Movies Based on the Roman Era

Can anyone suggest good movies based on the Roman era? I don't mind if they've got a lot to do with Macedonia, Greece, Gaul or Thrace as long as it's the time of the Republic or the Empire.

Some movies I have in mind at the moment are:

Caligula
Gladiator
Titus
Imperium: Augustus

I'll add to this list with your recommendations or if any come to my mind.

spartacus is awsome

well Rome series from HBO is absolutly amazing. Not a film though, but a very good series.

moved to arts

well guys lets not forget quovadis(not sure how it is spelt)

The HBO series blows any roman movie out of the water. In terms of accuracy, acting and plot, it is the best. But the best movie would have to be Gladiator.

DO NOT WATCH CALIGULA! It has nothing to do with Rome, they used it as an excuse for pornography. Roman orgies and so on. The least they could do is admit that it's a porno, rather than a "historical drama". Peter O'Toole may have been in it, but he was unaware of what it was really about.

Originally Posted by RandomRockFan

DO NOT WATCH CALIGULA! It has nothing to do with Rome, they used it as an excuse for pornography. Roman orgies and so on. The least they could do is admit that it's a porno, rather than a "historical drama". Peter O'Toole may have been in it, but he was unaware of what it was really about.

it shows the debauchery of Tiberius' isle pretty well

all along the same vein - Druid (vercingetorix), Boudica, the new Spartacus, Attilla - all made by the same people even I think?

the Empire miniseries is fun just to glare at its inaccuracies

Life of Brian.

The Robe
The Fall of the Roman Empire
Quo Vadis
Spartacus
Passion of the Christ
Gladiator
Attilla the Hun
King Arthur
Druids
HBO's Rome Series - the best
Ben Hur - a classic
Julius Caesar

The OP asked for "good" movies etc based on Roman history. Attila the Hun was garbage, King Arthur was a wretchedly bad fantasy movie and Druids would have to be in the Top 50 worst movies ever made.

Druids is one of those movies I could not bring myself to finish watching...I had actually completely forgotten about that one...

Originally Posted by John I Tzimisces

Druids is one of those movies I could not bring myself to finish watching...I had actually completely forgotten about that one...

Apparently victims of vast trauma often block out memories as a way of coping. It didn't work that way for me, however: I still remember how incredibly bad that piece of crap was. I think it was trying to be Braveheart with Gauls instead of Scots, but it ended up looking like a low-budget cross between Conan and Asterix.

Attila was almost as bad, except far more melodramatic with an even smaller budget ("a cast of dozens"!) and even less faithful to history. And King Arthur was simply painful to watch.

The best depictions of Rome are the two TV series, HBO's Rome and the BBC's I Claudius. Most of the movies set in Rome are spectacular but inaccurate and a bit dated (eg Spartacus and The Fall of the Roman Empire), plain bad (the ones mentioned above) or light but rather silly pseudo historical cartoons pretending to be significant (Gladiator).

Never forget "A funny thing happened on the way to the forum"!

asterix and Obelix

lol ya, Caligula is a porno. Its like one of those porns that have a story.

Its probably the most ridiculous movie ever, so see if it you want to witness that.

CLEOPATRA (old & new movie)
GLADIATOR
PASSION OF THE CHRIST

Though its already been mentioned HBO's Rome is great, i would suggest buying the first season on DVD.

Isn't the movie Titus that you mentioned the Shakespeare play Titus Andronicus?

Life of Brian.

Brilliant movie, even though it might not be exactly what this thread author had in mind.

the I Claudius miniseries is interesting enough