Rating: 
Summary: Brilliant, Fearsome; A Great Work of Art
Review: Based on Robert Graves' famous novel, I, CLAUDIUS is the ultimate soap opera, vicious, cruel, manipulative--and this famous English miniseries grabs the attention and holds fast throughout the entire length of its complex tale of ancient intrigue.The great strengths of I, CLAUDIUS are in the driving pace, sharp wit, and ferocity of Jack Pulman's script and the host of brilliant performers who play it out. Chief among these are Sian Phillips as the calculating, murderous, and unspeakably cold Livia, wife of Augustus; although Derek Jacobi gives a justly famous performance in the title role, it is Phillips who dominates and drives the story with this, the most brilliant performance of her career. But this is not to disparrage the overall cast, which is remarkably fine and includes such noted artists as Brian Blessed, John Hurt, Patricia Quinn, Patrick Stewart, and a host of others. Like the serpent that appears in the open credits, the story twists and winds--and covers several generations of the ruling family as Rome slips from the republic to royal rule, largely due to the manipulations of Livia, who has few if any scruples in her determination to rule first through her husband and then through her son. Although the look of the film is somewhat dated, it in no way impairs the power of the piece, and I, CLAUDIUS remains one of the handful of miniseries that actually improves upon repeated viewings. Strongly, strongly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Clau-Clau-Claudius: A Lesson in Survival
Review: A stellar cast of Brits deliver top-notch performances in this peerless adaptation of "I, Claudius" and "Cladius the God". Derek Jacobi plays Claudius, a mass of nervous tics with a passion for history. He receives good advice; let his appearance of simple-mindedness be his protection. He is part of what has become an ad hoc royal house in the Roman Empire, and his relatives tend to meet with accidents at an alarming rate. In spite of everything, Claudius has his chance, and leaves his mark on history. Chock-full of intrigue, treachery, and Roman minutae, it's no wonder that this series remains a perennial favorite. Each viewing is a pleasure.
Rating:
Summary: What a Trip!
Review: Bizzare and quirky, this unforgettable lesson in Roman history is the greatest miniseries ever committed to film. As it starts, Emperor Claudius (the astonishing Dereck Jacobi), reconciled to the fact that he'll most likely be murdered like his predecessors sooner or later, decides to write down the sordid history of his famous family while he still can. Lucky in that his physical disabilities have masked his intelligence (he would now almost definitely be diagnosed with cerebral palsey), he loses most of the few people who really care about him and survives - after the murder of his step-grandfather/great uncle Augustus - the reigns of his uncle Tiberius and nephew Caligula. Dragged literally kicking and screaming to the throne, senility ironically starts to make of him what everyone thought but he had previously never been as he serenely waits for his harpy-like last wife and stepson, Agrippina and Nero, to do the expected. It has been a remarkable life. Yes, the story is accurate - it's just that when in doubt Graves accepted the more wild rumors about this time period. If he hadn't run with the rumor that Livia had poisoned almost half the family, for instance, the first third of the series would have been a heck of a lot less fun. A heck of a roller coaster ride it is, too - leaving you laughing hysterically one minute and totally creeped out the next (literally in some of John Hurt's scenes - his Caligula is so memorable that if you haven't seen it in a while you forget that he wasn't even in that many episodes compared to some of the other characters). The only possible complaint is that the last third doesn't have a villain comparable to Livia and Caligula - perhaps it was felt that a strong Nero would have been too similar to Caligula and they had been there and done that already. A must-see you'll remember for a long, long time. One last note, by the way - if you want to watch this with kids, you'll definitely want to pre-view if they're younger. The middle in particular is not for the faint of heart.
Rating:
Summary: Claw Claw Claudius!
Review: What's not to love about this DVD set? It is fantastically done and so very intriguing. Worth the money, it the unknown classic of its time.
The plot is intricate yet easy to follow. You will absoluetly love stuttering Claudius as he fulfills his prophecy and you see the emporers of Rome come to power with the help of murderers and fulfill their prophecies of scandal and utter lunacy as well as deciet.
If you see this DVD, you will not be disappointed...
Rating:
Summary: A Brilliant, One-of-a-Kind Television Landmark
Review: There aren't enough positive words to describe this television triumph, so let's put it this way - this is "Ben Hur" "Gladiator" and "Spartacus" with elements of Cleopatra, Caligula and Moses thrown in. A landmark television mini-series with an operatic look and feel (though not sung in any way) everything about it is alive - from the sets to the actors. Easily the most convincing ancient period piece, everything flows to a time and place that no longer exists, except in the imaginings of the creative process. I Claudius excells in every aspect of every creative element - script, cast, direction, art design, cinematography, lighting - it must be committed to in order to be appreciated fully. In other words, set aside a week to watch the DVD, or two even, with designated times for viewing, so that you can appreciate its addictive qualities. It's more than a tale of ancient Rome, but a soap opera or dramatic heights and callous lows that can make you cry, blush and even laugh on occassion. The amazing Derek Jacobi is unforgettable - he's luminous and present, fully realized as both simpleton and emperor by Jacobi, embued with profound and meaningful twitches and mannerisms lesser actors would've used for comic releif (often needed here, by the way.) Sian Phillips is uniquely grand in another key role - as Livia, mother of the emperor and betrayer, manipulating everything she can get her hands on. You hate her for disparraging Claudius, but laugh nervously when she turns on the charm. A handful of superb miniseries have been presented over the years on television, accessible to all, and applauded for generations. Like "Roots," "Upstairs, Downstairs," "Elizabeth R," and "Tales of the City/More Tales of the City" - I Claudius withstands the test of time, and remains today a thrilling, jaw-dropping event. Make Time for this ALL TIME CLASSIC.
