The Fall of the Roman Empire **** (1964, Alec Guinness, Sophia Loren, Stephen Boyd, James Mason, Christopher Plummer, Omar Sharif, Mel Ferrer, Anthony Quayle, John Ireland) – Classic Movie Review 6384

Director Anthony Mann’s vast 1964 Roman epic The Fall of the Roman Empire is, overall, hugely impressive, though it is a hit and miss affair in the casting department, but the hits include James Mason as the freed slave and confidante Timonides and Alec Guinness as his master Marcus Aurelius, as well as Christopher Plummer as Commodus. All three actors are on commanding form.

However, some of the other star players (Sophia Loren as Lucilla, Stephen Boyd as Livius, Omar Sharif as Sohamus, Mel Ferrer as Cleander, Anthony Quayle as Verulus and John Ireland as Ballomar) are on much shakier ground.

Mann’s movie is a spectacularly good-looking film in search of an equally spectacularly good-looking script. The one they have is imaginative and creative enough, but only loosely based on European historical events around the years 180 to 192.

However, there is visual splendour aplenty and there are rousing action scenes in abundance too. It is made in Spain, both on location and at the Samuel Bronston Studios in Madrid.

It is better seen on a big screen, of course.

You might expect it to be Oscar laden, but there was only a sole nomination for Best Substantially Original Score for Dimitri Tiomkin, who won a Golden Globe for Best Original Score.

The Fall of the Roman Empire is written by Ben Barzman, Basilio Franchina and Philip Yordan, shot in Technicolor and widescreen by Robert Krasker, produced by Samuel Bronston, scored by Dimitri Tiomkin, and designed by Veniero Colasanti and John Moore.

Also in the support cast are many, mainly British worthies, Eric Porter, Douglas Wilmer, Peter Damon, Andrew Keir, George Murcell, Norman Wooland, Michael Gwynne, Guy Rolfe and Finlay Currie.

It was originally 188 minutes but cut to 172 minutes for its 1970 re-release.

It cost a huge $19 million but recouped only $4,750,000 in the US.

The story is roughly remade in Gladiator (2000).

Kirk Douglas turned the film down despite wanting to work with Sophia Loren.

Stage star Anthony Quayle recalled about his film career: ‘I was in the Tarzan films and Fall of the Roman Empire and one dreary thing after another’.

© Derek Winnert 2017 Classic Movie Review 6384

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