A post by Maynard
For them that are interested in such things, I’ll put in a word about one of my very favorite mini-series of all time. That would be the 1977 BBC 13-episode Masterpiece Theatre production of I, Claudius. It’s based on the books by Robert Graves (I, Claudius and its sequel, Claudius the God), and can be purchased at Amazon (note the many favorable comments) or rented from Netflix. A video trailer is here.
This is a dramatization of life in the upper echelons of power in the Rome of the Caesars. The focus is on Claudius, who survived a treacherous, decadent era to become Emperor. It’s an intense and fascinating tale that combines historical reality with the sort of human foibles the National Enquirer thrives on.
This wasn’t an expensive production. It was filmed on stages, and it feels more like a grand play than a movie. But the actors are superb, and they bring great depth and humanity to their roles.
For me, the most gripping element was the empathy I felt for Claudius, who knew he could be murdered at any time as a matter of political convenience. His lineage locked him into this trap, even though he wasn’t politically ambitious, and all he wanted was to survive and pursue his studies. Meanwhile, the intrigues swirled about him, and he knew it was only a matter of time until somebody decided he was too dangerous to live.
Aside from being a fascinating human drama, watching this will leave you with a clearer picture of the Roman leadership at the time of Christ (the events in Judea are peripherally referenced). Claudius lived from 10 BC to 54 AD, spanning the eras of the successive Emperors Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, and finally himself. Yes, it’s dramatized and fictionalized and speculative in many details and produced on sound stages, but there’s a sense of history coming alive before your eyes. I’m not alone in declaring this mini-series to be on the short list of best ever.
You’re free to make loose analogies between the corrupt power structures of Rome and the various other tyrants and authoritarians of any and every era. But I’m not pushing this as a political commentary, and I think it should mostly be appreciated on its own merit.
Indeed on of the few works of art in the medium of television.
Brian Blessed as Augustus was one of the great television performances of all time.
Bravo Maynard…Bravo I, Claudius!
‘The White Goddess’ is one of the most important literary works of the 20th century and goes a long way toward explaining to whom the ‘ Temple Mount’ was really dedicated to long before there were muslims or Jews for that matter. flawed scary brilliance.
‘I,Claudius’ and ‘Brideshead Revisited’ are the best of those PBS miniseries that provided not only comical fodder( i was in high school when they were first aired) for imitation but actual interest in the original works.
Where does the time go? I, Claudius was first shown on P.B.S. in the Autumn of 1977 – 30 years ago!