communism Quo Vadis and 29, 30–1 The Robe and 55 Spartacus and 102 see also McCarthyism computer-generated imagery 224–5, 227–8 conformist mentality, critique of 186, 187, 189–90 Constantine I (emperor) 222 consumerism 204 Cooper, Duncan 116 Copland, Aaron 104 Crassus, Marcus Licinius historical figure 97, 99, 129 Spartacus 90, 91, 93, 94, 108–9, 110, 111, 115–16, 117, 118, 119, 120, 157, 242, 250 Crawford, Michael 168 Crixus historical figure 98–9 Spartacus 90–1, 93, 107 Crosby, Bing 205 Crowe, Russell 209, 232, 238, 246, 249 crucifixion Ben-Hur 65 Jesus of Nazareth 68, 181 Monty Python’s Life of Brian 187, 192 Quo Vadis 11 The Robe 36, 52–3 Spartacus 113 Cuban Missile Crisis 152 Cull, Nicholas 170 Currie, Finlay 74 Curtis, Tony 111 D’Annunzio, Gabriellino 18 Davis, Bette 71, 138 decline of the epic movie 222–3 The Defiant Ones 111 deflation, comedy of 191 DeLuise, Dom 200, 202 Demetrius and the Gladiators 48, 50 Demetrius (The Robe) 35, 36–7, 38, 50–1, 52, 53 DeMille, Cecil B. 1, 138 The Desperate Hours 71 Detective Story 71 Diana (The Robe) 35, 37, 38, 39, 49–50, 54, 55, 110, 235 Dick Tracy 166 director’s cut 226 Doctor No 197 Domina (A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum) 160, 161, 168 Domitian (emperor) 16, 213 Domus Aurea (“Golden House”) 14, 219 Donations of Alexandria 134 Douglas, Kirk 92, 102–3, 103, 104, 105, 114 Douglas, Lloyd C. 44–6 Dr. Hudson’s Secret Journal 45 Dr. Strangelove, or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb 103 Draba (Spartacus) 90, 91, 106, 107, 118–19, 228, 242–3 DreamWorks 225–6 drug culture 205 Drusus (Ben-Hur) 60, 61, 64 Drusus the Younger 40, 41 The Duellists 226 Dunne, Irene 45 Durant, Will 224 Durbin, Deanna 46 Edwards, J. Gordon 137 The Egyptian 50 Eisenhower, Dwight D. 29, 56 El Cid 75 Elley, Derek 19, 27, 31, 32, 79, 83, 171 emancipation discourse 100–1 Empress Nympho (History of the World, Part I) 195, 200, 204 Erlanger, Abraham 69, 70 erotic gaze Ben-Hur 87 Cleopatra 154–5 Quo Vadis 33 The Robe 58 Spartacus 120, 205 see also sexuality Erronius (A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum) 160, 161, 169 Esther (Ben-Hur) 60–1, 63–4, 65, 79–80, 82, 235 Eunice (Quo Vadis) 8, 11, 32, 33, 79 Eyes Wide Shut 103 INDEX 265
Falco (Gladiator) 208, 210, 212 The Fall of the Roman Empire 75, 104, 170–1, 222, 223–4, 225, 233, 240 fascism 28, 29 Fast, Howard 100, 101–2, 117 Father of the Bride movies 166 Faustina (wife of Marcus Aurelius) 216 Fellini, Federico 171 Fellini Satyricon 171, 201 female empowerment 110–11, 147, 150, 235–6 Fiddler on the Roof 167 Fisher, Eddie 154 Fitzgerald, William 19, 30, 54, 76, 87, 111, 120, 231 Flavius (Cleopatra) 122, 123 Flower Drum Song 46 Flynn, Errol 45 Forma Urbis 29, 30 Forrest Gump 205 Franken, Al 188 Franzero, C. M. 140 Franzoni, David 228, 244, 250, 252 Frasier 166 freedom/oppression polarity A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum 172–3 Monty Python’s Life of Brian 187, 190 Quo Vadis 33 The Robe 48, 55 Spartacus 105, 111 Freudian psychology 203 Fronto, Marcus Cornelius 215 The Frost Report 181 Fry, Christopher 72 Full Metal Jacket 