those who are about to die A recent addition to the venerable pantheon of ancient Roman drama, the I, Claudius and HBO’s Rome But it’s refreshing to be told the story of a less famous (and more reviled) dynasty than the Julio-Claudians: the Flavians. It tells their story through the lens of Roman public games: chariot races, gladiators, and the various syndicates and stakeholders for whom they were the engines of wealth. It’s a good choice, especially for the Flavi family, whose death dance with public opinion has colored their entire tenure. With its packed arena of Maximus and the heart-pounding, limb-severing action that takes place within it, it provides an entrenched excuse to throw money around on screen.
Roland Emmerich, the German director best associated with Will Smith’s alien-themed vehicles (well, another one) in the mid-’90s, has had a mixed career . I mean, over the course of his 40-plus-year career, he’s produced and directed such a steady stream of hits that it’s easy to forget that he does have his moments. I will always hit the ball independence Daywhich I think is a more convincing attempt at modernization (Americanization) world war Compared to the efforts of Spielberg or George Pal, its much-criticized conclusion echoes that of the original with a smirk that knows the Y2K era. They both completely missed the point, but at least ID4 had a cool skeleton GIF, as well as Smith and Goldblum’s only double act.
ID4 is a misunderstood disaster-movie masterpiece that, yes, shut up, came on the heels of Stargate, which was the core concept of the film. Chariot of the gods? — a tragically ahistorical essay on racists and stupid assholes — and turned it into the basis of one of the most popular and enduring science fiction series in the popular canon. What I’m saying is that prolific filmmaker Roland Emmerich has made two good movies in four decades, which proves that he’s capable of good things, but also proves that he’s unlikely to demonstrate it. So imagine my relief when he reached out to my beloved ancient Rome and made something… exquisite. Spectacular. Well researched. Dare I say: meticulous.
those who are about to die The ten hour binge was well worth it. If you can hold your nose in the episode’s opening moments (thankfully, these things calm down once the writers are convinced you can remember everyone’s name), what you’ll get is a riveting mess The narrative tells the stories of some key characters with very different social backgrounds. From Domitian, the neglected prince who later became emperor, to Cara, the resourceful Numidian merchant, she ends up in the Capital City of the World, desperately trying to save all of her children from punishing slavery. Among them are sleazy gamblers saddled with debts they can’t repay, street thugs taking anyone’s money to do anyone’s dirty work, and manipulators extremely close to their orbit: senators with ambitions for the color purple, Imperial throne is now considered a legitimate career goal in the Year of the Four Emperors.
It’s a colorful Rome, especially the four “factions” of the chariot racing teams: red, white, green and blue. Their colors represent their connections with various gods: Mars, the god of war. Zephyrus, Aeolus, etc. “Those Who Are Dying” takes this history – Domitian’s love of games, and his commercial interest in them – and serves as the basis for much of the series’ overall narrative. For Domitian, the Olympics were a way to increase personal wealth and build a loyal power base within the city. For his collaborator Tenax, who came from humble beginnings and ran a stable and bookmaking business in the Circus Maximus, they were a rope ladder out of the gutter and an extension of influence into the world of the ruling class. Chance. His own little empire spreads in the city’s underworld.
If you listen to Mary Beard’s great podcast be a roman, you’ll hear writer Robert Harris argue in the latest episode that writing a historical drama is a balancing act: If you make it too exciting, it won’t be realistic. If you make things too realistic, everyone will get bored. That’s always the central conflict in these things. Those About to Die plays with the timeline, perhaps portraying Domitian as an angry child, which he probably was, but the general strokes feel right. At this time, Roman society was falling into costly civil war due to its long-term inability to resolve the issue of imperial succession.
The Flavios represented a welcome oasis of stability, but there was definitely a feeling that Roma’s best days were behind them and buried alongside the Giulio-Claudi family, who were merely a part of the sporting department They read a few chapters of “The Hobbit” and played “Gregory’s Girl” on television, but they were a little overpowered when it came to keeping the provinces in order and ensuring food supplies. It was out of this miasma of disillusionment, hunger, and boredom that all the turmoil and upheaval of this period arose. It’s fertile ground for TV writers, and they make good use of it: there’s always a lot of big stuff happening. Vesuvius erupted and destroyed coastal towns such as Pompeii and Herculaneum and, according to the show, also disrupted a gladiator match in Rome about 150 miles north with such ferocity that buildings were damaged, People were thrown to the ground. Well that’s artistic license.
