Rating: 
Summary: "Politicians Aren't Born..."
Review: "...they're excreted." So wrote Cicero, who was in a position to know (and who lost his head and hands for saying so). This assertion is vividly confirmed in this oh-so-British adaptation of Robert Graves's fact-based novels detailing the intrigues of the Julio-Claudian Dynasty, which was introduced weekly by the peerless Alistair Cooke. I, Claudius premiered here in the States on PBS, courtesy of Masterpiece Theater, courtesy of Mobil (the sponsor). Like so many others, I was riveted to my TV set every Sunday evening for months, eagerly awaiting the notes of Mouret's Rondeau which heralded the next installment of a saga that somehow managed to unravel the complicated ties that bound these characters in a tangled web of family and intrigue. I'm quite certain there's nothing else quite like it, and might never be again. And while I'd hasten to mention that on one hand, it's not for everyone--being a history buff is certainly a help, and one needs a solid attention span--on the other hand, viewers of virtually any background can enjoy this for exactly what it is, i.e., there are no oblique cultural references targeting those of a particular age/background.
I borrowed a friend's copy of this set and almost swallowed it whole, having not seen it since its PBS premiere so many years ago. It was as wonderful as I remembered and therein lies my complaint: a production of this stature merits much better treatment than has been accorded it by Fox/Image. For starters, no effort was made to clean up the print used. Granted, I, Claudius was taped, and so can never look as good as a filmed production but still...a little respect is in order. This print is okay, as is the sound (which isn't as bad as claimed by previous reviewers). The lion's share of the episodes are on two "flipper" disks, three episodes per side, and the last plus an interesting documentary on what would have been Alexander Korda's production of I, Claudius share a single side of a third disk.
And that's IT.
There's a paucity of printed material (a single insert is included with the first disk), no "making of" documentary, no commentary or interviews, and the menus are primitive by today's standards--bare-bones, non-interactive, automatically running straight through the episodes unless manually stopped. In addition, the enjoyment of all the vintage Masterpiece Theatre presentations could be increased even more if Alastair Cooke's introductions and concluding remarks were included; I felt this absence keenly while viewing the Lillie set which I was lucky to find recently at a great price. I, Claudius is in a class of its own and deserves champagne treatment; such a high list price for so pedestrian a presentation is insulting.
Research discloses that Amazon.uk offers a newer set released by the BBC that seems more comprehensive than this one: it contains five disks and includes interviews with the actors, presumably more printed material, deleted scenes (maybe the infamous Caligula/Drusilla scene that was censored for US broadcast?), and possibly the Korda documentary as well; unfortunately, the British reviewers so far aren't forthcoming about the set's technical de/merits. I'd suggest that those with multi-region DVD players investigate that set; the rest of us will just have to hope that the series is reissued here with the respect it deserves.
Rating: 
Summary: Not Enough Stars in a 5-Star Scale to Give Praise!
