Pompeii - The Last Day/Colosseum - A Gladiator's Story

Amazon.com

Ridley Scott's Gladiator is a great movie, but Colosseum: A Gladiator's Story has the distinct advantage of purely historical accuracy. The Roman gladiator whose story is told here is Verus (played by charismatic British hunk Robert Shannon), one of two victors in the only gladiatorial battle that was ever described in detail (by the Roman poet Martial in 80 A.D.). Using this factual record as its basis, Colosseum follows Verus as he is recruited from slavery, trained in gladiator's school, rises to favor among wealthy Romans, and ultimately battles his best friend, Priscus (Derek Lea), to a crowd-pleasing draw in the inaugural games of glorious, brand-new Colosseum, the construction of which is shown in fascinating detail. Combining authoritative narration with diary-like voiceovers from Verus's perspective, this riveting 50-minute BBC production is simultaneously intimate and epic in scale, employing the latest in digital compositing techniques to achieve its unparalleled (for TV, at least) visual splendor. With well-cast actors speaking authentic Latin, this sumptuous production is both dramatically involving and exacting in every detail.

Just as convincing--and just as impressive in its use of cutting-edge CGI--is the 50-minute bonus program Pompeii: The Final Day, which chronicles the final 24 hours of Pompeii when it was decimated by the ultraviolent eruption of Mount Vesuvius on August 24, 79 A.D. Inspired by the written descriptions of Pliny the Younger (whose detailed observations were later vindicated by geological science), recovered artifacts, and the haunting remains of Pompeii citizens preserved under tons of pumice and ash, Pompeii is first-rate from start to finish, proving yet again that the BBC is now setting the standard in lavishly produced docudrama programming. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews:

Very interesting.......2007-05-12

I bought this for a World Cultures class I teach in sixth grade. Instead of boring still pictures the dramatizations of the the last days of Pompeii kept the kids engaged and interested.

A Gladiator's Story a huge success.......2007-03-18

A Gladiator's Story has several great things going for it, but the strongest is its factually-based story. The cinematography captures the scenes wonderfully, without becoming a cheesy over-produced extravaganza. By incorporating simple Latin phrases in the dialog, the introductory Latin student is hooked, and the Roman life details help the viewer to identify with aspects of humanity (funerals, religion). A quick pace and frequent references to help the viewer understand the significance of the scenes make the story clear and enjoyable. As a Latin teacher, I used this in a unit with my 7th and 8th grade students who enjoyed it immeasurably. A winner!

Superb combination of narrative, acting, special effects, computer graphics, & then-and-now site comparisons to tell the story........2006-10-22

If you are curious about the geology, history, and culture concerning the volcanic eruption of Vesuvius and its effects on Pompeii and Herculaneum, this is your DVD. What I liked so much about this program was the interlaced use of the five components mentioned in the title to this review. Before you see this film, I would recommend that you become familiar with the geological term "pyroclastic flow". It took me some time to grasp just what this was.
The program on the Colosseum was, (amazingly) nearly as stunning. Similar techniques are used to show how and when it was built and just what was going on in there. There are all kinds of jobs, perhaps you have one right now, but "The Beastmaster" job was not an easy job at all. It was a tough job, but somebody had to do it. Find out about this and much more.

Pompeii - The Last Day.......2006-06-28

Very well done and a thrill to watch. Brought the moment and time of the tradegy into clear focus, so that even a novice historian like me could understand why so many died that fateful day.

Not bad for a docu-drama.......2006-04-15

Odd mix of original language, voice-over (multiple narrators with not distinctive enough voices), filmed drama, attempt at a documentary. I found it enjoyable, because I enjoy nearly everything about the classical world, and enjoy accuracy even if the entertainment factor isn't quite there (compared to the pyrotechnics of Gladiator)

It was nice to see some myths defused, such as gladiators were always killed in the matches.

So if you're a history buff, this isn't boring. I'd recommend to anyone interested in Classical history.

