I, Claudius

Rating:
Summary: Believe the Hype-Patrict Stewart of Star Trek's in thisgem
Review: This miniseries clearly demonstrates that it is plot, characters and pacing that make for great movies, tv and miniseries. I can only imagine what this "in-studio" production could have been if made today (with equal actors and direction) with a multimillion dollar budget and directed by Peter Jackson.

Claudius is played by Derek Jacobi of Cadfael fame.

A dashing Patrick Stewart of Star Trek fame has a small but impressive part as advisor to Tiberius.

The "unknown" Christoper Guard has a small role - he was the voice of Frodo in the Lord of the Rings (78)

The first Roman emporer of Rome Augustus is played by Bian Blessed (Prince Vultan in Flash Gordon-1980)

Just when you believe that the mass-murdering wife of Augustus is the main "villian", here comes John Hurt as Caligula. (Hurt has starred in Harry Potter, the Elephant Man, the voice of Aragon in Lord of the Rings (78), and he played Quentin CRISP of The Naked Civl Servant (off subject, one of CRISP's lines: "When I was coming to America, I went to the American Embassy and the man asked me 'Are you a practicing homosexual?' And I said I didn't practice. I was already perfect.").

WARNING: What most reviewers don't warn you about is that in I, Claudius Hurt is at the center one of the most brutal scenes in cinematic history. I won't give a spoiler, but you've been warned. By the way, the scene is done with restraint and is integral to the plot, making it both brutal and satisfying--from a cinematic standpoint anyway. Personlly, I'd like to forget I witnessed it. I cringe at the thought of how Quentin Tarantino would abuse us should he remake this classic.

Another shocking scene features a child's head being carried by none other than John Rhys-Davies (otherwise known as Gimli in Peter Jackon's Lord of the Rings, as well as star of Sliders, Raiders of the Lost Ark and the Naked Civil Servant.)

Rating:
Summary: The Best Of BBC
Review: I have seen this British production portraying Ancient Roman history several times since it was first aired on PBS at least twenty years ago. The acting by just about everyone is superlative with the possible reservation that all the acting is more British than Roman. Derek Jacobi,Sian Phillips, John Hurt, Patrick Stewart, etc give excellent performances. The script is also excellent. It is too bad that Masterpiece Theatre, The Forsyte Saga and other great adaptations of classic novels that were made in the 1970s for the BBC, such as the adaptation of Balzac's Cousin Bette and Dostoyevsky's The Possessed are no longer available to be seen as far as I know. Fortunately I, Claudius is still available both on DVD and on various cable channels from time to time.

Rating:
Summary: Wish they had a six-star option
Review: I remember seeing this on PBS when I was a kid. It was fascinating then, and even more so now that I understand everything. I can't even count how many times I've watched this, everything about it is superb. The acting is so good it takes a dozen viewings to notice the hokey scenery, and the three rooms that get moved around to make EVERY scene, LOL. Dereck Jacobi, Sian Phillips and John Hurt were AMAZING. Everyone else was merely great. (Patrick Stewart fans might get a chuckle out of his role, and full head of hair!) My husband groaned when I first put it on, saying "this is stupid - what a waste of money" during the opening 'old Claudius' scene. 15 minutes later he was hooked and stayed up ALL night (it's 669 min!) watching it. Buy it, you won't regret it.

Rating:
Summary: Ancient footprints are everywhere
Review: This one-of-a-kind soap opera/morality epic spans the rule of four Roman emperors. What makes the production stand out are the rich material, the wonderful acting performances, and the attention to details of both the production and the characters' relationships.

The cliche that fiction can never be as farfetched and lurid as non-fiction was never truer than it is here. One learns many historical facts, but more valuable are the lessons about human nature, particularly about our frailties and the bonds we try to form with others. The extent of the intrigue, ambition, and double-dealing astounds even today's jaded viewer. While a few aspects border on the farfetched (such as Augustus' utter blindness to Livia's machinations), we never doubt that they are intended to be far-fetched. This is to an extent a morality tale to be passed on through the ages. Certain truths are bound to be adulterated over time, but the strength of the characters survives. The last is captured so poignantly towards the end of the last episode, when Claudius is visited by those who came before him. He sees them all at the height of their powers, and there characters are wonderfully distilled into a couple pithy phrases. These memories become god-like legends, and they survive the burn.

