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HBO\'s "Rome" to present more realistic look at the
#1
Hope we wont be seeing more Leather Armor so much in Vogue in Italy.<br>
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"At modern Rome’s fabled Cinecitta studios, the BBC and American TV giant HBO have joined forces to shoot an epic $100m television drama series that aims to topple the Hollywood image and set a new vision in its place.<br>
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Simply called Rome, the painstakingly researched show is shaping up as a vast, operatic, Grand Guignol drama. Its epic story will weave the lives of two ordinary Roman foot soldiers with historical celebrities such as Julius Caesar and Pompey in the last years of the Roman Republic. The show’s relatively unknown British stars - Kevin McKidd, Ciaran Hinds and Polly Walker - are likely to become household names.<br>
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In keeping with ancient Hollywood traditions, Rome will feature intrigue, spectacle and casual brutality. In a radical break with Hollywood traditions, though, it will also be jammed with cliche-busting surprises. There’ll be much more sex and paganism than we’re used to. We’ll see Julius Caesar as he really looked during his ceremonial triumphs (painted head to toe in Jupiter’s colour, red) and Cleopatra will not be a vamp or demi-goddess, but as Cicero saw her - a dinner-party bore.<br>
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HBO is putting up most of the money. The first 12 episodes are due to air late this year, and if all goes well a further four seasons are planned. So far, though, the show’s most spectacular feature is its jaw-dropping set, reckoned to be the biggest and most expensive ever built for television. On the backlot at Cinecitta, where Ben-Hur’s chariot race was filmed and where 500 slaves once dragged Liz Taylor into town atop a giant sphinx for Cleopatra, a spectacular new version of the ancient city has been built of steel and fibreglass. There’s a full-scale replica of the Forum, a warren of working-class streets, markets, villas and gardens.<br>
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It looks tremendous, but also weird, because this Rome is grubby rather than grandiose. Its temples don’t shimmer but are dirty and multicoloured. The set is smoky and covered with Latin graffiti, much of it obscene. On street corners there are candle-strewn shrines and drawings of giant penises. In one street there’s a typical Roman toilet: a latrine with planks with holes where men and women sit side by side and use the same fetid sponge as toilet paper. Grass grows between the flagstones on the Via Sacra. There’s mud everywhere.<br>
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Welcome to the new, realist, “authenticâ€ÂÂ
[Image: ebusitanus35sz.jpg]

Daniel
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#2
Well, that would be a first! Maybe they're paying heed to Augustus' claim that he found "Rome a city of brick, and left it a city of marble!"<br>
<br>
<p>Greets<br>
<br>
Jasper</p><i></i>
Greets!

Jasper Oorthuys
Webmaster & Editor, Ancient Warfare magazine
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#3
I topped an older thread about this and another series currently in production (Two new Roman miniseries). Check out the links, especially the one to the Caesar actor's website at the bottom of the thread, he has quite some pictures up, including one of him getting his face painted for the triumph (however, he's wearing armor for the triumph, I guess authenticity only goes so far...). <p></p><i></i>
Aka
Christoph
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#4
No matter what I bet that as soon as the series comes out it will get ripped apart at these forums for minor and major inacuracies.<br>
I wonder why these movie producers do not bother and get some of the REAL knowledgeable guys here to give reference? I bet they would make much better. Who are anyhow those consultants that screw things so up constantly?<br>
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What is all that Leather Segmentata story? They really believe that the metal ones were only worn in Germania and Britannia? I guess a Legionarie in Parthia, Jerusalem or Dacia had the need to protect himself in battle. <p></p><i></i>
[Image: ebusitanus35sz.jpg]

Daniel
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#5
What about those troopers in the back?<br>
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<img src="http://www.ciaranhindsonline.com/images/togaclear.JPG" style="border:0;"/><br>
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<img src="http://www.ciaranhindsonline.com/images5/rome2.JPG" style="border:0;"/><br>
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Those socks<br>
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<img src="http://www.ciaranhindsonline.com/images5/rome4.JPG" style="border:0;"/><br>
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This looks great...I wish I was there!<br>
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<img src="http://www.ciaranhindsonline.com/images5/rome5.JPG" style="border:0;"/><br>
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Bracae galore 50 BC <p></p><i></i>
[Image: ebusitanus35sz.jpg]