103 “Funkytown” 201 Funny Girl 71 Futrell, Alison 98, 105, 219 Gabinius, Aulus 129 Gaius (Gladiator) 208, 210 Galba, Servius Sulpicius historical figure 16, 197 Quo Vadis 11, 12 Gallio, Marcellus (The Robe) 34 –9, 45, 48–9, 50–1, 52–4, 55–6 Gallio, Senator (The Robe) 35, 38, 39, 51–2, 56 Garibaldi, Giuseppe 101 Garofalo, Janeane 188 266 INDEX Gavin, John 115 Gelbart, Larry 166, 167 Gemellus, Tiberius 42 gender issues Cleopatra and 153–4 female empowerment 110–11, 147, 150, 235–6 Quo Vadis and 31–2 see also sexuality Genn, Leo 10, 26 Germanicus 40, 43 Gérôme, Jean-Léon 221, 225 Gerrard, Lisa 239 Get Smart 197–8 The Ghost and Mrs. Muir 138 G. I. Jane 226 Giant 149 Gibbon, Edward 222, 224 Gibson, Mel 188 Gilford, Jack 162, 168, 169 Gilliam, Terry 181, 183, 184, 187, 191 Giovagnoli, Rafaello 101 Glaber, Claudius 98 Glabrus (Spartacus) 90, 91, 93, 107 Gladiator 1, 4–5, 199, 207–56, 209, 246 cast 207 historical context 213–22 Oscar nominations 238 plot outline 208–13 production 226–38 recent background 222–6 themes and interpretations 238–56 The Gladiator (play) 101 gladiatorial combat 97–8, 217–21 Gladiator 210, 211, 240, 242 Gladiator Emperor (Commodus) 216 Spartacus 106–7, 242–3 gladiatorial schools 97, 220, 222 Goldberg, Whoopi 168 Goldwyn, Sam 71 Gone With the Wind 68 The Good Fairy 71 Gospels 67, 68, 180–1 government authoritarianism, critique of 84, 118, 204 Gracchus (Gladiator) 210, 211, 212, 213, 229, 235, 240, 245, 248 Gracchus (Spartacus) 91, 93, 94, 95, 112–13, 115–16, 118 Gracchus, Gaius 96 Gracchus, Tiberius 96
- Page 2 and 3:
Big Screen Rome
- Page 4 and 5:
BIG SCREEN ROME Monica Silveira Cyr
- Page 6 and 7:
Contents List of Illustrations vi A
- Page 8 and 9:
11 A Funny Thing Happened on the Wa
- Page 10 and 11:
permissions were secured in part wi
- Page 12 and 13:
Map 1 The city of Rome in the imper
- Page 14:
R P I D A C I A M O Sarmizegetusa C
- Page 17 and 18:
provocative combination of dignity
- Page 19 and 20:
chapters examine how both films use
- Page 21 and 22:
duty and desire set against the mon
- Page 23 and 24:
Plot Outline It is the summer of ad
- Page 25 and 26:
Plate 1 Quo Vadis. Petronius (Leo G
- Page 27 and 28:
a soldier kills Tigellinus, calling
- Page 29 and 30:
of Rome. Their obstinate refusal to
- Page 31 and 32:
he was also condemned to death. The
- Page 33 and 34:
associated with the Catholic Polish
- Page 35 and 36:
ambivalent one, given the glitterin
- Page 37 and 38:
This is the Appian Way, the most fa
- Page 39 and 40:
suggestive of the illumination she
- Page 41 and 42:
in historical epic films (Winkler,
- Page 43 and 44:
narrative and thematic focus also s
- Page 45 and 46:
later decades evolved into the Amer
- Page 47 and 48:
Peter. Eunice is the slave of Petro
- Page 49 and 50:
Chapter 2 The Robe (1953) The great
- Page 51 and 52:
Plate 3 The Robe. Marcellus (Richar
- Page 53 and 54:
on the command of the new emperor,
- Page 55 and 56:
him to retire to the island of Rhod
- Page 57 and 58:
of the Senate, the institution was
- Page 59 and 60:
of Caesarea, the prefect would spen
- Page 61 and 62:
of the changes in Catholicism that
