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The Fall of the Roman Empire

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93% Tomatometer 14 Reviews 68% Popcornmeter 2,500+ Ratings
Toward the end of his reign, Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius (Alec Guinness) intends to hand over his throne to the steadfast soldier Livius (Stephen Boyd). Before he can enact his intentions, a loyalist to Commodus (Christopher Plummer), the de facto heir, poisons Aurelius. Commodus becomes an ineffectual leader, corrupt and pompous -- and although Livius concedes to Commodus' rule, he cannot stand by when Commodus threatens to kill Aurelius' daughter, Lucilla (Sophia Loren).
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The Fall of the Roman Empire

Critics Reviews

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Michael Sragow The New Yorker 03/09/2015
Commodus, played here by the flamboyant Christopher Plummer, forsakes the Pax Romana and turns Rome into an empire of camp. Go to Full Review Fernando F. Croce Slant Magazine 04/26/2008
3.5/4
Put bluntly, the difference between El Cid and Fall is the difference between faith in a concept of heroism that can transcend even death. Go to Full Review Penelope Gilliatt Observer (UK) 03/05/2024
It is an astonishing picture to watch. Go to Full Review Judith Crist New York Herald Tribune 08/15/2022
The Fall of the Roman Empire, costing sixteen million dollars, is half the price of Cleopatra but twice as tolerable because there's a complete lack of pretension, a childish innocence, about it. Go to Full Review Yasser Medina Cinefilia 04/12/2022
6/10
Mann pompously puts on a sword-and-sandal spectacle, but with a rather uneven result that only makes his chronicle of the decline and corruption of an empire to collapse more quickly. Full review in Spanish Go to Full Review Michael E. Grost Classic Film and Television 08/06/2013
Spectacular crowd scenes, costumes and snow-filled landscapes mix with intelligent, powerful pro-peace and Civil Rights commentary. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Leaburn O @RT35452347 2d Ok so it is a ridiculous rewriting of history but a very entertaining one with an incredible set. One of Hollywood’s greatest financial flops has aged as an impressive monument to grand ambitious film making. Superb cast brings this tale to life. Really enjoyed the epic. Watched on BBC iPlayer. See more David T @RT35094583 Sep 5 This movie could have been an hour shorter. A lot of mugging for the camera (sorry Sophia). Some of the speeches were unnecessary and the battle scenes were somewhat silly. Plummer is a good actor and Boyd is the usual eye candy. The sets were good and the history was fairly accurate. They spent some cash on this thing and I think it lost money. In 1964 American tastes were changing, these epics were becoming history. All in all, not a bad movie just too long a a little messy. See more chris t @RT02401283 12/06/2024 Terribly slow and ponderous, wooden dialogue, the male bonding scene at start is cringtastic . I think they watched this before they made gladiator, and said let's remake except we leave out the boring crap bits See more Adam T @RT96698429 12/05/2024 Stellar cast give wonderful performances in this great historical romp - albeit let down by limp battle sequences. See more John A @ExcessMale 01/11/2024 Doesn't have the status that Ben Hur and Lawrence of Arabia have but don't let that discourage you. This is an involving and strikingly photographed epic. See more Loyd W @RT52596337 09/23/2023 Very well acted by an outstanding cast. Impressive staging of Imperial ceremonies. Poor choreography of fight scenes and almost silly crowd staging of extras in crowd scenes. See more Read all reviews
The Fall of the Roman Empire

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Cast & Crew

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Anthony Mann

Director

Sophia Loren

Lucilla

Alec Guinness

Marcus Aurelius

Stephen Boyd

Livius

James Mason

Timonides

Christopher Plummer

Commodus

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The Fall of the Roman Empire

The Fall of the Roman Empire (1964) The Fall of the Roman Empire (1964) The Fall of the Roman Empire (1964) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Toward the end of his reign, Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius (Alec Guinness) intends to hand over his throne to the steadfast soldier Livius (Stephen Boyd). Before he can enact his intentions, a loyalist to Commodus (Christopher Plummer), the de facto heir, poisons Aurelius. Commodus becomes an ineffectual leader, corrupt and pompous -- and although Livius concedes to Commodus' rule, he cannot stand by when Commodus threatens to kill Aurelius' daughter, Lucilla (Sophia Loren).
Director
Anthony Mann
Producer
Samuel Bronston
Screenwriter
Ben Barzman, Basilio Franchina, Philip Yordan
Distributor
Paramount Pictures
Production Co
Samuel Bronston Productions
Genre
History, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Apr 26, 1964, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
May 1, 2012
Runtime
2h 33m
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