Review: "I, Claudius" is, quite simply, a masterpiece of acting, of writing, and of what television can do like no other medium.Clocking in at eleven hours, "I, Claudius" rips the curtain back from Imperial Rome and shows the savagery, the venality, the evil, and yes, the goodness at work in the court during the early days of Imperial Rome. Tracking a story over several decades, "I, Claudius" tells an epic story of murder, deceit, seduction, and justice that is simultaneously grand and intimate -- the story is simply too grand a scale to be made into a feature film (well, with the caveat that if Peter Jackson can film the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy, he can film any epic out there). Narrated by an aged Emperor Claudius (Derek Jacobi, in a career-making performance), "I, Claudius" starts with the reign of Caesar Augustus (Brian Blessed, delightfully Machiavellian) and his vicious wife, Livia (Sian Phillips, almost stealing the show). Augustus, reluctant to drive a stake through the heart of the Roman Republic, nevertheless seeks to consolidate his power; Livia is fully committed to burying the Republic forever and seating her reluctant son, Tiberius (George Baker) on the throne. Through seduction, wily craft, and generous doses of poison, Livia gets her way. Her parting scene with Augustus is a masterpiece of acting on both sides. As an aside, the acting in "I, Claudius" more than makes up for an obviously limited budget and virtually no special effects . . . it's like watching a televised play. On-screen violence is nevertheless convincing, and the entire cast hits each precious note with skill. Watch for a young, bewigged(!) Patrick Stewart as the ambitious Sejanus, John Hurt as the deranged Caligula, and John Rhys-Davies as Marcro, Sejanus' second-in-command. Claudius, born lame with both a twitch and a stutter ("That boy could destroy the Empire just by strolling through it!"), is nevertheless prophesied to save Rome from her bloody fate. As his older, wiser friends repeatedly tell him (usually just before their own murder), Claudius should play up his disabilities in order to stay alive. Which Claudius does, and as an amateur historian he chronicles the lives (and deaths) of so many noble Romans. Tiberius succeeds Augustus (thanks in large part to Livia's gift with poisons), and as he falls into depths of depravity, Sejanus makes his play for the throne. Caligula inherits the throne from Tiberius, although not as smoothly as he would have liked, and he shows the truth in the absolute corruption brought about by absolute power. Claudius, staunch Republican that he is, nevertheless finds himself on the Imperial throne, a captive of the Praetorian Guard, following Caligula's untimely end. He works to restore the Republic, but such is not to be, and ultimately Nero ascends to the throne. But on the way, Claudius spins one heck of a tale. Far from the magisterial views of Imperial Rome so often shown in films, "I, Claudius" thrusts us into the courtrooms and bedrooms of the Roman nobility, and it's a captivating, but often ugly, sight.
Rating:
Summary: De gustibus non disputandum est...
Review: "There is no disputing taste." I loved the mini-series on BBC, and jumped at the chance to pick up Claudius on DVD. The series is based on the books "I, Claudius" and "Claudius the God" by Robert Graves. It definitely helps to have read the books before seeing the mini-series, as the books provide much more background (perhaps too much, in some cases) for various people and events. This series begins with Emperor Claudius writing his memoirs, then fades back into his youth. Born with a club foot and a stammer, the young Claudius is thought to be a buffoon... an idiot. He is actually quite bright. Early on, though, he is advised to exaggerate the stammer and play the fool. Strange advice, but it serves well. Rome is full of intrigue, generally revolving around the Emperor's throne. Augustus is Emperor, and his wife Livia (who is also Claudius' grandmother) is the power behind the throne. Livia is a remarkable woman. She desires that her son Tiberius become the next emperor, and has no compunctions about assassinating anyone who gets in the way. Livia manages to murder Claudius' father and brothers, as well as a few other people who get in the way. But she is fooled by Claudius' charade of idiocy, so she ignores him. She gets her way; Tiberius does become emperor.... I shan't say much more about what happens next. It's a very good story. It's not suitable for pre-teens, as there are some frank references to sex, and quite a bit of violence and blood - the scene where Caligula stops Gemellus' cough (by having his head cut off) comes to mind. It amused me to notice that Patrick Stewart had an important role in this mini-series - as one of the most notorious villains. Patrick Stewart *with* hair, mind you!
Rating: 
Summary: "I, Claudius" rocks, the transfer doesn't
Review: "I, Claudius" is one of the best of Masterpiece Theatre, sadly they didn't feel like honoring it by cleaning it up for DVD transfer. If you're going to buy "I, Claudius," then, yes, buy the DVD, but don't think you're getting a version that's better than the VHS.
Rating:
Summary: One of the Greatest Series of All Time....
Review: ...but I have to give it only four stars because of its stunningly poor transfer to DVD. If you can imagine taping the series off the air with a VHS recorder and then taping the copy to another VHS, that's about the image quality you get. The picture isn't even placed properly. The only way I watch mine is to view it on a computer and make the image so small I can't see the imperfections. It's a lot like the old Video CD, where two hour movies were crammed on two standard CDs. If they did a better job on the transfer, I'd buy the series again. I'm not getting rid of mine because it's the only thing available. I do, however, expect more from my money than a production that looks like a poorly pirated copy. The VHS tapes are much better.