Average customer rating:

Poor transfer, darn it.
WIDESCREEN POMPEII
Buy this one if you like sword and sandal flicks. You're missing out if you don't.
1926 silent version, not 1913
A monumental film of the old Romans with Steve Reeves

Last Days of Pompeii
Starring: Steve Reeves , Christine Kaufmann , Fernando Rey , Barbara Carroll , and Anne-Marie Baumann
Director: Sergio Leone , and Mario Bonnard
Manufacturer: Timeless Multimedia
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

Classics | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

Action & Adventure | Independently Distributed | Stores | DVD | Video

Independently Distributed | Indie & Art House | Stores | DVD | Video

DVDs Under $14.99 | Today's Deals in DVD | Special Features | DVD | Video

( L ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

ASIN: B00009MEEN
Release Date: 1999-12-01

Customer Reviews:

Poor transfer, darn it........2006-12-18

Wel, let's agree that the 1935 version, with effects by Willis O'Brien, is the one to see. But fans of Steve Reeves should enjoy this entertaining rehash, with modest but effective destruction scenes. Too bad nobody has given Reeves work the attention and restoration it deserves: the films are not presented in widescreen, and the prints are really terrible: washed out and filled with scratches and other imperfections. Wouldn't it be nice to see these Italian-made historical dramas cleaned up and restored? They're Reeves most lasting legacy, and it's sad to see them so poorly treated.

WIDESCREEN POMPEII.......2006-11-23

You can get a Widescren Beautiful quality copy from Amazon France.
Just type in the name in English.

Avoid the U>S>A> Release.

Its in English & French with a Doco though this is in French only

They also have Samson in Widescreen though this is French only

Both DVD.s are quite cheap. 5 Stars for this one

Rock on brothers Paul

Buy this one if you like sword and sandal flicks. You're missing out if you don't........2006-06-29

This is the only dvd version of this excellent 1959 film. The quality is pretty good. The cropped off pan and scan aspect is not that big of a deal at all. There are few shots here and there where someone is slightly off camera but the quality is still pretty good. The movie itself is very entertaining with virtually no slow spots. I thoroughly enjoyed this movie and I'm glad I bought it.

1926 silent version, not 1913.......2006-06-27

For the record, the bonus film on this DVD is an Italian silent version from 1926, NOT the 1913 version (which is available on its own DVD). Yes, the DVD box and even the opening title of the film claim this is the 1913 version...but it's not! It's the much racier and much more interesting later version. (For more details and a good review, see the film's entry at imdb.com.) On the minus side, this a narrated version with a rather hokey voice-over and, though it does not appear to be censored, it does seems to be missing some frames here and there. Despite the less than ideal condition of this print, the 1926 version is so rare, and so worth watching, that seeing it on this DVD will still be a treat for interested viewers.

(As for the Steve Reeves version, it's not among his best films, and this severely cropped print is especially bad, losing any sense of spectacle that the widescreen version may have projected. Too bad!)

A monumental film of the old Romans with Steve Reeves.......2004-11-22

A monumental film of the old Romans after the famous novel of Edward George Bulwer.
The film belonged in my young days (the sixties) to my favorite films. I admired particularly the good-looking Steve Reeves because of its
body. His partner was the young Christine Kaufmann, which became later woman of Tony Curtis. The movie-biographies are incomplete, the film were revised at sound and picture. Last Days of Pompeii is absolutely comparable with movies at this time like The Robe" or
Quo Vadis", maybe we miss only famous names of these films.

Average customer rating:

The Last Days of Pompeii
worth a look
Morality and Ashes.
A movie with depth and style
Sheer class from Basil Rathbone

The Last Days of Pompeii
Starring: Preston Foster , Alan Hale , Basil Rathbone , John Wood (II) , and Louis Calhern
Director: Merian C. Cooper , and Ernest B. Schoedsack
Manufacturer: Turner Home Ent
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Classics | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

