This attempt to be Game of Thrones in togas is all about the cheap thrills. It’s packed with gore, gladiators and gratuitous brothel tours
oman epics nudge two sliders up and down on their dramatic mixing desk: the one that controls political machinations, and the one that dispenses violence and debauchery. Go too far towards I, Claudius and the audience gets bored; veer the other way and a different demographic will flush crimson and cover their eyes with a Mary Beard hardback., hovers somewhere in the middle.
Rome in the first century CE is a busy place. A group of young Andalucíans have arrived to make their name as horsemen, just as a Numidian woman called Cala has come to town to rescue her three children from slavery. Patricians are plotting against the empire, the Judaeans are plotting against each other, and the ailing Emperor Vespasian is choosing whether to hand his throne on to his soldier son Titus or his politician son Domitian .
Sport is the city’s and the show’s main source of entertainment. Chariot-racing, and betting on chariot racing, takes up a surprising amount of screen time.
The political point is clear, just as it is in the chariot arena – a surrogate Senate where teams of riders are owned by rival factions of the corrupt elite. But in practice, Hughes’s quietly appalled Titus comes off as dull and inert, leaving Macari caricatured in comparison as the sneering Domitian, who organises the games and uses them as a political tool and an outlet for his bloody urges.
Those About to Die leans on big outrages because it’s not so good at small conflicts. Dramas about scraps for power and status need a series of zinging verbal showdowns: we want Succession in togas, or at least Suits in sandals. But with so many storylines running, only Martins – as the fierce, resourceful mother Cala, whose own ambition hasn’t been snuffed out by her devotion to her children – develops her character enough for her dialogue to crackle.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
'Back off': Prime Minister Anthony Albanese blasts Russia over couple accused of spying7NEWS brings you the latest local news from Australia and around the world. Stay up to date with all of the breaking sport, politics, entertainment, finance, weather and business headlines. Today's news, live updates & all the latest breaking stories from 7NEWS.
Read more »
Anthony Albanese tells Moscow to 'back off' after Russian embassy criticises spying allegationsAnthony Albanese has accused the Kremlin of spying 'around the world' after the arrests of two Australian citizens on espionage charges.
Read more »
Joe Biden, Anthony Albanese among world leaders condemn shooting at Donald Trump rallyRepublican candidate Donald Trump was evacuated from the stage at a rally after what sounded like shots rang out at the event in Pennsylvania.
Read more »
South Australian prisoner Anthony John Smith in hospital amid two-week hunger strike7NEWS brings you the latest local news from Australia and around the world. Stay up to date with all of the breaking sport, politics, entertainment, finance, weather and business headlines. Today's news, live updates & all the latest breaking stories from 7NEWS.
Read more »
Much-loved AFL champion Anthony Koutoufides transformed for crime TV series Vendetta 197NEWS brings you the latest local news from Australia and around the world. Stay up to date with all of the breaking sport, politics, entertainment, finance, weather and business headlines. Today's news, live updates & all the latest breaking stories from 7NEWS.
Read more »
CFMEU: Jacinta Allan, Anthony Albanese told of union thuggery in 2022Detailed evidence was sent more than 18 months ago that CFMEU officials were threatening violence and banning non-union preferred firms from taxpayer-funded projects.
Read more »