Fall of the Roman Empire (1964)

HBO is airing "Fall of the Roman Empire" right now, which stands as one of the last massive epic spectacles about the Roman Empire produced during the golden age of classic Hollywood. It came out back in 1964.

From the NBC site:

Fall of the Roman Empire, an American film
THE FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE

Production Year: 1964.

It’s a historical drama. During a war against Germany, Marcus Aurelius (Alec Guinness), the Roman ruler and philosopher, gathers his inner circle and a princess at his war headquarters to see if they can talk the enemy into a truce. He entrusts his will to his daughter Lucille (Sophia Loren), stating that his adopted son Livia is meant to be the successor instead of the unstable Commodus (Christopher Plummer). Upon hearing this news, Cleander (Mel Ferrer), a blind prophet loyal to Commodus, murders Mark with a poisoned apple. Following the funeral, Livia—who doesn't share Lucille's ambition to rule Rome—allows Commodus to declare himself emperor. As a plague ravages Rome, Commodus behaves debauchedly without end, ruthlessly hunting down everyone who was loyal to Mark: Livia, Lucille, Timonid (James Mason)...

"Fall of the Roman Empire" is a brilliant historical spectacle from the famous American director Anthony Mann, the man behind several top-tier Westerns (Winchester 73, Faraway Land, Man with the West). With superb direction, impressive sets, and a killer score by composer Dmitri Tiomkin, the movie precisely weaves through the historical circumstances that led to the collapse of one of history's most famous civilizations—ancient Rome. The film's greatness is bolstered by a heavy-hitting cast including Sophia Loren, Alec Guinness, James Mason, Christopher Plummer, and Omar Sharif, all of whom have previously proven themselves as masters at portraying historical figures.

Runtime: 173 min.
Cast: James Mason, Sophia Loren, Alec Guinness, Christopher Plummer, Anthony Quayle, John Ireland, Omar Sharif, Finlay Currie, Stephen Boyd, Mel Ferrer
Screenplay: Ben Barzman, Basilio Franchina, Philip Jordan
Director: Anthony Mann

Anyway, this movie eventually kind of got its own remake in the form of Gladiator. 😁

Honestly, every time I watch it, I find myself waiting for Alec Guinness to say, "these aren't the droids you're looking for." 🤣

By the way, this is a pretty interesting video. 😬

It’s been ages since I last saw this movie—so much so that seeing how much Gladiator ripped off from it tonight was a total shock. Most of the scenes I absolutely loved in Gladiator? Turns out they were just slightly tweaked, polished versions of what I watched tonight; basically stolen. I guess movies work the same way music does nowadays—just take an old classic, put some different actors in a new setting, shuffle the dialogue, and boom—you've got a blockbuster... shit. 😢