Daniel
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#6
Looks like the gear from "Augustus". <p></p><i></i>
Jaime
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#7
Well the guys in the background look like they might have proper armor on, it's too hard to tell at that distance. At least its not leather or segmentata. The Velexium bearer on the right of the bottom picture has what looks like a proper set of hamata on, though his gladius has what looks like a pompeii style scabbard.<br>
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BTW someone get me the number of the gal in the bluish green dress. <p></p><i></i>
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#8
There's also this other one from Ciaran Hinds' page (Caesar):<br>
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<img src="http://www.ciaranhindsonline.com/images/romastars.JPG" style="border:0;"/><br>
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Looks like hamata to me. <p></p><i></i>
TARBICvS/Jim Bowers
A A A DESEDO DESEDO!
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#9
Yup...and btw..I thought those two guys were to be "Footsoldiers"...I guess Cavalry never looses its charm.<br>
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I love how the choose Rome to make this series...nice Italians doing the extra´s work instead of some third world country choosen because of economical reasons. <p></p><i></i>
[Image: ebusitanus35sz.jpg]

Daniel
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#10
They have nominated as Militar Advisor the Ars Dimicandi Institute (see http://p200.ezboard.com/fromanarmytalkf ... =463.topic )

I know they spent much time in physical training, something can be read in italian at their web site:
http://www.arsdimicandi.net/ad_1_000039.htm

At this page they speak about the last shot about the Caesar legions vs some gauls. From the pics is visibile only a good hamata.
Luca Bonacina
Provincia Cisalpina - Mediolanum
www.cisalpina.net
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#11
Luca - please translate. I can't. This picture looks pretty good though (except the scutum, if I were anal.....which I'm not, because I don't know enough).<br>
<br>
<img src="http://www.arsdimicandi.net/ad_1_i0000a1.gif" style="border:0;"/> <p></p><i></i>
TARBICvS/Jim Bowers
A A A DESEDO DESEDO!
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#12
It is a very long job.
I report just main things.

"The pretty location of Vicariello (Rome) hosted the HBO production set of one of the episodes battles between Caesar's legions and the Gauls.
More than 200 peoples, stunts and actors were involved in many breath-taking scenes, were Ars Dimicandi is the main direct protagonist.

Mr. Dario Battaglia is the movie Historical Advisor. In July, together with some military trainers of the Cohors Veterana, Lucius (Giuseppe Battista) and Leo (Danilo Lazzarini) they trained 55 men for the special figurants. In this episode, the battle, the desire to join in a movie years of research and military experiments, has been fulfilled.

(...) the Ars Dimicandi experience is become an extraordinary show.

"Barbarians Hordes were hidden in the mist (...) the soldiers were waiting for them in the valley ordered by 10x8 men centuries.
Suddenly - says Dario Battaglia - they run toward us, impacting the first line. (...)"

"Many situations were not coreografated, but everyone was acting freely as trained. It was really realistic and we had a lot of fun..."

The coordinator of the special figurations, Billy Bud (Royal Marine and coreographer of Oliver Stone in "Alexander") asked to Ars Dimicandi 30 "true" gauls, in order to "launch" them on the legionaries previously trained.

"This the first movie in the world - says Dario Battaglia - where is possible to see how the roman army fights! An incredible satisfaction".
(...)
Since sunday night the set was terribly chilled: -8 °C in the night (about 17 Fahrenheit).
Than the rain wednwesday and the bad mud (...)
"We were close to a mutiny - says Leo - and many were not able to pass the night going back home sick. (...) Fortunately these are men that, as we from the Cohors Veterana, do seriously camps and they are not afraid of hot, cool, to be hungry or thirsty".
(...) "
Luca Bonacina
Provincia Cisalpina - Mediolanum
www.cisalpina.net
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#13
Being it a Julius Caesar series I do truly hope these heretics wont be bringing any leather segmentatas on the set. But seeing those Imperial Square Shields, Gods know what these "experts" might be up to.<br>
<p></p><i></i>
[Image: ebusitanus35sz.jpg]

Daniel
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#14
At that site some of those shots look nice<br>
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<img src="http://www.arsdimicandi.net/ad_1_i0000a2.gif" style="border:0;"/><br>
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<img src="http://www.arsdimicandi.net/ad_1_i0000a3.gif" style="border:0;"/> <p></p><i></i>
[Image: ebusitanus35sz.jpg]

Daniel
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#15
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh! Furry barbarians at twelve o'clock<br>
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(the helmets ain't bad, though...) <p></p><i></i>
Andreas Baede
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