Rating: 
Summary: I CLAUDIUS A TRUE MASTERPICE
Review: 5 STARS FOR I CLAUDIUS,1 STAR FOR DVD. 1.THE SOUND IS MUFFLED. 2.NO SUB-TITLES.
Rating:
Summary: What anniversary? Can't you think of something?
Review:
This 25 year old 13 part BBC series was adapted from Robert Graves' book, well, romantic novel, and puts Octavian's wife Livia in the role of Cleo historically assigned in literature. It's obviously a TV production, but people looking for the blockbuster special effects and location shooting should see this anyway.
The historical Claudius wasn't the bumbling nice guy seen here, but was such an improvement over his predecessor that I cut him some slack. Besides, the dramatization is enjoyable. The historical Claudius turned out to be second best of the Julio-Claudian emperors (the best being Augustus). This dramatic version of Claudius was similarly second best, and comes across as a genuinely nice guy. The historical Claudius concerned himself with presiding over the courts whenever he could, he built Rome's winter harbor, he established an efficient administration by delegating to a couple of capable men (also shown in the program), and took an interest in the minutiae of imperial matters. His conquest of Britain may have been ill advised in retrospect, but in our time Britain is the best understood of all the former provinces of the Roman Empire.
Some people may find disquieting the fact that so many of the female characters are murderers and ruthless addicts of power. Others may notice as I did that the only people of color found in these episodes are dancers, musicians, and other non speaking roles. A few reviewers have noted that the sound isn't mixed up very high. I also noticed this. Gosh, what a hardship it must be to reach for the remote control. Or get out of the house and take a walk instead of watching 13 hours of TV.
The fifth disk of this set has the documentary (circa 1960) about the original 1930s attempt to make "I, Claudius" (to star Charles Laughton). It includes surviving footage from the production, as well as numerous interviews with survivors of the cast, the director, and Robert Graves himself. In my view, this documentary blows the doors off the additional material on the new, new DVD release of "Spartacus".
A cheesy paperback from 1958, "Those About To Die" [0345242408] by Daniel P Mannix, is a largely factual fictionalized account of the games, not a scholarly work, and if you happen to see it at the library or a garage sale, and have a strong stomach, check it out. I was just rereading its description of the largest ever naval "games" which were staged by Claudius. He had crews work eleven years to dig a tunnel three and a half miles long through rock in order to drain the floodwaters off landlocked Lago di Fucino (increasing the available arable land), and after this civil engineering project was finished he decided to celebrate with a battle between two "navies" of 12 triremes each (a trireme had three levels of oars on each side, it was a huge freakin' ship).
One crew was dressed like Sicilians, the other like Rhodians, and a half million spectators traveled the sixty miles from Rome to watch, including fifteen pregnant women who gave birth during the festivities, not unlike Woodstock. The lake had to be surrounded by troops to avoid an attempt at a breakout, and at least 3,000 of the participants died during and after this mock naval engagement.
Recommended viewing:
-:- Spartacus (DVD, B00005A8TY)
Recommended reading:
-:- Everyday Life In Ancient Rome by Lionel Casson (0801859921)
-:- Travel in the Ancient World by Lionel Casson (0801848083)
-:- The Ancient Mariners by Lionel Casson (0691014779)
-:- Cleopatra by Michael Grant (audio 0788703528, ppbk 184212031X).
-:- Sick Caesars by Michael Grant, particularly for the profiles of Marcus Aurelius and Commodus (0760709378, 00090312011)
-:- A Scandalous History of the Roman Emperors by Anthony Blond (0786707593)
Rating:
Summary: A Superb Account of the Beginning of the End of Rome
Review: A brilliant portrayal of the tawdry, blood-soaked process by which Rome likely descended from the greatest ancient republic to a monarchy (in all but name). Viewers get the full effect of both the grandeur of the empire that the Romans built and of the craven-ness of the people (following Julius Caesar, who is not in the story) who destroyed it in less than a century. For those who are proud of what many believe is the grandest modern republic (the United States), it offers an object lesson in the dangers of the cult of personality. Rome was a Republic for over 500 years before it went back to being a monarchy and then finally went bust. How long will it take for the same to happen to the US? Viewers will be well-advised to also read the novels by Robert Graves ("I, Claudius," and "Claudius, the God,") on which the series is based. Reading the books does not spoil your enjoyment of the videos, and vice-versa. Note that the books (and the videos) only present an interpretation of real historical events, and that not everything in them is true. It might also help to read an edition of Suetonius' "Twelve Caesars" so you know the portions that are faithful to history and those that are a result of artistic license. For readers interested in the events in 1st Century BC Rome that lead up to what happens in "I, Claudius," Colleen McCullough's "The First Man in Rome," "The Grass Crown," and "Fortune's Favourites" would help (though McCullough is not as good a writer as Graves).