There’s also the depiction of Rome itself: a majestic CG-enhanced metropolis that has never looked better on any screen size. Not since HBO’s “Roma” have we seen such a rich depiction of the place, with macroscopic visual depictions through gorgeous, expensive eagle shots, among the rest of the ragtag crowd in the gutter of its winding streets. It’s hot and dirty, and every apartment is a small, expensive death trap. But man, this is exciting. Even through the distorting filter of camera lenses, computer graphics, television writers’ rooms and twenty centuries of mythology, the atmosphere remains infectious.
Much of the play, however, takes place at night, in ancient Rome, where senators can happily stroll through the streets after dark. This is historically untrue: Ancient Rome was so dangerous at night that no one but the most hardened criminals would want to just walk around. You’re just as likely to die from a van running away from the corner and pinning you against a wall as you are from being stabbed, which is very possible indeed. Caesar had decreed a century earlier that wheeled vehicles were prohibited from driving around the city during the day, and this was before electric lighting, so at night ancient Rome was a dark maze with a sure course of death and/or maiming . In the show, it’s basically the same as daytime, except for a bit of blue. That’s fine of course: this isn’t a documentary, it’s a TV series. Nights on TV are a sneaky time and a sexy time. There are plenty of both, cor.
Game of Thrones comparisons are often made now, as the show famously invented intercourse. It’s worth mentioning here because it’s so common. In ancient Rome, life was cheap. The meat quality is even more so. They tended to be mean, vulgar, and gloating: everyone knew about the dirty graffiti in Pompeii by this time. The show’s cavalier attitude toward violence is similar. The throat is opened and the limbs are freed from the tyranny of the torso. Lions only eat humans. It would be shocking if we hadn’t seen this dozens of times before, but in a sense, I think those who are about to die Be very conscious about it. Sex and violence are graphically depicted but treated almost as mundane inevitabilities. This is perhaps most evident in one scene: Domitian watches his three favorite young boys go to town on each other. It’s happening, and there’s no ambiguity about it. Right in the middle of the frame. It’s basically a soft porn clip. That’s not even the funniest or most compelling thing that happens in this sequence: even Domitian himself is bored by it, and seems genuinely happy to be called upon to handle some of the plot.
In my opinion, this is not a failure of the show, but part of its commentary on the society it depicts. In terms of the ratio of gratuitous wiggles in the narrative to actual progress being made, Those Are About to Die falls somewhere between British unsexiness. I, Claudius – an excellent show where anything of financial or moral importance happens off-camera – and Spartacus , the infamous STARZ syndicated show that averaged more violent deaths per episode than pages of a script More than an offshoot of Confederate Carpet (also an excellent show). It knows you’ve seen these things. It knows which episodes of Outlander you rewind, you dirty bastard. It knows you’re as insensitive to pretend violence and sexy times as the ancient Romans were to the real thing. At least they had an excuse and nothing else to do. Too bad you have an Xbox.
So this is stupid. epic. stupid. Spectacular. Almost pornographic, but as sexy as Flaviian monetary policy. It almost feels right. Ancient Rome in all its heat, misery, administrative glory, and the passionate involvement of those behind the scenes independence Day and the day after tomorrow: Someone who knows how to direct visual effects, someone who isn’t afraid to move the narrative around a cool image, or someone who isn’t afraid to zoom into the names written on the gambling odds table if that’s the quickest way to shuffle the cards . Although it’s interesting that he didn’t direct the episode in which Vesuvius erupted, considering how well suited he was to the subject.
But ultimately, what makes The Dying Man so compelling is its humanity. French actress Sara Martins, who plays Kara’s maternal tenacity in depth, is the thread that really ties it all together: the only character with real, tangible stakes. Not power, not wealth, but a simple desire for her children, who had been swallowed up by the Roman system and were unlikely to escape or survive, even with her help. Through incredibly brilliant performances, the world of Ancient Rome locks in on something so fundamental. It reminds us that Domitian loved his brothers despite their political rivalry. It reminds us that the nameless gladiators who devoted their lives to entertaining the masses also had mothers and sons. These people are not uncaring monsters, they are us and their shortcomings only reflect our own. So are their virtues.
And there’s a lot of Welsh people in it, so that’s nice.
