Alec Guinness & James Mason in The Fall of the Roman Empire

[jum1801]

Rome had many positive legacies in law, culture and construction. But Rome didn't aim to benefit posterity; rather, to subdue the world under the Eagle. Brutality helped.

Rome was notable in the West for its institutionalized use of brutality, which rivaled that of the average ancient Eastern power. If we're grading repugnant regimes, I'd say the Nazis were "worse" than Rome...and with no positive legacies, either. Ouch: even the vilest Eastern tyrannies had SOMETHING good in their histories.

[droid740]

@jum1801 I am no fan of Nazism, but radar, rocketry, prosthesis, genetics, and the autobahn which we call our freeways all came from their short time. Study your history. Every Empire believes its own goals of design to be well founded. As we do now.

[nedland20]

A great scene from what is probably THE best movie spectacle ever filmed.

[TheMgallacher]

James Mason & Alec Guinness: Two Of The All - Time Greats!

[bahoss]

Holly-wood (:

[tribune007]

he was so intelligent. marcus aurelius.

[ConnaughtVaughan]

actually, that was Alec Guiness who was gay in real life

[beepandbop]

@ConnaughtVaughan no he was bisexual...he had a wife who he produced a son with.

[henryhaven]

no its not

[deserk]

Parthia is Persia, its just a name used for a later period

[SOLISDEUS]

Senatus populusque romanus. How I miss the empire. Damn Constantine and Christians. Hail neo platonism, logic and the devotion to the State!

[jum1801]

The glory that was iron-willed Rome. All that morally disinterested devotion to the state.

But let's remember that the West has never seen a more cruel and debauched society, which includes it's choice of governance.

Some lazy thinkers call the US the modern Rome,because of US influence. Wrong. The modern society most like Rome was Nazi Germany. I can appreciate the discipline of the legionnaires, just as I can admire the devotion of the Waffen SS.

But they fought for loathsome states.

[darthracer777]

jum1801, you are exactly correct.

[anobody911]

Most expansionist states will commit atrocities, but what did Rome do that was so much crueller than any other military of the time?

[TahaJomha]

@jum1801 no city on earth comapres to the likes, baghdad, demascus,,casablanca

[beepandbop]

@jum1801 eh, I don't know about that. The legionaries were fighting to better themselves, fighting as a professional unit. The Waffen were professional, but they were bloodthirsty, unnecessarily barbaric, cruel, and serving a crazed ruler.

The Romans introduced order, technology, and common law into their defeated enemies' lands. Hitler only brought Death and Socialism, only he called it "National Socialism."

A reactionary, anti-capitalist, anti-common sense ideology.

[henryhaven]

Cinstantine has a lot to answer for the bloody fool

[Augustus3103]

Five Stars - awesome and thank you for posting this video.

[92af]

Laurence Olivier was totaly better than James Mason was

[aeonflux67]

3.18. That Armenian King was a real suck. I bet he would go far in the office I work in with a tongue that long.

[GeneralBelesarius]

this movie is tragic at the end. that very currupt man seems to have killed the empire. although it happened 200 years later =[

[morizla]

classic

[grailmastah]

i noticed that j.phoenix character in gladiator seems to borrowed from christopher plummer in this. almost exactly the same character, if not the same words...still i like them both...cg is okay, but i'm glad we had this style when we did, i mean, it's fun to imagine fighting with swords and stuff

[catbird007]

The studio's must have spent a fortune making this movie. I wish I knew how much it cost and how much it took in?. Great movie and will always stand the test of time

[ECG3485]

Bronston spent about $20 million (U.S. money) on the production, read the Wikipedia article for more info.

[HarveyCartwright]

It lost millions worldwide.

[Kvltman]

I thought Gladiator was better than this. I fell asleep watching this... hey at least Sophia Loren and Obi-Wan Kenobi were in it =]

[catbird007]

well, these types of movies aren't for everyone Kvltman, a person sometimes has to bring a little something with them to understand what's going on with the story line. "Hey, how about that herbie the love bug" I bet that would keep ya on the edge of your seat....

[Kvltman]

I like Herbie =]

[hardassteel]

its obiwan kanobe!!!

[indolentlee]

it is the truth from my point of view

[aeonflux67]

"Use the Force Marcus...for God sake use the FORCE!!!!"

[TaskBarFeildLovers]

what is them animals? is them cows?

[J5MARLON]

More horses

[DMaustrap]

Wonderful Film. Beautifully produced and crafted. More elegant then any CG backdrop can produce. Anywho can you please put the Overture and Main Titles on please,I love Dimitri Tiomkins powerful score.

Thanks in advance.

[dglekjofg]

The only person really acting in this film, and acting WONDERFULLY as usual, is Christopher Plummer. In my opinion his interpretation of Commodus is one of the finest of his movie roles (not of his theatrical roles, of course, as these ones are quite another story!).

[HarveyCartwright]

No, Plummer sucked. Richard Harris would have been better. Only Sir Alec Guinness was good in this film.

[Arathegreat007]

Actually, sorry it did happen around 50-40 BC. When King Artavazd goes into military unity with Persia.

[Arathegreat007]

Armenian King rocks in this movie :) . We join Persians and rebel against Rome. :) I'm kidding lol. This is just a movie. I don't know any rebellion of Armenians against Romans.

[saruman84]

....Africa....

[Eudora74]

But sir Alec didn`t like this movie. He said that with 10 minutes of film, when he watched, have enough.

[lapislazuli7]

... I believe he is right...as always

[AllenbysEyes]

Sir Alec's great in this movie. Too bad the rest of it is absolute crap.

[RomanusIV]

But Ridley Scott's "Gladiator" used a lot of this storyline...

[AllenbysEyes]

Absolutely right. I'm not a big fan of that movie but it's better than FOTRE. And a big part of the reason is that Russell Crowe can act while Stephen Boyd is a block of wood. Just my opinion though, and Spartacus is my favorite these type of films regardless.

[GeneralAramis]

I only saw part of this movie, and I watched it for him and James Mason. It was funny to see Mr. Mason in a toga again after his part as Brutus in Julius Caesar.

[PhilipineMan]

Enemies Of Rome, May You Sharpen Thy Spear.

[oyeman]

The Roman Empire can't fall! Look at how many horses we've got!!!

[Crassenstein]

Why the music.