[ROM] The Stolen Eagle

TV Programme: Rome
Season: 1
Episode: 1
Date I watched this episode: 17/10/2009
Time since I last watched this programme: N/A

I certainly am a lot slower than I used to be with getting around to starting new programmes. Almost on a tortoise-like scale, even. I decided way back in June after finale day 6 that I would start Rome as one of my new programmes. And now we're almost at finale day 7, 4 months later, and I've only just got around to it. In fact this is the first programme premiere I've watched this year, and by extension the first I will have reviewed on this website.

That's not to say I wasn't looking forward to this episode. I've just got a busy life these days. But this programme has been recommended to me by some really influential people in my life, plus rave reviews on the net, so I was really looking forward to seeing what this programme could offer. I was a bit put off by references to the film "Gladiator", as I didn't see that film was as good as the hype, but still suitably intrigued to want to give "Rome" a shot.

I think right from the word go, I knew that this show would be epic. The episode starts with a voiceover explanation, much like the one in Carnivàle or even Lord Of The Rings. This voiceover, far from being just a pointless addition, really sets the scene for the whole rest of the episode, and quite possibly the programme. Then we moved into a big battle scene, which seemed fairly pointless at the time but actually served very well to introduce the character of Titus Pullo (maybe would have been better as a flashback though).

The scene, of course, is the ongoing rivalry between Pompey Magnus and Julius Caesar. I have absolutely no familiarity with Roman history (though this episode makes me want to learn) and so wasn't even aware of this rivalry before. But it comes out brilliantly in the episode, pervading through every scene; every character is in some way aligned to one or the other. The actors themselves, Ciarán Hinds from Ireland and Kenneth Cranham from Scotland, were absolutely awesome. Particular commendations to Mr Hinds: Caesar is such an oft-talked-about character and stepping into those shoes is quite something.

So many characters were introduced in this 50-minute episode though, it boggles the mind, but quite a good job was done in creating scenes which threw the characters together and showed how they interact. Among them were Julius Caesar and Pompey Magnus, Atia, Octavian and Octavia, Lucius Vorenus and Titus Pullo, Brutus, Mark Anthony, Servilia, Cato and Cicero. It truly is an ensemble cast.

Julius Caesar makes waves from afar with his warmongering, a trait shared by his ally Pompey Magnus. He is portrayed as being very cunning, steadfast but with emotions brewing under the surface, and a great leader who is also humble. Pompey Magnus on the other hand is old, set in his ways, but also a great leader who can speak a word and silence a whole room of rowdy senators.

Atia is a determined, ruthless woman who will exploit even her own daughter to get what she wants. She is quite sycophantic towards her friend Caesar, as are many people. However she does show feeling when it is appropriate to her, and has now vowed to kill Pompey, which I'm sure she will put her all into doing.

The interplay between Lucius Vorenus, Titus Pullo and Octavian was brilliant. When Lucius and Titus were down to nothing, they managed to take on a whole gallic team between the two of them, but certainly didn't like the idea of taking orders from the young Octavian. It is a kind of forced respect that is shown between the upper and lower classes.

The story of the episode is a big transition from relative civil peace to the decline into civil war. So much happens and the key events are set in the frame of a beautifully woven story which is suitably complex for my mind to comprehend. It's not obvious until towards the end what has happened, and still not totally clear now. Pompey stole the Eagle to try to make Caesar weak. Octavian has confirmed that Caesar would not have been truly weakened, but he sent Brutus back to Pompey to tell him that he had become weak, in order to lure Pompey into making the first move. However, Caesar didn't know that it was in face Pompey who stole the Eagle, so in a sense the first move has already been made. At least, that's how I understand it. I don't quite understand what the burning city at the end is supposed to depict.

The show is not censored at all - showing an excessive amount of blood, nudity, and strange rituals. The authenticity, or certainly the authentic feel, is brilliant and this comes right into the atmosphere of each scene and the sets they take place within, from large senate hearings to backroom meetings between Pompey and Cato.

Well I've written about enough but I'm sure you can read from the above that there is not much I can fault about this show. Very glad that I have become acquainted with it, eventually, and I look forward to seeing how all the characters come to deal with the new political situation.