The Fall of the Roman Empire (1964)

User Rating:

6.6/10   

Director:

Anthony Mann

Writers:

Ben Barzman (written by) &
Basilio Franchina (written by) ...
(more)

Release Date:

26 March 1964 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | History

Tagline:

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

Plot:

Action-packed look at the beginnings of the fall of the Roman Empire. Here is the glory, the greed and grandeur that was Rome...

Plot Keywords:

Emperor | Roman Empire | Xenophobia | Decadence Of The Roman Empire | Patricide

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 1 win

Cast

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
Michael Gwynn	...	Cornelius
Virgilio Teixeira	...	Marcellus (as Virgilio Texera)
Peter Damon	...	Claudius
Rafael Calvo	...	Lentulus
Lena von Martens	...	Helva (as Lena Von Martens)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Roland Carey	...	Barbarian (uncredited)
Margaret Fuller	...	Part of Court (uncredited)
Gabriella Licudi	...	Tauna (uncredited)
Jeffrey O'Kelly	...	Brother of Livius (uncredited)
Robert Rietty	...	Opening narration (uncredited)
Guy Rolfe	...	Marius (uncredited)
Friedrich von Ledebur	...	Barbarian (uncredited)

Directed by
Anthony Mann

Writing credits
Ben Barzman		(written by) &
Basilio Franchina		(written by) &
Philip Yordan		(written by)

Produced by
Samuel Bronston	....	producer
Jaime Prades	....	associate producer
Michal Waszynski	....	executive associate producer (as Michael Waszynski)

Original Music by
Dimitri Tiomkin

Cinematography by
Robert Krasker

Film Editing by
Robert Lawrence

Casting by
Maude Spector

Production Design by
Veniero Colasanti
John Moore

Set Decoration by
Veniero Colasanti
John Moore

Costume Design by
Veniero Colasanti
John Moore

Makeup Department
Grazia De Rossi	....	hair stylist
Mario Van Riel	....	makeup artist
José Luis Pérez	....	assistant makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
C.O. Erickson	....	executive production manager
Tadeo Villalba	....	unit manager (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Yakima Canutt	....	second unit director
José López Rodero	....	assistant director: first unit
José María Ochoa	....	assistant director: second unit
Andrew Marton	....	second unit director (uncredited)
Julio Sempere	....	second second assistant director (uncredited in original version)

Art Department
Stanley Detlie	....	master of properties
José María Alarcón	....	assistant set decorator (uncredited)
Luciano Arroyo	....	storyboard artist (uncredited)
Julián Martín	....	painter (uncredited)
Vicente Sempere Sempere	....	assistant art director (uncredited)
Italo Tomassi	....	head scenic painter (uncredited)

Sound Department
Milton C. Burrow	....	sound effects editor (as Milton Burrow)
David Hildyard	....	sound mixer
Gordon K. McCallum	....	sound re-recordist
Otto Snel	....	sound recordist (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Alex Weldon	....	special effects

Stunts
Jerry Brown	....	stunts (uncredited)
Tap Canutt	....	stunts (uncredited)
Jack Williams	....	stunts (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
John Harris	....	camera operator
Cecilio Paniagua	....	camera operator: second unit
Bruno Pasqualini	....	supervising electrician
Vincent Rossell	....	still photographer (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Gloria Musetta	....	wardrobe

Editorial Department
Magdalena Paradell	....	assistant to editor

Music Department
George Korngold	....	music editor
Dimitri Tiomkin	....	conductor
Cecil Bolton	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Frank Comstock	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Robert Docker	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
George Parrish	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
David Tamkin	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Herbert Taylor	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Samuel Bronston	....	presenter
Will Durant	....	consultant
Carl Gibson	....	supervising technician
Maciek Piotrowski	....	title backgrounds and murals
Elaine Schreyeck	....	continuity
George Tyne	....	dialogue coach
Enzo Musumeci Greco	....	master of arms (uncredited)
Friedrich von Ledebur	....	horse master (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Samuel Bronston Productions

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1964) (USA) (theatrical)
• J. Arthur Rank Film Distributors (1964) (UK) (theatrical)
• J. Arthur Rank Film (1964) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1969) (USA) (TV) (original airing) (pan/scan)
• ClassicLine (2003) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Flashstar Home Vídeo (Brazil) (VHS)
• PCV (2003) (Greece) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Benelux (2003) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• VCI Home Video (video)
• Video Film Express (2004) (Netherlands) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Cerratelli & Peruzzi  costumes made by (as Cerratelli & Peruzzi, Italy)

Runtime:

188 min | Sweden:172 min (1970 re-release) | Sweden:176 min | Argentina:184 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

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

Certification:

South Korea:12 | Finland:K-16 | Norway:16 | UK:U | USA:Unrated | West Germany:12 | Argentina:13

Filming Locations:

Comunidad Valenciana, Spain

Company:

Samuel Bronston Productions

Trivia:

At 1312 by 754 ft., the Roman Forum still holds the record as the largest outdoor set ever built for a film.

Goofs:

Continuity: During the funeral pyre of Marcus Aurelius, which Commodus and Livius are holding the torch, their hands move further away from the flame between shots.

Quotes:

Livius: A few days longer, Caesar, we'll bring you his head.
Marcus Aurelius: No Livius, please don't bring me his head. I wouldn't know what to do with it.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Strength and Honor: Creating the World of 'Gladiator' (2005) (V)

All Roads Lead to Rome

I saw another reviewer remark that he regretted the fact that films like this are not made today. In today's dollars the salaries of all the name actors who appeared in The Fall of the Roman Empire might retire the debt of some third world country. Then again, I think that was part of the message this film was trying to convey.

All roads lead to Rome was certainly a popular saying way back in the day. The legions by 180 have conquered a big chunk of Europe and a lot of Asia Minor, but it's becoming too big to police. Emperor Marcus Aurelius has it in mind that there must be a better way of securing peace than having a big Roman military industrial complex on the empire payroll. Answer, make the outlying provinces all Roman citizens and equalize the distribution of economic goods. Back then all those Roman roads gradually became one way streets.

Unfortunately some folks who have a vested interest in maintaining the status quo, do in Marcus. He's succeeded by his son Commodus and the film is the story of Commodus who has a more traditional political view and those who want to bring about the ideal world that Marcus Aurelius envisioned.

In a role that cried out for either Kirk Douglas or Charlton Heston, we got Stephen Boyd instead. Boyd in a blonde dye job, just doesn't come across well as the hero Livius. He's so much better as villains in films like The Bravados, Ben-Hur, and Shalako.

But Commodus may very well have been Christopher Plummer's finest performance on screen. The film is not the real story of Commodus's reign, but Plummer does capture the heart and soul of the emperor who ran things from 180 to 192.

Holding up the view of a free and equal world are a couple of classic performances by Alec Guinness as Marcus Aurelius and James Mason as the Greek slave Timonides who counsels Marcus in his changing world view.

And any film is worth watching with Sophia Loren's pulchritude on prominent display.

I'm no expert in ancient history, but this may have been the first time that someone like Marcus Aurelius took a global view of things other than what I can plunder out of my conquests. What's not told in this story is that Christianity is invisible here. Marcus didn't like them at all, thought they were way too exclusive in THEIR view of things.

Nevertheless The Fall of the Roman Empire and the issues it raises from the ancient world are still being thrashed out today. Hoperfully it will all be resolved in the future.