- Page 63 and 64:
of showing off the enduring power,
- Page 65 and 66:
have made a great empress, thus hig
- Page 67 and 68:
would also play Odysseus in Helen o
- Page 69 and 70:
crime as a Roman citizen who has jo
- Page 71 and 72:
Hollywood artists who sold out duri
- Page 73 and 74:
Demetrius, and his jealous rage whe
- Page 75 and 76:
Plot Outline In the Roman province
- Page 77 and 78:
Judah, his mother and sister are le
- Page 79 and 80:
farewell: they embrace and kiss, an
- Page 81 and 82:
voice take the sword out of my hand
- Page 83 and 84:
throughout the countryside around G
- Page 85 and 86:
of people during its twenty-year ru
- Page 87 and 88:
Since Ben-Hur was in preparation lo
- Page 89 and 90:
technology, in particular the newly
- Page 91 and 92:
forceful, almost fanatical, speeche
- Page 93 and 94:
emperor’s offer of Roman citizens
- Page 95 and 96:
Messala, as Esther recounts her mem
- Page 97 and 98:
The appearances of Jesus are few an
- Page 99 and 100:
War to condemn oppressive foreign t
- Page 101 and 102:
poisoned by Rome, as he tells Pilat
- Page 103 and 104:
CORE ISSUES 1 How does the film por
- Page 105 and 106:
Plot Outline In the mines of North
- Page 107 and 108:
Plate 7 Spartacus. Draba (Woody Str
- Page 109 and 110:
army, losing nineteen thousand men
- Page 111 and 112:
second broke out in 104 and was que
- Page 113 and 114:
At this time, gladiatorial combat w
- Page 115 and 116:
Senate had no choice but to yield.
- Page 117 and 118:
the Communist Party of the United S
- Page 119 and 120:
the first time in thirteen years. T
- Page 121 and 122:
the slave movement with the migrati
- Page 123 and 124:
From this point, the film divides i
- Page 125 and 126:
At the heart of the new slave famil
- Page 127 and 128:
Antoninus dies in the arms of Spart
- Page 129 and 130:
Plate 8 Spartacus. Varinia (Jean Si
- Page 131 and 132:
learning from their mistakes; Gracc
- Page 133 and 134:
complaint.” As Gracchus observes
- Page 135 and 136:
Spartacus continues the epic cinema
- Page 137 and 138:
Plot Outline Part 1. On the battlef
- Page 139 and 140:
Plate 9 Cleopatra. Cleopatra (Eliza
- Page 141 and 142:
command at Tarsus in Asia Minor, an
- Page 143 and 144:
knowing he is the undisputed master
- Page 145 and 146:
Later, Ptolemy XIII fled and was fo
- Page 147 and 148:
Antony came to Tarsus in Cilicia wh
- Page 149 and 150:
for future campaigns. Early in 34 b
- Page 151 and 152:
honored her request for burial with
- Page 153 and 154:
Extra-cinematic commentary also sug
- Page 155 and 156:
The script, based on C. M. Franzero
- Page 157 and 158:
Plate 10 Cleopatra. Mark Antony (Ri
- Page 159 and 160:
as Caesar, but is best known for hi
- Page 161 and 162:
eginning of the second half after t
- Page 163 and 164:
desertion: I from myself.” As he
- Page 165 and 166:
majesty and power are displayed, Ta
- Page 167 and 168:
the United Nations was composed lar
- Page 169 and 170:
modern sex scandal. When Cleopatra
- Page 171 and 172:
desire for sons, as she articulates
- Page 173 and 174:
4 How does the film use the spectac
- Page 175 and 176:
