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The Fall Of The Roman Empire [DVD] [1964] starring: Sophia Loren, Stephen Boyd, Alec Guinness, James Mason, Christopher Plummer

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Average rating -

Rating: - A ray of hope for widescreen enthusiasts...

Further to my previous review slamming the lousy transfer of this UK DVD, widescreen lovers may like to know that a full 2.35:1 edition of this movie can be obtained from www.amazon.fr under the title of "Chute de l'Empire Romain". The print quality is at least as good, and the cover artwork is taken from the original poster. I have also ordered 2.35:1 copies of "El Cid" and "55 Days in Peking", and will drop in notes on these when they arrive. Just goes to show it pays to shop around.

Rating: - not a great movie

Long and tidius. Bad adaption for DVD. This includes a very unsharp reconstruction of the view, and this makes the whole lopk very bad on a wide screen. Most of the scenes in this movie was intended for a widescreen impression, and when this is missing, you get very little left conserning that it takes almost 3 hours to see it through.
Plummer and Mason does a great job and this is the only good thing about the movie.

Rating: - Film buffs beware!

This DVD release is a howling disappointment! The print quality is certainly fine, but don't be fooled by the 'widescreen presentation' promised on the box. Trading Standards should have something to say about this! There is no note of the aspect ratio to accompany the statement for the very good reason that the image is presented in the now standard TV widescreen format, instead of the films original format. Consequently there is still a great deal of the image missing. Additionally, there are a number of minor edits for violence, which are both unnecessary and irritating. Very disappointing, Universal!

Rating: - ordinary print of a fabulous film

The Fall Of The Roman Empire is one of the finest of the epic productions made during the 1950's and 1960's, far better than Gladiator and leagues ahead of anything (except Spartacus) made during its time. However, once again a great film has been given a bad treatment with its seemingly rushed delivery to DVD. Like the cheap VHS version, the film is not presented in its original widescreen format, there is no Intermission, Overture or any commentaries, documentaries about the film. What we do get is a pointless trailer for...Gladiator. Obviously, the film has been rushed out to promote the release of Gladiator, but only at the expense of the dignity of one of the finest historical epics in the cinema. Shame on you, DVD providers!! Give this film the respect it deserves.

Rating: - Relationships between people and power in Rome!

The fall of Roman empire shows motives and psycholigal moves in minds behind of power. That's why it's still very timeless-and why I like it more than Gladiator. Sophia Loren, Alec Ginnes and Cristopher Plummer do their best- and I cant imagine anyone else but Loren for this royal role-every close-scenes of her face are impressive-and supports and symbolize the story of fall of great roman empire.Emotions and action-drama is in very good balance in this movie-and in the end you feel that you have just lived with those characters, and you feel sorry that great Rome goes to the end. And..just think, if there is thousonds of people in some scenes-they really are there-not only created by digi-computer tecnic. They dont do this kind of epic-dramas anymore! Happy to have this one!

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