Perhaps history is destined to repeat itself, but again, each of the key characters is unique. And they are uniquely brought to life by phenomenal acting performances. There is Sian Phillips, as the unflappable ice queen. John Hurt navigates with aplomb the tempestuous waters of Caligula's tortured psyche, pitching between detached disdain and murderous micro-managing. And Brian Blessed's Augustus, despite being somewhat workman-like and artless, somehow remains a formidable, even subtle, force. You don't see that kind of complexity in many productions today. And then there is Derek Jacobi as Claudius. As he ages, he inevitably grows wiser and even becomes gruff at some points. But he never loses his humanity or becomes any less endearing.

I Claudius has much to say about the ultimate unpredictability of the harvest of human endeavors. Augustus' pride, despite his overall good intentions, took Rome down some very dark paths. But Rome survived (albeit at great cost) the depravity and terror of Tiberius and Caligula. Claudius saw that his successful rule would make it difficult to return to a republic, but he thought, like Livia, that his ideas could live on through the next generation. Of course, a time comes when the young no longer have to listen to the old; what makes Claudius unique is that he ultimately has the humility to accept this, and to see how little any individual can consciously do to shape the future.

Several aspects of the sparse production contribute to the winning feel. There are few extras, minimalistic sets, and few camera changes. To me these factors helped me focus on the human (all to human) characters with all their faults. Additionally, the production approach helped give the empirial family a timeless quality that makes the production relevant today. It would have been interesting to see something of how the common people lived, but it would have shifted emphasis away from Robert Graves' intended focus.

As some have noted the sound is indeed muffled in parts, but I would argue that this is part of the appeal. This 1970's production sadly now represents a bygone era. In any event you will need your remote control handy, but you would probably need to pause anyway at points to try to figure out how the characters in this virtual phantasmagoria are related to each other.

Finally, a few comments about the ill-fated epic that never was, which closes out disk 5. It seems to me the production was shelved for good reason. For one thing, the standard movie length production would have lacked the historical sweep of the BBC version. The sets were obviously far more lavish and there was more of an effort to depict every day life amongst the common people; as argued above though, I feel both would detract more than they add. Obvious as well from the surviving footage is a glossy feel, with less attention to realistic depiction of personality. No less condemning are the interviews with Graves and those involved in the production; none express serious chagrin that the production was shelved. The documentary itself though has its moments; most interesting to me was the scuttlebutt and gossip from the survivors. The surviving footage, by contrast, was only valuable in comparison to the BBC production. And there is, quite frankly, no comparison.

Rating:
Summary: I, Clottius
Review: What can you say about this series that hasn't already been said? Well, let me say that you don't ever have to worry about being called Mr Pink. In Rome, everybody has a cool sounding name. Germanicus, how cool is that? Tiberius. SEJANUS! How could I forget Sejanus? (And I nearly did.) You can have a receding hairline and still be cool if you're called Sejanus. Knowing my luck, I would have the only uncool name in the entire empire, like Balbus or something. Also, you can walk around in very cool designer outfits like the toga. Everyday you get out of bed and you're someone cool like David Bowie. In fact, even cooler as the red stripe goes right down your body. How cool is that? Would get pretty drafty if you wore it in Britain, though. Come to think of it, the Romans did visit during the series. Mind you, wearing a skirt never troubled the Scots. They were only troubled by the British who kept defeating them. Alright, so we gave them Bannockburn. We were in a generous mood. Anyway, it's alright to wear a toga in Rome because of the hot studio lights. Which is probably why they keep stripping off and having orgies. I went to an orgy in Stepney once and it was nothing like that. No bountiful fruit, just some dull salad. I made my excuses and left, as they say.