Rating:
Summary: Ave Claudius!
Review: A great adaptation of Robert Grave's fictional work. All of the actors render a stunning and convincing portrayal of what life was like at the core of the early Roman empire.
Derek Jakobi brilliantly performs the character of Claudius as he ponders his life and impresses his thoughts on to his "autobiography." The audience is then taken through the ambitions and intrigues of the Julio-Claudian dynasty from the reign of Augustus to Nero's. Through the eyes of Claudius, the audience has a bird's eye view into the dynastic contests played with wit and humor; seeing the evolution of the empire from the remnants of a crumbled republic to a sophisticated imperial beuraucracy that is protected by the notorious praetorian guard. With this insight, Claudius is soon appreciated by the audience as having a keen intellect as opposed to being dull and slow of wit (Claudius addressing the Senate: "Many have called me half-witted and yet they lost their heads with all their wit while I still have mine. I suppose then that quality of wit is more important than quantity!") His desire for truth and his loathing of the imperial struggle gives his story clarity and impartiality. All of the characters are brilliantly played; their actions and motivations all come to light in the course of the mini-series.
The acting of Derek Jacobi as Claudius is brilliant. The same goes for Brian Blessed and Sian Phillips as Augustus and Livia. There's even a brief appearance by Patrick Stewart. This presentation has a full cast of some of the finest Shakespearean actors in recent memory and their acting more than makes up for the studio limitations of this 1974 production.
For audiences looking for action or special effects, there isn't much to find here; this is a theatrical adaptation and so the sound and stage have their limitations. This is not an action story anyway; if you're looking for that kind of film see "Spartactus", "Cleopatra", or "Gladiator." Despite its limitations, this is a fine BBC production of one of the greatest works in historical fiction. A must see for anyone who enjoys history or just a good story full of intrigue and suspense.
Rating:
Summary: Hail Claudius!
Review: A great adaptation of Robert Grave's fictional work. All of the actors render a stunning and convincing portrayal of what life was like at the core of the early Roman empire. Derek Jakobi brilliantly performs the character of Claudius as he ponders his life and impresses his thoughts on to his "autobiography." The audience is then taken through the ambitions and intrigues of the Julio-Claudian dynasty from the reign of Augustus to Nero's. Through the eyes of Claudius, the audience has a bird's eye view into the dynastic contests played with wit and humor; seeing the evolution of the empire from the remnants of a crumbled republic to a sophisticated imperial beuraucracy that is protected by the notorious praetorian guard. With this insight, Claudius is soon appreciated by the audience as having a keen intellect as opposed to being dull and slow of wit. His desire for truth and his loathing of the imperial struggle gives his story clarity and impartiality. All of the characters are brilliantly played; their actions and motivations all come to light in the course of the mini-series. The acting of Derek Jacobi as Claudius is brilliant. The same goes for Brian Blessed and Sian Phillips as Augustus and Livia. There's even a brief appearance by Patrick Stewart. This presentation has a full cast of some of the finest Shakespearean actors in recent memory and their acting more than makes up for the studio limitations of this 1974 production. For audiences looking for action or special effects, there isn't much to find here; this is a theatrical adaptation and so the sound and stage have their limitations. This is not an action story anyway; if you're looking for that kind of film see "Spartactus", "Cleopatra", or "Gladiator." Despite its limiations, this is a fine BBC production of one of the greatest works in historical fiction. A must see for anyone who enjoys history or just a good story full of intrigue and suspense.
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