. So far, so good, but, here's hoping the rest of the series lives up to the promise. And the budget.

In addition to the afore-mentioned Sum of All Fears, he had a small but memorable role in Road to Perdition. Dennis Potter fans should remember him from Cold Lazarus, which aired here on PBS.

I had mixed feelings about the first episode, but I've felt that way with many HBO series to which I subsequently became addicted. As TravisR rightly noted, the pilots typically aren't the best episodes. This one did the essential job of laying out the players and the conflicts, and I'm curious to see where they go with the two soliders (which is the part of the story where they have the most freedom to invent).

M.

I really enjoyed it. I actually loved the opening credits. I thought they were bland the first time, but when I re-watched it with the west coast airing, they really grew one me.

There was almost too much going on for the first episode, but I was drawn into it. I thought the acting was very solid and the sets were amazing. I cannot wait for the next episode. I have heard that the series really gets going after the 2nd episode.

I thought Deadwood was just "okay" after 2-3 episodes...now it is one of my favorite shows and I cannot get enough. I think this show will have that same cycle on people.

This thread needs to be the S1 discussion thread, not just Episode 1.

I enjoyed the premiere. According to many sources they show gets a lot better in episode 4

capt

I think this show's gonna be great. There's going to be a lot of scheming and backstabbing (literally!) over the next three months.

I really liked the opening credits, too.

This is a 12 episode mini-series, not a mulit-season show.

I enjoyed the first installment, but to really enjoy a show, I need to care about a few of the characters. The characters I felt drawn to were the soldier and centurion (too early to remember names). I hope their ordeal is fleshed out.
Oh, and judging by the T & A in the first episode, there will be a lot of "fleshing" out. So far, it works for me, but I'm being patient. I also plan to watch a rerun or two to nail down the characters.

"This is a 12 episode mini-series, not a mulit-season show."

I dont think thats correct anymore. It was first thought of that way - but theyve already decided they have more to tell.

Last I read they had 3 seasons planned out and hoping for the show to go to 5.

I liked it.As ScottH said, it looked amazing in HD.And yea Polly is hot

I call that the,"Shot on video" look but overall it didn't take anything away from the experience. I thought some of the character portrayals were very nicely done, especially Brutus and Mark Antony.

And of course with John Milius producing it should have tyhe appropriate "Swords & Sandals" feel.

There is a second season already on the table, but it has not been given the green light.

This episode was okay, although the liberal use of T&A seemed like a means to attract an audience. I'm in it for the story, and if it does not get better I'll be spending my time doing something else.

- Steve

I just read the overall synopsis here-->[URL/]http://www.hbo.com/rome/about/index.html[/url] and they are calling it the first season. My COMCAST on-line synopsis called it a 12 episode mini-series. Sorry for the contradiction.

Maybe I'm sick but I thought they were fairly restrained in their use of T+A. Or maybe the show being on HBO just makes me think it's gonna be real dirty.

I thought the violence was handled with 'class' too. They showed people getting killed in battle but they didn't have blood shooting out of their wounds. I figured it would be a far more graphic show than it was.

I'm not citing either of these as negatives, just observations