Caligula gets fitted up in this series. In truth, he didn't insist that that guy really carry out his own suicide in his honour, he chucked him in the river for being obsequious and soon fetched him out again. Don't let the buggers grind you down, mate. Also, the scriptwriter was a bit sloppy in having you invite Marcus to a private dance after you had told him you weren't his friend, just to shorthand a conspiracy plot. If you were Caesar and confronted by a dodgy scriptwriter you could say "take him away and shove his head on a pole, har har ha!" Caesur is also a very cool sounding name, not to mention frighteningly easy to misspell. You can't walk around going har har ha nowadays. They won't let you. In fact, you can't even smoke.

Rating:
Summary: Hail Claudius!
Review: A great adaptation of Robert Grave's fictional work. All of the actors render a stunning and convincing portrayal of what life was like at the core of the early Roman empire.

Derek Jakobi brilliantly performs the character of Claudius as he ponders his life and impresses his thoughts on to his "autobiography." The audience is then taken through the ambitions and intrigues of the Julio-Claudian dynasty from the reign of Augustus to Nero's. Through the eyes of Claudius, the audience has a bird's eye view into the dynastic contests played with wit and humor; seeing the evolution of the empire from the remnants of a crumbled republic to a sophisticated imperial beuraucracy that is protected by the notorious praetorian guard. With this insight, Claudius is soon appreciated by the audience as having a keen intellect as opposed to being dull and slow of wit. His desire for truth and his loathing of the imperial struggle gives his story clarity and impartiality. All of the characters are brilliantly played; their actions and motivations all come to light in the course of the mini-series.

The acting of Derek Jacobi as Claudius is brilliant. The same goes for Brian Blessed and Sian Phillips as Augustus and Livia. There's even a brief appearance by Patrick Stewart. This presentation has a full cast of some of the finest Shakespearean actors in recent memory and their acting more than makes up for the studio limitations of this 1974 production.

For audiences looking for action or special effects, there isn't much to find here; this is a theatrical adaptation and so the sound and stage have their limitations. This is not an action story anyway; if you're looking for that kind of film see "Spartactus", "Cleopatra", or "Gladiator." Despite its limiations, this is a fine BBC production of one of the greatest works in historical fiction. A must see for anyone who enjoys history or just a good story full of intrigue and suspense.

Rating:
Summary: fantastic viewing
Review: Back in the 70's this masterpiece was tucked away on the minority channel of BBC2 on a monday evening (repeated on Weds). In spite of the apparent lack of faith shown in it by the schedulers, I Claudius became a huge hit...and rightly so...and won awards by the cartload.
In spite of the limited sets and obviously low budget this series is compulsive viewing thanks to it's superb casting and it's compelling storyline.
Sir Derek Jacobi leads a star cast and is so believable as the stammering, twitching Claudius who stays alive by letting everyone believe he is a witless fool. Brian Blessed is the emperor Augustus, Patrick Stewart plays Sejanus...crafty and ambitious and John Hurt plays the insane Caligula. Some of the best actors in british T.V. featured in this production.
The DVD of this production is excellent, the colours have never looked so vibrant, dialogue is so clear and subtitles are available for the hard of hearing....a bonus that wasn't available when first aired.

This may not be a glossy, expensive costume drama but for sheer quality and entertainment it cannot be surpassed.

Rating:
Summary: Is this the best TV series ever?
Review: If you have any interest at all in Roman History at all, this is a DVD for you. If you have any interest in great acting, this is for you. If you love a fantastic story, with some of the most fascinating characters ever to hit the small screen, then do yourself a favour and buy this DVD. Nothing matches it.

The story follows the ancient Emperor Claudius's memoirs about his highly disfunctional family through the years from his birth to his near death. This is the time of the Emperors Augustus, Tiberius and Caligula - intense, brutal and treacherous, and yet at times genuinely funny and very sad. The sets seem primitive, and yet we are so drawn into the drama and intrigue of the characters that this is forgotten in a moment. This is absolutely fantastic drama - in my opinion nothing has been made since that can touch it for its sheer power and vibrancy.

Rating:
Summary: Playing devil's advocate
Review: I'm a big fan of the books and the mini-series; in particular, I think Jack Pullman did a fantastic job with the script, especially since the books have very little dialogue, so he had to create almost all of it for the series. Therefore I endorse the positive comments made by the other reviewers, and do not need to repeat them here.

