Overview
A gripping tale of ambition and betrayal as the Roman Empire teeters on the brink of collapse.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- solemn
- foreboding
- tragic
- classic epic marathon
- historical film night
What critics said
Critics broadly admired the film's enormous scale, color, cinematography, music, and technical spectacle while finding its screenplay overlong, incoherent, and emotionally thin.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The film presents imperial Rome through vast sets, massed armies, chariots, battles, and Technicolor tableaux.
Marcus Aurelius seeks to bypass Commodus in favor of Livius, triggering treason, poisoning, and political collapse.
Commodus declares himself a god and rules through oppression, suspicion, and blind ambition.
The empire moves from Aurelius's aspiration toward peace to oppression, factional machinations, and threatened borders.
Films like The Fall of the Roman Empire, and why
Spartacus
shared ancient-world spectacle, imperial politics, military conflict, and tragic historical drama
Cleopatra
shared sword-and-sandal scale, Roman political intrigue, lavish production design, and moral conflict
Gladiator
shared classical setting, authoritarian power struggle, large-scale battles, and tragic decline
Movie Details
- Director
- Anthony Mann
- Release Date
- 1964-03-24
- Runtime
- 188 min
- Rating
- 6.5 / 10 (238)
Cast
- Sophia Loren
- Stephen Boyd
- Alec Guinness
- James Mason
- Christopher Plummer
- Anthony Quayle
- John Ireland
- Omar Sharif
- Mel Ferrer
- Eric Porter
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Fall of the Roman Empire about?
- A grand, tragic Roman epic follows an honorable general caught between imperial duty, forbidden succession, and a ruler's descent into tyranny.
- What is The Fall of the Roman Empire like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Fall of the Roman Empire as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The Fall of the Roman Empire violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in The Fall of the Roman Empire as moderate.
- What did critics think of The Fall of the Roman Empire?
- Critics broadly admired the film's enormous scale, color, cinematography, music, and technical spectacle while finding its screenplay overlong, incoherent, and emotionally thin.
- Which films are like The Fall of the Roman Empire?
- Films with a similar feel include Spartacus, Cleopatra, and Gladiator.
- How long is The Fall of the Roman Empire?
- The Fall of the Roman Empire runs 188 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Fall of the Roman Empire?
- In United States, The Fall of the Roman Empire streams on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads.
