I, Claudius (1977)

One of the best shows of any kind ever made.

This I originally saw on PBS of course when it was first shown there. It stuck in my mind ever since. It is one of the best shows of any kind I have EVER seen. The acting is phenominal, especially Sian Phillips and Derek Jacobi. WONDERFUL. You MUST see it. October 8, 2008

Rulers of Rome: the Good and the Evil

This series is a fascinating look at the tremendous heights of empirical glory and despotism that kicked off the Roman Empire. From the brilliant government of Augustus to the mad and criminal excesses of Caligula the early years of the Roman Empire are brought to life in brilliant detail and color through the eyes of the wretched Claudius. Ignored, ridiculed and despised for his limp and his stutter, he witnesses and records the vast web of power, murder, ambition, intrigue and madness that engulfs Rome's royal family. Although not as visually colorful or explicit as HBO's ROME, I Claudius does not disappoint. The acting is superb; Derek Jacobi and John Hurt in particular are brilliant as the best and worst of the Claudian dynasty. I, Claudius is definitive proof that stellar writing and acting can override any deficiencies in budget. This series is the perfect meeting of History Channel and tabloid. September 5, 2008

The best historical mini-series I have ever seen

Without a doubt, for an in-depth fictional portrait of another era, this mini-series more or less sets the standard. The acting is uniformly excellent, but the depth of character, placed in context without cheap TV-style simplification, has not yet been equalled in my viewing. I will certainly watch it with my kids and discuss the details for hours and hours.

As with all historical fiction, this version fills in a lot of gaps that we will never know, making events more dramatic or directed by malevolent intelligence, but it is an interpretation that is entirely plausible. This is the artist's license, and Graves was such a scholar that we can trust it. Moreover, it never crosses the line in melodrama or the maudlin.

The story takes place at the end of the Republic. Julius Caesar is gone, and after a power struggle, Octavian (soon renamed Augustus) has emerged with his hands firmly on the reigns of power. It is one of those watershed moments, in which an entire new way of governance is invented. While not quite an hereditary monarchy, the Roman Emperor must designate an heir to his absolute power, which resides in the hands of two linked families: the Julians and the Claudians. Who will succeed Augustus is the crux of the story. Claudius, deformed, stuttering, and apparently feeble-minded, appears as the least likely successor. However, the candidates around Augustus keep dying in mysterious ways. Then when successors are chosen, they lack not only the moderation of the conservative Augustus, but lack his truly masterful political instinct of maintaining certain social balances. The result is drift, unimaginable autocratic cruelty, and the final destruction of the old oligarchic ruling classes, paving the way for an entirely new class of politicians to arise. Amidst the most brutal manipulation and machination, Claudius finally has his turn, with very surprising results. It is a wonderful study in absolute power and its corrupting influence.

Many reviewers have criticized the copy. Upon viewing it, I must say that it is fine. The problem is that it was shot in the mid-1970s, which was a less technically adept time, and as a BBC production, it is lower budget that current viewers expect. Sure, some of the effects look chinsey, but the drama is so overpoweringly excellent that I cannot fault this.

Warmly recommended. As a classics major, this brings what I studied to life, deepening my fascination with that vanished world. For a general audience, this version can create an interest that will last a lifetime. It is absolutely first rate. August 6, 2008

do not buy this

The irony is that I rented this based on high recommendations from Amazon, so I feel I should say this as a warning. There are plenty of negative reviews for the DVD quality, but few of those recognize that the quality of the original series is low to begin with. My wife is a TV producer and was apalled at the low-budget look of this, especially the sound. We had it turned up over twice the volume we usually use, and it's not the transfer. They probably used one microphone for the whole room, so if someone walks away from the camera (as they often do in soap-opera style directing) his voice will trail off. We literally gave up on the whole series 20 minutes into the first episode. Not just because of the poor quality, but also the whole look of it is very "70s BBC." Older British television has a very distinct look, which makes it unwatchable by today's standards. The camera angles are either one or two wide shots, and the expected close-up, revealing layers of pancake make-up and 70's hairstyles. At no time was I convinced that I was watching a scene from ancient Rome, which was (painfully) obviously a BBC sound stage. I won't criticize the acting, because this is a theatrical costume drama and any vapid soap-opera dialogue is par for the course. Please don't buy into the 5-star reviews deeming this a "classic." It may have been great in its own time, but it does not hold up to today's standards in production or video quality in any way. July 7, 2008

muffled on old tv

i also noticed the muffled audio however when played on my newer dvd/tv is comes in very clear. June 10, 2008

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