Drama | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

( L ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

ASIN: B000B7MX70
Release Date: 2005-11-22

Amazon.com

Fresh off their monumental success with King Kong, producer Merian Cooper and director Ernest Schoedsack teamed again on The Last Days of Pompeii, another big-scale offering with a special-effects emphasis. Nominally based on the Bulwer-Lytton book, the film invents a new storyline much in the spirit of the Cecil B. DeMille religioso-melodrama school. Preston Foster plays a pacifist blacksmith whose life is ruined by fate; he turns his fighting skills to the gladiatorial arena and raises a foster son. A cameo appearance by Jesus Christ affects the boy but not the man, and it all comes a-cropper years later when Mount Vesuvius gets restless outside Pompeii's city limits. Fond childhood memories of the volcano's eruption should be tempered by the fact that the effects (designed by Kong man Willis O'Brien) are limited to the final 20 minutes of the film, and that the preceding 75 minutes are a slow ride indeed. This film's creakiness makes you appreciate how good DeMille was at whipping up entertainment out of historical yarns. One definite bright spot: Basil Rathbone, bringing his equine deliberation to the role of Pontius Pilate. --Robert Horton

Customer Reviews:

The Last Days of Pompeii.......2007-07-09

Though this film strayed from actual facts, it was well made with it's special effects from the 1930's. All in all I enjoyed it once again after all the years that I first saw it and would recommend this film to be seen - owned by folks who like golden oldies.

worth a look.......2007-04-08

fine acting, especially by rathbone. but for me, a movie that has the courage of it's convictions, regarding the very last scene, a scene that makes the movie a stand out. most religous movies would skirt the issue of repentance and showing of the Christ. not this one, which makes it very special in my book.

Morality and Ashes........2006-09-18

Produced and ghost directed by Merian C. Cooper, THE LAST DAYS OF POMPEII is a morality tale loosely based upon minor events in Sir Edward George Bulwer-Lytton's novel THE LAST DAYS OF POMPEII. The film stars Preston Foster as Marcus, a simple blacksmith of Pompeii. Marcus is a happy man. He has a beautiful wife and an energetic young son. Though the family doesn't have much money, Marcus is happy at his chosen career and what he has is enough. The man in charge of the arena thinks Marcus would make a formidable gladiator, but he can't seem to convince him to abandon his job as a blacksmith for more money. Marcus' wife and son are tragically run over by a runaway chariot. Unable to pay for medical care because of his modest means his family dies. The loss of his family fills Marcus with despair and fuels an ambition to gain wealth. Thus the second act of the film begins as Marcus begins his new life as a gladiator.

Marcus becomes the finest gladiator in the land, an unbeatable opponent. After one fatal match, Marcus discovers the boy of his fallen foe. The child is now an orphan. Reminded of his own dead son, Marcus adopts the boy as his own. To secure the boys' future and to insure that he will not have to fight in the arena, Marcus begins taking suspicious and dangerous assignments that pay him extremely well and help him become the Master of the Arena itself. While on one of these assignments to Judea, Marcus' son, Flavius is struck down in a freak accident. The child is healed and that encounter changes the boy's life forever. Marcus is grateful, but he is still tainted by the greed and ambition birthed from the grief of his wife and first son. Years later it is revealed that Flavius has been helping slaves and gladiators escape from Pompeii. Marcus is crushed, but loves his son so deeply that he will do everything in his power to protect him. Then the volcano erupts and judgment comes.

Hoping to capitalize on the success of KING KONG, Merian C. Cooper invested a great deal of time and money into this picture. Watching the film one can tell that it was an expensive picture to make (at the time). The sets are lavish and are quite reminiscent of a Cecil B. de Mille picture. The movie has some of the same religious overtones and morality of a de Mille picture, too. But a Cecil B. de Mille picture this is not. The screenplay is basically a morality play forced into the usual three-act structure. Foster does a decent job in his role, but he and everyone else in the cast is outshone by Basil Rathbone who portrays Pontius Pilate. Rathbone brings an element of humanity that is often lacked in other portrayals of the famed leader. He illustrates that arrogance of Pilate, but tempers it with sensitivity and a tortured conscious over his dealings with Jesus.

When it was initially released, THE LAST DAYS OF POMPEII was a flop and the film had to be re-released several times (often as a double bill with King Kong) in order to earn back its cost. Over seventy years later, the movie hasn't changed much. It still comes off as being an average movie with one outstanding performance. For film buffs it's worth watching for Rathbone's performance. Anyone who likes big spectacle films might enjoy it as well as anyone who likes old-time Bible-type films.

