Imperium: Augustus (2003) (TV)

Director:

Roger Young

Writer (WGA):

Eric Lerner (written by)

Release Date:

30 November 2003 (Italy)

Genre:

Drama | History | Romance | War

Tagline:

History will bear the mark of his rule.

Plot:

Caesar Augustus (O'Toole) tells of how he became the emperor to his reluctant daughter, Julia (Belvedere) following the death of her husband Agrippa (Duken).

Plot Keywords:

Bittersweet | Child Bride | Loss Of Husband | Jealousy | Enemy

Cast

Peter O'Toole	...	Augustus Caesar
Charlotte Rampling	...	Livia Drusilla
Vittoria Belvedere	...	Julia Caesaris
Benjamin Sadler	...	Gaius Octavius / Young Augustus
Ken Duken	...	Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa
Russell Barr	...	Gaius Maecenas
Juan Diego Botto	...	Iullus Antonius
Martina Stella	...	Young Livia
Valeria D'Obici	...	Atia
Michele Bevilacqua	...	Tiberius
Riccardo De Torrebruna	...	Decimus
Giampiero Judica	...	Scipio
Vanni Materassi	...	Musa
Elena Ballesteros	...	Octavia
Gérard Klein	...	Julius Caesar (as Gerard Klein)
Achille Brugnini	...	Cassius
Alexander Strobele	...	Lucius Tutilius
Gottfried John	...	Cicero
Michael Reale	...	Lepidus
Anna Valle	...	Cleopatra
Massimo Ghini	...	Mark Antony
Massimo Sarchielli	...	Beggar / Farmer
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Hatem Maroub	...	Centurion
Francis Pardeilhan	...	Tiberius, Scipio (voice)
Antonio Petrocelli	...	Brutus
Hichem Rostom	...	Lawyer
Paolo Scalabrino	...	Plancius
Noureddine Souli	...	Centurion
Nick Alexander	...	Physician (voice) (uncredited)
Gregory Snegoff	...	Cicero (voice) (uncredited)

Directed by
Roger Young

Writing credits (WGA)
Eric Lerner		(written by)

Produced by
Luca Bernabei	....	producer
Ferdinand Dohna	....	producer: EOS
Salvatore Morello	....	executive producer
Corrado Trionfera	....	line producer

Original Music by
Pino Donaggio

Cinematography by
Giovanni Galasso

Film Editing by
Alessandro Lucidi

Casting by
Fabiola Banzi
Cornelia von Braun
Jeremy Zimmerman		(as Jeremy Zimmermann)

Production Design by
Carmelo Agate

Set Decoration by
Titus Vossberg

Costume Design by
Paolo Scalabrino

Makeup Department
Jana Carboni	....	makeup artist
Elisabetta De Leonardis	....	key hair stylist
Marcelle Genovese	....	hair stylist
Federico Laurenti	....	key makeup artist
Alberto Moccia	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Franco Casellato	....	post-production supervisor
Rosario Ranieri	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Sergio Ercolessi	....	first assistant director
Corrado Meotti	....	first assistant director: second unit
Corrado Meotti	....	second assistant director
Franco Maria Salamon	....	second unit director

Art Department
Cristiano Donzelli	....	storyboard artist

Sound Department
Marco Giacomelli	....	sound editor
Andrea Moser	....	sound mixer
David Quadroli	....	sound effects editor
Fabrizio Quadroli	....	sound effects editor
Marco Streccioni	....	sound engineer

Special Effects by
Pasquale Catalano	....	special effects
Massimo Ciaraglia	....	special effects technician
Edmondo Natali	....	special effects coordinator
Fabio Traversari	....	special effects supervisor

Visual Effects by
Massimo Cipollina	....	visual effects
Salvo Severino	....	visual effects
Nicola Sganga	....	visual effects
Giuseppe Squillaci	....	visual effects supervisor: Proxima
Giuseppe Tagliavini	....	digital artist

Stunts
Paolo Antonini	....	stunts
Mauro Aversano	....	stunts
Massimiliano Bianchi	....	stunt camera vehicle assistant
Massimiliano Bianchi	....	stunt rigger
Jacqueline Freda	....	stunt rider
Jacqueline Freda	....	stunt wrangler
Riccardo Mioni	....	stunt coordinator
Alessandro Novelli	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Cristiano Natalucci	....	focus puller: "a" camera

