Rome - The Complete First Season
starring: Ciaran Hinds, Polly Walker, James Purefoy, Lindsay Duncan, Indira Varma
directed by: Michael Apted, Allen Coulter, Timothy Van Patten
directed by: Michael Apted, Allen Coulter, Timothy Van Patten
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Product Description:
(HBO Dramatic Series) Four hundred years after the founding of the Republic Rome is the wealthiest city in the world a cosmopolitan metropolis of one million people; epicenter of a sprawling empire. The Republic was founded on principles of shared power and fierce personal competition never allowing one man to seize absolute control. But now those foundations are crumbling eaten away by corruption and excess. After eight years of war two soldiers Lucius Vorenus and Titus Pullo unwittingly become entwined in the historical events of ancient Rome. A serialized drama of love and betrayal masters and slaves husbands and wives ROME chronicles a turbulent era that saw the death of the republic and the birth of an empire.Running Time: 720 min.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA UPC: 026359284823 Manufacturer No: 92848
Amazon.com:
Family dysfunction. Treachery. Betrayal. Coarse profanity. Brutal violence. Graphic (and sometimes brutal) sex. No, it's not The Sopranos, it's Rome, HBO's madly ambitious series that bloodily splatters the glory of Rome just as savagely as Monty Python and the Holy Grail soiled the good name of Camelot (but with far fewer laughs; very few funny things happen on the way to this forum). Set in 52 B.C. (Before Cable), Rome charts the dramatic shifts in the balance of power between former friends Pompey Magnus (Kenneth Cranham), leader of the Senate, and Julius Caesar (Ciaran Hinds), whose imminent return after eight years to Rome after conquering the Gauls, has the ruling class up in arms. At the heart of Rome is the odd couple friendship between two soldiers who fortuitously become heroes of the people. Lucius Vorenus (Kevin McKidd) is married, honorable, and steadfast. Titus Pullo (Ray Stevenson) is an amoral rogue whose philosophy is best summed up, "I kill my enemies, take their gold, and enjoy their women." Among Rome's most compelling subplots is Lucius's strained relationship with his wife, Niobe (Indira Varma), who is surprised to see her husband alive (but not as surprised as he is to find her upon his homecoming with a newborn baby in her arms!) Any viewer befuddlement over Rome's intrigues and machinations, and determining who is hero and who is foe, disappears the minute Golden Globe-nominee Polly Walker appears as Atia, Caesar's formidable niece and a villainess for the ages. In the first hour alone, she offers her already married daughter as a bride to the recently widowed Pompey. One eagerly awaits to see what(or who) she'll do next as much as we anticipate her comeuppance in the final episode.
Rome is a painstakingly mounted production that earned eight well-deserved Emmy nominations in such categories as costumes, set design, and art direction. Michael Apted (Coal Miner's Daughter) was honored with a Director's Guild Award for the first episode, "The Stolen Eagle." But artistic considerations aside, instantly addicted viewers will agree with Atia, who notes at one point, "I adore the secrecy, the intrigue. It's most thrilling." --Donald Liebenson
Beyond the Series
Stills from Rome (click for larger image)
(HBO Dramatic Series) Four hundred years after the founding of the Republic Rome is the wealthiest city in the world a cosmopolitan metropolis of one million people; epicenter of a sprawling empire. The Republic was founded on principles of shared power and fierce personal competition never allowing one man to seize absolute control. But now those foundations are crumbling eaten away by corruption and excess. After eight years of war two soldiers Lucius Vorenus and Titus Pullo unwittingly become entwined in the historical events of ancient Rome. A serialized drama of love and betrayal masters and slaves husbands and wives ROME chronicles a turbulent era that saw the death of the republic and the birth of an empire.Running Time: 720 min.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: DRAMA UPC: 026359284823 Manufacturer No: 92848
Amazon.com:
Family dysfunction. Treachery. Betrayal. Coarse profanity. Brutal violence. Graphic (and sometimes brutal) sex. No, it's not The Sopranos, it's Rome, HBO's madly ambitious series that bloodily splatters the glory of Rome just as savagely as Monty Python and the Holy Grail soiled the good name of Camelot (but with far fewer laughs; very few funny things happen on the way to this forum). Set in 52 B.C. (Before Cable), Rome charts the dramatic shifts in the balance of power between former friends Pompey Magnus (Kenneth Cranham), leader of the Senate, and Julius Caesar (Ciaran Hinds), whose imminent return after eight years to Rome after conquering the Gauls, has the ruling class up in arms. At the heart of Rome is the odd couple friendship between two soldiers who fortuitously become heroes of the people. Lucius Vorenus (Kevin McKidd) is married, honorable, and steadfast. Titus Pullo (Ray Stevenson) is an amoral rogue whose philosophy is best summed up, "I kill my enemies, take their gold, and enjoy their women." Among Rome's most compelling subplots is Lucius's strained relationship with his wife, Niobe (Indira Varma), who is surprised to see her husband alive (but not as surprised as he is to find her upon his homecoming with a newborn baby in her arms!) Any viewer befuddlement over Rome's intrigues and machinations, and determining who is hero and who is foe, disappears the minute Golden Globe-nominee Polly Walker appears as Atia, Caesar's formidable niece and a villainess for the ages. In the first hour alone, she offers her already married daughter as a bride to the recently widowed Pompey. One eagerly awaits to see what(or who) she'll do next as much as we anticipate her comeuppance in the final episode.