A movie with depth and style.......2005-07-03

I first saw this movie as a child in the 50's on TV and fell in love with it. My mother would let me cut school in order to see it on tv( and my family was not particularly religious), along with a number of others like Cyrano de Bergerac, Androcles and the Lion, Sign of the cross, and The High and the Mighty, and Captain Sirocco. I combed the tv guide once a week for classics like these. The redeeming quality of all of the movies I become attached to is "nobility". Aside from the awesome eruption of Vesuvius, and awesome it was for its day, and as thrilled as I am about the special effects and the disater movie perspective ....the story is simply ...Sublime.
Preston Foster, in typical post silent era acting style, plays Marcus - with dash and bravura. Marcus is a simple, humble man. He is completely contented with his life as a blacksmith and has a wife and son he cherishes, everything any man could hope for. He is quickly reminded of the foolishness of his take on life by a jaded slave dealer and a kindly but skeptical roman patrician who gives his son a gold coin. Marcus and his wife Julia close shop for the day and set out to celebrate the windfall by purchasing a ball too big for the tiny grasp of his small child. The fates intervine... the ball rolls into the street and Julia and the infant are over run by a speeding chariot. So the saga begins, brilliantly, with such irony, the gift and joy of a gold coin and a new toy leading to a tragedy as Marcus' wife and child both die. Marcus now impoverished, and a broken man.....having given up his ideals and sense of morality to fight in the gladitorial arena, as the only way to get the money he needed to try and get medical help for his family and with nothing left of his former life to live for embraces a new view of life and the Gods he once loved. A world weary and newly cynical Marcus becomes a Gladiator commenting "it's easy to get money. All you have to do...is Kill". Thru success after success in the gladitoral arena he becomes a famous man, a formerly detested slaver, and thru' clever manipulation of events and opportunities , ultimately head of the Arena itself. During one of his triumphs in the arena he meets the son of a fallen foe named The Wolf. Distraught at the appearance of the young boy waiting for his fathers victory he reluctantly asks if the boy knows what happens to people when they die. Marcus overwhelmed by guilt and reemorse asks the child if he would like to become his son. The child agrees and a new life centered around this child emerges as he lives his life now to make up for taking the life of the boys father and to give the boy every opportunity in life. While in Judea the young boy is struck down in an accident and he is healed by the Christ, a moment of passion in this film that foeshadows Christs own travails later in the movie, and the dilema put forth to Marcus to intervene. One of the hallmarks of this film is Pontius Pilate, played with sensitivity, grace, and remarkable understatement by the great Basil Rathbone. This one of the truly remarkable small parts in movie history. Totally unforgetable and worth the watch of the film, if for no other reason.This film goes on and on with jewels of philosophical wisdom from a kindly Greek tutor, plentious action, and an intelligent and intriguing perspective on the spiritual defeat and then reawakening of the magnificent and earnest Marcus. Who in the end makes the right decisions for the right reasons. I NEVER get tired of watching this movie! It is one of my top 20 all time favorites!

Sheer class from Basil Rathbone.......2003-09-29

Movies are movies .Books are books .So we should not be too suprised when film makers make changes to novels during the process of tranferring them to the screen .Thus it is that all the movie versions of the Bulwer-Lytton minor classic have concentrated on the relatively unimportant gladiatorial sub plot ,bringing it centre stage .
This is so here in this mid thirties version which really only utilises the book's title and its climax ,the destruction by volcanic activity of the titular city.Its centre is an invented tale ,wholly divorced from the novel, of Marcus ,a blacksmith whose obsession with power and wealth leads him to a state of spiritual poverty.Even when ,while on a visit to Judea.his stricken son is healed by Christ ,Marcus is not sufficiently moved to come to the aid of Christ in his hour of crucifixion .It is not till his city is engulfed by lava that he finds his spiritual awakening.
Preston Foster is adequate as Marcus but a towering performance by Basil Rathbone as Pilate dominates the movie.We see him as a clever ,arrogant but essentially decent man tortured by his capitulation over the crucifixion and the realisation that what he did ,or did not do ,may damn his name throughout time.