Having said that, I think that the series has a few weak points:

- the relatively minor role given to Germanicus. In the books, Germanicus is a very major character. In the series, he has a very diminished role. This is understandable in as far as the main events involving him occurred outside Rome: the legions' mutinies after Augustus's death, his campaigns in Germany, and his clashes with the governor of Syria, Piso, ending with his death and Piso's subsequent trial. The series obviously lacked the budget to portray scenes involving many extras. Still, I did get the feeling that, when watching the series, one wonders what was it all about Germanicus. The crisis of Piso's trial is abruptly introduced with very little background, so the scenes of the trial fall flat somewhat. Moreover, by eliminating some events, Tiberius's resentment of Agrippina becomes less convincing.

- Brian Blessed's characterization of Augustus. I think he is a fine actor, but one with a sort of overly theatrical and unrestrained acting style. I personally found it very hard to accept him as the Augustus of Graves's novel - - and much less as the historical Augustus.

- they way some characters just pop in and out: after playing a very central role in Sejanus's fall and Caligula's accession, John Rhys-Davies's Macro simply disappears, without any explanation. In the novel, Caligula first removes him from his post by promising to make him governor of Egypt, then has him killed - surely a very short scene could have been included to that effect? Also, Agripinilla, Nero's mother and Caligula's sister, just appears out of nowhere in the final episodes, having made no appearance at all in the Caligula episodes.

- the series wrongly says that Caligula thought that he was not only a god but also "the Jewish messiah". In the novel, Graves subtly suggests that the prophecy that made both Livia and Caligula believe that they were going to be the greatest god ever actually referred to Jesus. But the point is never explicitly made, and no connection is made to Jewish point of view in this matter. In this regard, Pulmann actually just confused things.

Of course no adaptation can follow a novel thoroughly, but I really felt that these changes were not only negative, but also unnecessary.

However, I still think that the series's strong points far outweigh the weak ones.

Rating:
Summary: Throw out Gladiator Now
Review: The BBC production of "I Claudius" is, beyond a doubt, the best portrayal of Imperial Rome in TV or movie setting. While some may argue that "Gladiator" (2000) gives a good feeling of the decadence resulting from Commodus' reign and the decline of Rome, they blow the characters way out of proportion. The end result is a mockery of Roman History (perhaps "Caligola" being the only film worse) and a carbon copy of a much better peformed "Spartacus." Much of the setting and aura, and dress has nothing to do at all with late Empire. Instead, its script suggest that the writers wrote down everything they remembered from a grade school class. Unlike Gladiator, which is nothing but wholesale lies and inaccurcies to the point where the movie is no longer viewable, "I Claudius" stems from the works of actual primary documents from Ancient Rome. Robert Graves' novels both come directly out of primarily Seutonius, as well as some Tacitus and Cassius (mostly for the story about Livia), and Jack Pullman saw fit only to take creative license when he felt it necessary to facilitate the plot, but preserving the realism.

The cast of "I Claudius" puts anything Gladiator and similar films have to shame. The finest out of the Royal Shakespearean Actors and Actresses, give emotional and powerful performances. Brian Blessed makes Augustus a strong Emperor, but a weak husband. Sir Dereck Jacobi, of course, leaves us no doubt as to who the protagonist is, and each inspiring scene he is in, makes Russel Crowe even more overrated. John Hurt absolutely dominates any scene he is in with a psycotic look and the outrageous actions for which Caius Caligula was known for. Patrick Stewart, John Castle, Fiona Walker, and George Baker (making an excellent down-to-earth Tiberius)-all well-known talents, give character and plot depth and create dynamic characters. And as anyone will tell you, Sian Philips should have been deified for her acting here, just as Livia Drusilla was. Her lines are with such conviction, that we get the impression that we are hearing indeed the real thing. And to compliment Livia's power of speech, Philips' facial expressions capture profoundly, the woman who "was bitten by a snake, and then it died."

Even if you don't like history, you cannot help but appreciate quality acting when it is there. After you have seen this, Gladiator will sit on a dusty shelf while you watch this over and over again.