Entertainment
THE WICHITAN Feb. 21, 2007
5
ʻRomeʼ makes history fun KONNIE SEWELL
COPY EDITOR History doesnʼt always have to be accurate in order to be loads of bloody fun. Thatʼs what HBO seems to think, anyway. “Rome,” HBOʼs epic swords and sandals series about the Eternal City, began its second season back in January. Though popular among viewers and critically acclaimed, the series will not be renewed for a third season due to budget concerns (it costs less to create an entire sci-fi galaxy than it does to hire horses, costumes and weapons for a historical drama). This current season ends in March, so be sure to catch it before itʼs gone. Welcome to 52 B.C. Every city has its secrets, and Romeʼs no different. The heart of the series is the relationship between two Roman soldiers, Lucius Vorenus (Kevin McKidd) and Titus Pullo (Ray Stevenson), who have been away from their homes for years fighting in Julius Caesarʼs army. Caesar (Ciaran Hinds) has been fighting wars in Gaul for eight years and the members of the Senate back home are disgruntled about it, to say the least. These wars have made Caesar hugely popular, however, and despite his aristocratic nature heʼs seen as a man of the people. Eventually we see how the temperamental and fiery Vorenus is a staunch supporter of Caesar and Mark Antony (James Purefoy), while the quiet, strapping Pullo is closer to Caesarʼs great-nephew and heir, Octavian, who will one day become Augustus, Romeʼs first emperor. The two men are best friends, brothers, but they must reconcile their beliefs and ways of life to one another. Thereʼs so much intrigue in “Rome” thatʼs not even political itʼs almost mind-boggling. Brutusʼ (Tobias Menzies) mother Servilia (Lindsay Duncan) once had an affair with Caesar. Now sheʼs hellbent on ruining his whole family, starting with planting the seeds of assassination in her sonʼs head, eventually dreaming of working her way to Octavianʼs mother, Atia (Polly Walker). Atia, in turn, is hell-bent on bringing ruin upon the scheming Cleopatra (Lyndsey Marshal), queen of Egypt and mother to Caesarʼs child. She firmly believes Cleopatra has her sights set on Antony and will claw any way she can to keep him with her. Even Vorenus, after years of life on the battlefield, must come home and somehow start anew with his wife, who had an affair (and a child from the liaison) while he was away. The acting in the series is superb. Many times in Hollywood itʼs hard to wear a toga and keep a straight face — for every good epic movie about antiquity (“Ben-Hur,” “Glad-
Top, Cicero’s schemes catch up with him. Above, Cassius and Brutus get ready for battle in HBO’s “Rome.”
iator”) thereʼs a dismally trite one (“Troy,” “Alexander”). But this series was made in collaboration with the BBC, so no worries. Walker has a devil of a time playing the jealous and vindictive villainess Atia. Purefoy is amazing to watch as Antony. His brilliant portrayal of Antony as a vulgar, selfish and all-around lowlife is an electric must-see. Props also to Max Pirkis and Simon Woods, who play Octavian as a bright young man and a cool, calculated adult, respectively. The beautiful Kerry Condon plays Octavianʼs sister Octavia with just the right amount of pathos, and McKidd and Stevenson are a dynamic duo for the television ages. There are several supporting characters (my favorites being the town crier, played by Ian McNeice, and Marshalʼs wily Cleopatra) that add color to the story but never beg for attention. “Rome” is visually amazing. Itʼs a world where the rich are very rich and the poor are very poor. Itʼs a world of extremes and a world of filth and splendor. Blood, sex and obscenities are everywhere. The
battle scenes, too, are impressive. “Rome” is reasonably true to history, though the creators take many liberties. Some of these can be annoying (English accents? Modernday Italian being spoken alongside a little Latin?) but most are acceptable. And as for Brutus, his death isnʼt what weʼve all learned about in class, but itʼs just as poetic, ironic and tragic as anything Shakespeare could have created. Besides, anyone who insists on picking the inaccuracies apart is missing the point of the series entirely – half the fun of the show is seeing how rock-solid history will unfold under this smart and realistic interpretation. The only downside of the series is itʼs almost over and theyʼve merely hinted at Antony and Cleopatraʼs world-shattering affair. How are they going to cram so much plot into such a little stretch of time? Perhaps the writers have dug a huge hole for themselves as theyʼve got so many loose ends to tie up come March. Regardless, though, “Rome” is a show that will have you hooked until the final drop of blood falls.
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