Amazon.com

Description

Travel back in time to the glamour and bloodshed of ancient Rome's gladiatorial world, where men fought for their lives to satisfy the whims of emperors and a bloodthirsty populace. Combining compelling narrative with state-of-the-art computer graphics and high-quality drama reconstruction, this production throws new light on the way gladiators really fought and trained, and reveals that many of them were the superstars of their age. Colosseum: A Gladiator's Story revolves around the true story of Verus, who rises from slave to star gladiator, but who faces the ultimate challenge in one of the very few gladiatorial fights that was recorded and described by contemporary writers. Discover Verus' story, live his journey and experience his quest for freedom.

Customer Reviews:

Very interesting.......2007-05-12

I bought this for a World Cultures class I teach in sixth grade. Instead of boring still pictures the dramatizations of the the last days of Pompeii kept the kids engaged and interested.

A Gladiator's Story a huge success.......2007-03-18

Superb combination of narrative, acting, special effects, computer graphics, & then-and-now site comparisons to tell the story........2006-10-22

Pompeii - The Last Day.......2006-06-28

Very well done and a thrill to watch. Brought the moment and time of the tradegy into clear focus, so that even a novice historian like me could understand why so many died that fateful day.

Not bad for a docu-drama.......2006-04-15

Average customer rating:

The Last Dats of Pompeii
So hard to accurately judge
Beautiful and very moving!
Impressive for its day and still worth a look

The Last Days of Pompeii
Starring: Fernanda Negri Pouget , Eugenia Tettoni Fior , Ubaldo Stefani , Antonio Grisanti , and Cesare Gani Carini
Director: Eleuterio Rodolfi , and Mario Caserini
Manufacturer: Kino Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Art House & International | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Classics | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video

( L ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

General | Foreign & International | Stores | DVD | Video

ASIN: B00004Z4TL
Release Date: 2000-11-07

Description

An influential Italian epic that paved the way for the elaborate costume drama, The Last Days of Pompeii romanticizes the final hours of those ill-fated souls living in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius. In this rendition of Edward Bulwer's classic novel, set in 79 A.D., the lives of prominent statesmen, a beautiful woman, a pagan priest, a spiteful witch and a blind beggar girl are carefully interwoven. The intrigues that connect them are brought to a climax in the gladiatorial arena... at the moment the sleeping mountain unleashes its molten fury. The Last Days of Pompeii is among the last of the great tableaux films, in which most scenes are explained by a title, then dramatized within a single wide shot, a presentational style whose origins are more theatrical and literary than cinematic. Within a few short months, this technique would be forever outmoded, due to such films as D.W. Griffith's The Birth of a Nation and Giovanni Pastrone's Cabiria, which helped rewrite the laws of cinematic expression.

Customer Reviews:

The Last Dats of Pompeii.......2007-03-11

Disappointed. I love Pompeii and have read everything I can about it and the disaster of 79AD
I am waiting for Robert Brown's book to be made into a movie directed by Stephen Speilburg or Francis Ford Copola
I am not a fan of silent movies

So hard to accurately judge.......2006-01-03

This film was made when the feature-length film had barely been born. This is not going to be an easy viewing experience for most people living over 90 years later. Film-making itself had made great strides since its genesis in the early 1890s, but in a way it was like starting all over again when films moved from only being one or two reels in length to being complete features. They had nothing to go on, no examples from the past; the pioneers in this field really had to find their own way because nobody had ever done it before. Therefore the viewer will notice how stagey the acting style is, the type of acting that often gets sneeringly dismissed and made fun of today as "overacting." What modern people call "overacting" really seems to be a certain style of movie acting that was in vogue during the Teens, when feature-length films were having their growing pains and slowly but surely coming into their own as a legit valid art form. And movie actors in the Teens had no one to model their own acting styles on but actors from the theatre. It's ridiculous and also quite ignorant to mock the actors in this production as having "overacted," because it fails to place this film and movie history in general into proper historical perspective. I'm sure the average moviegoer in 1913 wouldn't have burst out laughing or made snide comments. Also owing to how features were in their infancy, the camera is very static, no real action shots. This also can make the film feel less than gripping and compelling, because everything is so still. Another reminder of just how old this film is is how intertitles are used. Most of them are describing a scene that is about to unfold; we don't see too many intertitles showing the dialogue of these characters. Some of these intertitles also don't exactly match the action they are describing, such as one that says, "Nidia hurries to find Claudius," after which we see Nidia, who is blind, slowly and carefully feeling her way through the streets. While the film makers of the early Teens didn't have much to go on when it came to making features, at least they made the effort to start, and before long they were getting better and better at the craft.

