I, Claudius is an adaptation of Robert Graves' novel of the same name and its sequel Claudius the God. This twelve-part TV series follows the Julio-Claudian Dynasty of emperors, from the first emperor Augustus himself to the assumption of the throne by Nero. The story is primarily told from the point of view of Claudius (Derek Jacobi), who was the fourth emperor of Rome. Claudius is born with a twitch, lame leg, and terrible stutter. It is eventually revealed that he has actually acquired control over most of his issues and is quite the intelligent historian and observer. However, to survive the intrigue-filled, blood-soaked events engulfing the imperial family, he persists in playing the fool to avoid any fears that he might come for the throne himself. This keeps him alive until he shockingly becomes emperor.
It should be stated that Graves' novels and its adaptation are not meant to be straight historical presentations. The plot is that the aged Claudius is writing down the true history of the Julio-Claudian Dynasty and thus there are dark secrets that historians have failed to uncover. For example Livia (Sian Phillips), Augustus' wife, is a schemer who arranges the deaths of many characters in order to guide the empire to what she perceives is the best course. The historical Livia was a notably intelligent woman who Augustus usually consulted when making decisions, but there is no evidence that she was a masterful villainess. Graves also plays up the horrific stories about Tiberius (George Baker) and Caligula (John Hurt). Historians have questioned many of theses tales, such as Tiberius' transformation of the island of Capri into his personal and perverted pleasure garden (complete with young boys). Caligula in particular is shown to be a psycho from childhood while even historians who believe all the salacious stories about him credit his madness to a bout with a severe illness as well as outrage over the assassinations of much of his family (in this show he actually helps kill his father Germanicus). Despite these liberties, this is still a fascinating look at early Imperial politics and drama, as Graves kept his narrative possible within accepted history.
I, Claudius is frequently cited as one of the greatest TV series in history and for good reason. Like most British shows of the 60s and 70s, it's quite cheap. The indoor sets are well done, but there are no exterior shots. For example, when characters make an appearance at the Colosseum, we get a tight shot of their booth while sounds of the crowd and sword-fighting are used to provide some scale. There is also no music outside the credits theme. Thus it's up to the incredible acting by the cast to drive home the emotions and drama.
This series not only gave a boost to Derek Jacobi's career, but also had four other young actors who would become well known. These include Brian Blessed as Augustus, a casting choice which surprised me. Blessed is known for his bombastic roles while Augustus was a measured figure. He has his moments, but plays Augustus well as a well-meaning ruler plagued by a string of tragic premature deaths among his favorites (arranged by Livia). Patrick Stewart appears with hair as Sejanus, the leader of the Praetorian Guard who accumulates power in Rome when Tiberius moves to Capri. John Rhys-Davies appears without facial hair as Macro, an even more villainous member of the Praetorian Guard (I don't think I would have recognized him learning beforehand that he's in this). Finally John Hurt further established his career as Caligula, going all-in on portraying a mad tyrant.
The twelve-part series can be divided into four sections. Episodes 1-4 cover Augustus' reign. Augustus' reign starts off with stability. However, every time he grooms a favorite to become emperor, Livia intervenes with poison or some other scheme. She also wants to get rid of any member of the family who favors republicanism, as she sees it as unstable compared to the new imperial system. Livia wants her son Tiberius, an accomplished general, to become ruler. Tiberius is interested in power, but by the time Augustus' reign ends, he's broken down by his mother's machinations (which played havoc with his personal life). In the midst of this Claudius pursues a career as a historian.
Episodes 5-7 focuses on Tiberius. Livia now feels rejected and is broken down herself, realizing that she has installed a disinterested pervert as emperor. Tiberius at first seriously serves as emperor, but falls further into debauchery, moving to Capri. Thanks to the machinations of Sejanus, Rome is wracked by assassinations and executions. Claudius despairs as his closest family turns on each other, and in some cases resort to murder.
Episode-8-10 see Caligula, who is far more malicious than Tiberius, ascend to the throne. Claudius expertly uses his wits to avoid the murder of himself and his closest associates as Caligula keeps him close. This is not out of respect, but because Caligula finds his uncle amusing. The emperor completely upends Rome with orgies, a war against the god of the sea, and other mad decisions. One of these episodes infamously a man devouring a fetus. This was removed and is now lost, though we still get a shot of blood dripping from the perpetrator's mouth.
Episodes 11-12 see Claudius reign as a just emperor, ironic because he desires a return to the Roman Republic. In reality Romans of the time did not distinguish between the Republican and Imperial eras, as the senate was still a functioning political institution and the emperors had accepted precedent in past temporary dictators. Anyways, Claudius' personal life is full of further tragedy, with his own wife scheming against him. He also realizes to his horror that he has made the rule of an emperor palatable. He thus plots to undermine trust in the emperors by fostering the rise of the villainous Nero (Christopher Biggins) and his mother Agrippina the Younger (Barbara Young).
I should warn that there is some nudity and dark moments in case somebody (like homeschooling parents) wants to show this to their kids. Overall this is a great historical drama that tells an intriguing story with one of the more fascinating families in history. The acting is top-notch, with Claudius grounding the story as a strong moral protagonist.
Rating: 10/10
No comments:
Post a Comment