Rome is a painstakingly mounted production that earned eight well-deserved Emmy nominations in such categories as costumes, set design, and art direction. Michael Apted (Coal Miner's Daughter) was honored with a Director's Guild Award for the first episode, "The Stolen Eagle." But artistic considerations aside, instantly addicted viewers will agree with Atia, who notes at one point, "I adore the secrecy, the intrigue. It's most thrilling." --Donald Liebenson
Beyond the Series
 The Roman Empire in film and television |  The Roman Empire in documentaries |  More HBO DVDs |
Stills from Rome (click for larger image)
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Customer Reviews
Average Rating:
Rating: 
- Loved it, loved it, loved it!!!
This is one of the best tv on dvd that I have ever seen. At first, it didn't really draw me in and I thought it might not be so good. However, I gave the second show a chance and from there, I was hooked! All in all, I would say it was quite remarkable. If you like this, definitely get Rome - The Complete Second Season and vice versa.
Rating: 
- Rome, The First Complete Season
In many ways this production is excellent; however, its infatuation with the sexual promiscuity of the Roman world is excessive at the expense of other more important historical hallmarks of the classical period.
Rating: - HBO's Rome is an Epic Series
In the hands of HBO, Ancient Rome gets the grunge treatment.Gone is the expansive, lily white marble majesty that the academic textbooks would have you envision, and in its place we get a louche, densely packed, syphilitic urban center.The sets, art direction and costumes are assiduously detailed and it lends this 12-episode series such a stunning reality that one could easily mistake a history lesson come alive.Little wonder since it also boasts some incredible acting and a screenplay rich ... Read More
Rating: - #1 ROME FAN
HBO'S ROME is a series that is spectacular and I fell in love with it from the first season. It is fabulous, captivating, and full of great suspense and richly done cinematography. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and it is my little guilty pleasure to watch it all the time.I find that I enjoy watching the episodes from beginning to end, over and over again!!
As a history buff, I find that it really brings one an idea of what life in Ancient Rome must have been like, in rich ... Read More
Rating: - Rome - The Complete First Season
Rome - The Complete First Two Seasons
This series on the early history of the Roman Empire is outstanding.It is informative while being entertaining, so that one gets a real sense of the politics, betrayal, romance and lifestyle of the peoples of this empire. I highly recommend the series.
- Loved it, loved it, loved it!!!This is one of the best tv on dvd that I have ever seen. At first, it didn't really draw me in and I thought it might not be so good. However, I gave the second show a chance and from there, I was hooked! All in all, I would say it was quite remarkable. If you like this, definitely get Rome - The Complete Second Season and vice versa.
- Rome, The First Complete SeasonIn many ways this production is excellent; however, its infatuation with the sexual promiscuity of the Roman world is excessive at the expense of other more important historical hallmarks of the classical period.
- HBO's Rome is an Epic SeriesIn the hands of HBO, Ancient Rome gets the grunge treatment.Gone is the expansive, lily white marble majesty that the academic textbooks would have you envision, and in its place we get a louche, densely packed, syphilitic urban center.The sets, art direction and costumes are assiduously detailed and it lends this 12-episode series such a stunning reality that one could easily mistake a history lesson come alive.Little wonder since it also boasts some incredible acting and a screenplay rich ... Read More
- #1 ROME FANHBO'S ROME is a series that is spectacular and I fell in love with it from the first season. It is fabulous, captivating, and full of great suspense and richly done cinematography. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and it is my little guilty pleasure to watch it all the time.I find that I enjoy watching the episodes from beginning to end, over and over again!!
As a history buff, I find that it really brings one an idea of what life in Ancient Rome must have been like, in rich ... Read More
- Rome - The Complete First SeasonRome - The Complete First Two Seasons
This series on the early history of the Roman Empire is outstanding.It is informative while being entertaining, so that one gets a real sense of the politics, betrayal, romance and lifestyle of the peoples of this empire. I highly recommend the series.