The story concerns a love triangle that begins when Glaucus, a respected citizen of the city of Pompeii, buys a blind slave girl, Nidia, from her nasty abusive owner. He takes her into his household and treats her with kindness. Before long she is in love with him, but his heart already belongs to Jone. However, Jone herself is also the subject of an unrequited passion, that of the Egyptian priest Arbace. Arbace comes to find out about Nidia's predicament, and gives her a special love potion that will capture Glaucus's heart. However, unbeknownst to her, this potion is really designed to affect his mind and ends up making him take leave of his senses. This gives Arbace an excellent opportunity to murder a man and blame Glaucus for the crime. All of the consequences of these things are coming to a head when Mount Vesuvius erupts.

Personally, I found the film pretty slow-going until the last 20 minutes or so, really finally picking up steam shortly before the volcano erupts. And I already like old films. Someone who has more modern tastes will likely have an even tougher time sitting through it. However, if one tries to put oneself in the frame of mind of the average moviegoer of 1913, it really seems a lot better and more interesting. It only seems so relic-like and slow-moving to the average person of today because we're not used to the story-telling devices and type of early camera work used here. Certainly not one I'd recommend as an ideal first silent, though if one is interested in what the Italian cinema was up to in the Teens, I'd recommend 'Cabiria,' which came out only a year later and seems much more advanced and compelling.

Beautiful and very moving!.......2004-05-20

For me, this gorgeous old film is far more than just a stepping-stone to later films and cinematography styles, as has been generally said, because it stands on its own as a beautifully photographed and dynamically portrayed story. The simple single-shot or fixed-camera-position approach to filming and the title cards introducing the next scenes did not at all distract, detract or take anything away from the movie as far as I was concerned. In fact, I was so enthralled by the beautiful, authentic-looking Roman sets and costumes that I barely noticed! Furthermore, the picture quality is excellent, the musical score is lovely and perfectly suited, and the acting quite brilliant, particularly by the lead role of Nidia, the blind slave girl, whose performance was very moving and impressive. Not in the least, however, the story with its intrigues, suspense and emotions is as good as any fine movie plot, particularly the emotional climax. Basically, it is a sad love-triangle story - or rather, a 'square' because four people are concerned, and one of them turns out to be a murderer! The spectacular arena and ensuing Vesuvius eruption scenes are actually only secondary to the final unfolding of this sad and stirring tale. Aside from any historic and cinematographic importance this film has, this movie deserves a place in any good silent movie collection.

Impressive for its day and still worth a look.......2003-09-26

This style of filmmaking was soon to be outmoded. The story is presented as separate scenes, each introduced by a title, then enacted. The camera rarely varies its position during a scene. The movies still had a lot to learn, but there is much of interest to see here. The scenes are often beautifully framed and photographed, and there is mounting tension as the eruption nears and the horrors ensue. This is definitely a historical curio, but deserves to widely seen and acknowledged as a stepping stone to INTOLERANCE and all the many subsequent historical epics.

Average customer rating:

The Last Days Of Pompeii

Manufacturer: Nostalgia Home Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

ASIN: B000PJR4XC

Product Description

Steve Reeves flexes his pecs once more in this epic retelling of the sin and treachery that occurred in the ancient Roman city, under the shadow of the awakening volcano called Vesuvius. Christine Kaufmann, Barbara Carroll also star. 97 min. Widescreen; Soundtrack: English.

DVD:

DVD

DVD