Those About to Die recently joined the esteemed pantheon of Ancient Rome based drama, joining the likes of I, Claudius and HBO’s Rome but, refreshingly, telling the story of a less celebrated (and raked over) dynasty than the Julio-Claudians: that of the Flavians. And it tells their story through the lens of Rome’s public games: chariot racing, gladiators, and the various syndicates and stakeholders for whom they are the engines of wealth. It’s a good choice, particularly in the case of the Flavians, whose deathly dance with public opinion coloured their entire tenure. And it provides a baked-in excuse to widdle money all over the screen in the form of a fully populated Circus Maximus and the heart-pumping, limb-severing action that occurs within.
Roland Emmerich, the German director most associated with an alien themed mid-90s Will Smith vehicle (well, the other one), has had a mixed bag of a career. By which I mean he has produced and directed such a steady stream of hot dogshit throughout his 40-odd year career that it’s easy to forget he honestly does have his moments. I’ll always go to bat for Independence Day, which I regard as a much more cogent attempt at modernising (Americanising) The War of the Worlds than the Spielberg or George Pal efforts, with its much maligned conclusion echoing that of the original work with a knowing Y2K-era smirk. They all spectacularly missed the point, but at least ID4 had a cool skull gif and the one time only double act of Smith and Goldblum.
ID4 is a misunderstood masterpiece of a disaster movie, yes it is, shut up, which came hot on the heels of Stargate, a movie which took the core concept of Chariots of the Gods? – a wretched ahistorical treatise for racists and silly buggers – and turned it into the foundation of one of the most beloved and enduring science fiction franchises in the popular canon. What I’m saying is that prolific filmmaker Roland Emmerich has made two good films in forty years, which proves that he’s capable of good things but also that he’s unlikely to demonstrate such. So imagine my relief when he got his hands on my beloved Ancient Rome and made something… exquisite. Spectacular. Well researched. And dare I say it: nuanced.
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