Casting Department
Fabiola Banzi	....	casting: Italy
Cornelia von Braun	....	casting: Germany
Jeremy Zimmerman	....	casting: English (as Jeremy Zimmermann)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Stefano De Nardis	....	assistant costume designer
Maurizio Torti	....	key set costumer

Editorial Department
Valentina Mariani	....	assistant editor
Ivan Tozzi	....	on-line editor

Other crew
Giorgio Antonini	....	sword master
Carlo Antonioni	....	horse master
Francesco Arlanch	....	story editor
Ivana Kastratovic	....	production coordinator
Fernando Muraca	....	story editor
Marco Olivieri	....	location manager

Production Companies

• EOS Entertainment
• Lux Vide
• Radiotelevisione Italiana
• Telecinco
• Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen (ZDF)

Distributors

• Casablanca Filmes (2004) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Casablanca Filmes (2004) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Force Entertainment (2004) (Australia) (DVD)
• e-m-s the DVD-Company (Germany) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Germano Natali
• Proxima

Other Companies

• SIF309 Film & Music Productions  film score recording
• Sud Ovest Records S.r.l.  music production

Also Known As:

Augustus (Australia) (DVD box title) (USA) (video title)
Augustus - El primer emperador (Spain) (DVD title)
Augustus: The First Emperor (UK) (DVD title)
Imperium: Augusto (Italy)
Mein Vater, der Kaiser (Germany)
Mi padre, el emperador (Spain)
My Father the Emperor (UK) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for some war violence.

Runtime:

200 min | Spain:161 min (DVD edition) | UK:177 min (cut) | USA:178 min | Argentina:180 min

Country:

UK | France | Germany | Italy | Spain | Austria

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Certification:

UK:12 (cut UK version) | UK:15 (DVD release) | UK:15 (uncut) | Spain:13 | USA:R (DVD and VHS) | Australia:M | Germany:12 | Singapore:PG

Company:

EOS Entertainment

Trivia:

The following actors were dubbed: Vittoria Belvedere (Julia), Anna Valle (Cleopatra), Massimo Ghini (Mark Antony), Juan Diego Botto (Iullus), Elena Ballesteros (Octavia), Michele Bevilacqua (Tiberius), Valeria D'Obici (Atia), Alexander Strobele (Lucius Tutilius) and various others such as the minor characters.

Goofs:

Temples and buildings in Ancient Rome were normally painted in bright colors.

Quotes:

Julia: You already have what you wanted of me, father. Heirs. My sons. Now let me live my life!

Movie Connections:

Version of "Empire" (2005)

The War of the Julio-Claudians

Let us paint the scene: The year is 12BC. The republic has been replaced with the imperial family, the rebels are gathering and the fight for the succession is on. Frankly, it is like THE WAR OF THE ROSES, Ancient Roman style! The side most are routing for is the current emperor Augustus, and Julia, his beautiful, clever and liberal daughter. They stand for rights for the plebs and responsibility of the nobles, rather then for them to lay around on their backsides in litters. The father and daughter are at war against the cunning, merciless and sly Livia Drusilla, who has a strong desire to see her own son, Tiberius, on the throne. A believe so strong that he should be the next man "worthy of the name Caesar" she even tries to sway her husband Augustus into it. He of course always says no.

This is the first point of greatness in this moderately made TV drama: Augustus is not a dolt like he is in I, CLAUDIUS, he is as he should have been: knowing, ruthless and in league with everyone. Augustus did know everything and wasn't at all as stupid as Robert Graves wanted us to believe he was. He knew how Livia's mind worked and knew how to take care of her. Despite all arguments from both parties, they don't really love one another, they are like friendly rivals who both want their children to become leader of some big corporation.

Of course the victims in the war against each other are Julia and Tiberius, who both hold the love or their father/mother, but have different ideas on how they'd rather spend their day. Augustus wants a baby-making, obedient daughter and mother-of-Roman-future in Julia. What Julia wants is to live up for a lot of lost living, marry Iullus Antonius and settle down nicely. Also, despite what Livia wants, Tiberius would be more content matching in the army, sleeping out in the open and throwing stones into the sea.

There are historical tidbits about his show you might want to know. For example, Marcus Agrippa and Julia are lacking three children in this show! They were baby-making machines in reality, having one child back to back with each other. Also, Julia was banished in 2 BC not 12 BC, and her sons died in different years, not the same year.

Nonetheless, I'd give it a watch if you want a bit of fun. It's long but certainly worth a rent-it or even buy-it cry. The DVD doesn't cost much, so give it a go.