Extremely underrated movie

Several factual errors, made worse by the inept AI narration.

This is one of my favorite movies of all time, despite several historical inaccuracies. (I own the special edition box set.) I can only imagine how much better it might have been had Charlton Heston played the lead role, and, perhaps without Sophia Loren (I guess the producers banked on her star power). If they were looking for international appeal, Claudia Cardinale, Elsa Martinelli or even Gina Lollobrigida might have worked out. The rest of the cast was excellent; Christopher Plumber, Alec Guinness, James Mason, and even Finley Curry as the aging senator. The exchange between him and James Mason is incredible, along with many other exchanges. It was a huge undertaking, and it was unfortunate that it wasn’t well received by audiences.

Alec Guiness & Sophia Loren discovered that they had met during WW2,  when he, a young lieutenant,  was stationed in her village when she was a little girl.

Very nice

Fact #16 Christopher Plummer not British -- Canadian

The real reason Heston did not like Sophia because she was paid a million dollars at Carlo Ponti's suggestion like Liz Taylor got for Cleopatra. He was making less than half her salary and it really pissed him off because he was the star.

Christopher Plummer is Canadian.

For myself, I thought then and think now...
"The fall of the Roman Empire" and the performances hit the mark.

As for S L well, there is only one word I can think of... NARCISSISTIC.

ONE OF THE GREATEST HISTORICAL MOVIES EVER MADE. GLADIATOR WAS BASICALLY A REMAKE.

The movie, Gladiator is just a remake of this movie, which I believe is a much better movie.😮

Always thought of this as an entertaining woodener.  Mind you  there is a fair chance that Sir Alec's Marcus Aurelius is more like the original than the usual saintly presentation ...

brilliant film. Heston never agreed to do the film. Gorgeous looking film, with a storyline stolen later for Gladiator. Has to be seen on a giant screen. Wasn’t a Hollywood movie as Bronston was an independent producer based in Madrid.

Boyd, like Guinness, should have rewritten his own dialogue instead of blaming the film's financial losses for his later downward trajectory . . . the role needed someone with more 'n better acting chops.... A 'weird fact' about the film might be the composer's care re the great soundtrack, demanding a full-scale organ and venue, and the music was nominated for an Oscar ....Despite world-famous historian Will Durant as consultant, the film contained some historical inaccuracies, but minor compared to those of most 'historical' films; it had major 'verisimilitude' due to high production values, great acting, Guinness' input, etc... Very interesting about film never shown in its original aspect, 'cropped,' seriously want to see original version projection ....

as soon as I hear that AI voice I want to stop watching

BTW : There is not one photo of Sophia Loren in a chariot at the Cannes Film Festival. More rubbish.

Loren did not just dislike Heston she disliked Boyd. Years later she said she had no chemistry with Stephen Boyd because "he didn't like women."🙄

They were obsessed with Rome back then. The Forum scene was impressive, though NOT entirely accurate; but it DIDN'T include the COLOSSEUM or the Palatine PALACE; which is WHERE Commodus liked to stage his private  🪖🛡🗡 fights and WHERE he was KILLED during one.