kind and rather dim-witted gentlema
- Page 177 and 178:
Plate 11 A Funny Thing Happened on
- Page 179 and 180:
productions, and often acted in the
- Page 181 and 182:
shared experience of every society
- Page 183 and 184:
1996, with Nathan Lane, who also wo
- Page 185 and 186:
In A Funny Thing Happened on the Wa
- Page 187 and 188:
series of preposterous sight gags,
- Page 189 and 190:
freedom and the pleasures of uninhi
- Page 191 and 192:
Chapter 7 Monty Python’s Life of
- Page 193 and 194:
178 MONTY PYTHON’S LIFE OF BRIAN
- Page 195 and 196:
autonomous part of the Roman provin
- Page 197 and 198:
Silly Walks,” with their in-jokes
- Page 199 and 200:
different religious sects, the earn
- Page 201 and 202:
censorship that varied from region
- Page 203 and 204:
may provide some inspiration for th
- Page 205 and 206:
obstacle to group ideals. Because t
- Page 207 and 208:
The cartoon construction during the
- Page 209 and 210:
Chapter 8 History of the World, Par
- Page 211 and 212:
Ancient Background The Roman Empire
- Page 213 and 214:
was the protagonist’s inability t
- Page 215 and 216:
in classic epics like Quo Vadis, Be
- Page 217 and 218:
202 HISTORY OF THE WORLD, PART I (1
- Page 219 and 220:
or shocking, hidden by the generic
- Page 221 and 222:
3 How does the sequence incorporate
- Page 223 and 224:
Plot Outline In the year ad 180, th
- Page 225 and 226:
vets them with color codes. Maximus
- Page 227 and 228:
from the upper stands. Commodus inf
- Page 229 and 230: to 98. Nerva’s most significant a
- Page 231 and 232: most of the last decade of his reig
- Page 233 and 234: morale of Roman legionaries on long
- Page 235 and 236: unit known for their courage, high
- Page 237 and 238: 38). Although dismayed by the games
- Page 239 and 240: In contrast to earlier epics like Q
- Page 241 and 242: gladiator epic that would reflect c
- Page 243 and 244: $3 million. A dedication in the clo
- Page 245 and 246: soft, admiring light of nostalgia.
- Page 247 and 248: The film hinges almost completely o
- Page 249 and 250: with the reluctance of Maximus to a
- Page 251 and 252: attitudes about female political sk
- Page 253 and 254: hero Maximus, an event that leaves
- Page 255 and 256: Earlier epic films traditionally si
- Page 257 and 258: laughs bitterly through tears when
- Page 259 and 260: his new gladiator idol, as he waits
- Page 261 and 262: 246 GLADIATOR (2000) Plate 15 Gladi
- Page 263 and 264: “Fear and wonder,” Senator Grac
- Page 265 and 266: the provincial arena in Zucchabar,
- Page 267 and 268: the words of Maximus’ prayer in a
- Page 269 and 270: The field of wheat is thus a symbol
- Page 271 and 272: city, Maximus becomes a symbol both
- Page 273 and 274: 2 Reference Maltin, Leonard, et al.
- Page 275 and 276: Killed Spartacus? How Studio Censor
- Page 277 and 278: Index Page numbers in italic refer
- Page 279: Caesar, Sid 166, 197 Caesarea 44, 6
- Page 283 and 284: Jackson, Peter 83 Jacoby, Georg 18
- Page 285 and 286: musical scores A Funny Thing Happen
- Page 287 and 288: The Road Warrior 230 The Robe 3, 22
- Page 289: Via Appia 11, 12, 21, 24, 95, 99, 1