hey all, i just got finished watching Troy with my dad. he thought it was halfway decent. knowing that alexander is quite a ways away, we're looking for various swords-and-sandals epics. he enjoyed gladiator and spartacus quite a bit. do any of you have a suggestion for a movie to watch... but particularly a movie that chronicles the rise and fall of the roman empire. he's got a biiiig interest in the roman empire. )

BBC "I Claudius" miniseries is excellent. Probably the best Roman themed program. It has everything, sex, violence, conspiracies and it's quite racy.

Of the main stream hollywood epics, my favorite has always been "Cleopatra" with Elizabeth Taylor.

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
Ben Hur
The Robe
Quo Vadis
Cleopatra

The Fall of the Roman Empire

I concur.

Caligula is also a good one not mentioned, although it only covers one mad emporer.

A History of the World, Part I.

Definitely I, Claudius. That's one of my all-time favorite shows, ever, and it covers an important stretch of the Roman Empire.

Julius Caesar (1953) - Marlon Brando, James Mason, Sir John Gielgud, Edmond O'Brien, etc.
(not yet available on DVD)

The TNT mini-series "Julius Caesar (2002)" was also pretty good but is also not yet available on DVD. The Roman Empire in a more limited role also comes into play in the USA network mini-series "Attila" which was pretty good too as far as TV movie go. It is available on DVD. 1954's "Sign of the Pagan" is another tale of Attila vs. Rome but is not available on DVD.

Christopher Lambert's "Druids (aka: Vercingetorix" is a story of Gauls vs. Romans. It's been savaged by everyone however I did find it entertaining and it is available on DVD.

If you want to get more into the biblical epic sort of film you've got:
Demetrius and the Gladiators - sequel to "The Robe"
Barabbas
The Silver Chalice (not on DVD)
The Sign of the Cross (not on DVD)

Since you mentioned "Troy" & "Alexander", if you want some action/adventure films outside the Roman setting you can go for:
Helen of Troy - 1956 (DVD)
Helen of Troy (2003?) - TV miniseries available on DVD
Alexander the Great (1956) (DVD available in 1 month)
The 300 Spartans (DVD) - based on history story of Greeks vs. Persians at The Battle of Thermopylae. New version - "The 300"? - coming from Hollywood in the next couple of years.
El Cid - a favorite - along with the earlier mentioned "Fall of the Roman Empire" - that is not available on DVD
The Vikings (DVD) - Kirk Douglas & Tony Curtis
The Long Ships (DVD) - Richard Widmark & Sidney Poitier

Life of Brian

Just rented "Barabbas" (1961 - the DVD came out in 2001). It's an amazing recreation of the Nero era, complete with a real, CGI-free colosseum-like structure, real Roman streets, a real gladiator school and gladiator action that makes "Gladiator" look like the Warner Brothers cartoon it really is.

Also, as Christ stories go, it's a real gutsy art film bordering on Dostoevsky. Highly recommended.