Rating:
Summary: What anniversary? Can't you think of something?
Review:
This 25 year old 13 part BBC series was adapted from Robert Graves' book, well, romantic novel, and puts Octavian's wife Livia in the role of Cleo historically assigned in literature. It's obviously a TV production, but people looking for the blockbuster special effects and location shooting should see this anyway.
The historical Claudius wasn't the bumbling nice guy seen here, but was such an improvement over his predecessor that I cut him some slack. Besides, the dramatization is enjoyable. The historical Claudius turned out to be second best of the Julio-Claudian emperors (the best being Augustus). This dramatic version of Claudius was similarly second best, and comes across as a genuinely nice guy. The historical Claudius concerned himself with presiding over the courts whenever he could, he built Rome's winter harbor, he established an efficient administration by delegating to a couple of capable men (also shown in the program), and took an interest in the minutiae of imperial matters. His conquest of Britain may have been ill advised in retrospect, but in our time Britain is the best understood of all the former provinces of the Roman Empire.
Some people may find disquieting the fact that so many of the female characters are murderers and ruthless addicts of power. Others may notice as I did that the only people of color found in these episodes are dancers, musicians, and other non speaking roles. A few reviewers have noted that the sound isn't mixed up very high. I also noticed this. Gosh, what a hardship it must be to reach for the remote control. Or get out of the house and take a walk instead of watching 13 hours of TV.
The fifth disk of this set has the documentary (circa 1960) about the original 1930s attempt to make "I, Claudius" (to star Charles Laughton). It includes surviving footage from the production, as well as numerous interviews with survivors of the cast, the director, and Robert Graves himself. In my view, this documentary blows the doors off the additional material on the new, new DVD release of "Spartacus".
A cheesy paperback from 1958, "Those About To Die" [0345242408] by Daniel P Mannix, is a largely factual fictionalized account of the games, not a scholarly work, and if you happen to see it at the library or a garage sale, and have a strong stomach, check it out. I was just rereading its description of the largest ever naval "games" which were staged by Claudius. He had crews work eleven years to dig a tunnel three and a half miles long through rock in order to drain the floodwaters off landlocked Lago di Fucino (increasing the available arable land), and after this civil engineering project was finished he decided to celebrate with a battle between two "navies" of 12 triremes each (a trireme had three levels of oars on each side, it was a huge freakin' ship).
One crew was dressed like Sicilians, the other like Rhodians, and a half million spectators traveled the sixty miles from Rome to watch, including fifteen pregnant women who gave birth during the festivities, not unlike Woodstock. The lake had to be surrounded by troops to avoid an attempt at a breakout, and at least 3,000 of the participants died during and after this mock naval engagement.
Recommended viewing:
-:- Spartacus (DVD, B00005A8TY)
Recommended reading:
-:- Everyday Life In Ancient Rome by Lionel Casson (0801859921)
-:- Travel in the Ancient World by Lionel Casson (0801848083)
-:- The Ancient Mariners by Lionel Casson (0691014779)
-:- Cleopatra by Michael Grant (audio 0788703528, ppbk 184212031X).
-:- Sick Caesars by Michael Grant, particularly for the profiles of Marcus Aurelius and Commodus (0760709378, 00090312011)
-:- A Scandalous History of the Roman Emperors by Anthony Blond (0786707593)
Rating:
Summary: Perfection
Review: The BBC did an outstanding job with this one. The acting, the sets, the costumes, everything, perfect. While definately NOT for a single viewing, unless you are a SERIOUS movie watcher, the 13 episodes are well defined from start to finish, allowing you to take a break for a while and not feel like you have interrupted something. Ranks with Shogun and Roots in quality of mini-series.
Rating:
Summary: Best Drama Miniseries Ever Made
Review: I, Claudius is one of the best drama miniseries of all time. Yes, it was over 11 hours, but it is worth every minute of it. It is historically correct in every aspect of its nature, following the reign of Augustus to the beginning of Nero; it's a drama that will grip you until the very last minute. I highly recommend this to everyone, regardless if you know the history of the Romans; its something that will make you think and change how you look at life forever. Out of 10 stars, i give it a well-earned 10.
Rating:
Summary: Very enjoyable
Review: A very good adaptation of Grave's two excellent books. I would highly recommend both the film and the books! Well acted, scripted, and directed.
Rating:
Summary: A magnificent portrayal of the decadence of the upper class
Review: This reproduction of the BBC series displays the perfectly chosen character actors for which the BBC is justly famous. The intrigues, murders of rivals to the throne through poisoning and outright slaughter, and the contrasting sanity of the handicapped protagonist linger in the viewer's thoughts long after watching the thirteen episodes (including a remarkable recreation of an earlier, aborted attempt to film the story starring Sir Charles Laughton and a pixieish Merle Oberon). This DVD provides an essential introduction to ancient Rome in a manner that is both educational and entertaining.
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