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Voidsville Follies

Works featuring "Roman empire" (7)

The Last Days Of Pompeii (Gli Ultimi Giorni di Pompei) [1908]

Arturo Ambrosio (director)
Luigi Maggi (director)
Roberto Omegna (cinematographer/writer)
Giovanni Vitrotti (cinematographer)
Edward George Bulwer-Lytton (author)
Lydia De Roberti (lead)
Umberto Mozzato (lead)
Società Anonima Ambrosio (production)

Language: Silent, Dutch titles, English subtitles, released in Dec 1908
Minutes: 17

Also known as "The Last Days of Pomposity", thanks to the hilariously hammy acting.

Featured elements:

: abuse; boozy-woozy; death scene; falsely accused; heroic defender; historical drama; manipulator; melodrama; redemption; rescue; revenge; Roman empire; servitude; suicide; unrequited love

Quo Vadis? [1913]

Enrico Guazzoni (director/writer)
Eugenio Bava (cinematographer)
Alessandro Bona (cinematographer)
Henryk Sienkiewicz (author)
Gustavo Serena (lead)
Amleto Novelli (lead)
Società Italiana Cines (production)

Language: Silent, English titles, Russian subtitles, released in Mar 1913
Minutes: 103

Maybe Rome wasn't built in a day, but it only took one night to burn it down (with the help of a few good men with torches), according to this elaborate tale of palace intrigue, divine intervention, and jungle fever in Nero's Rome.

Featured elements:

: corruption; death scene; execution; falsely accused; female bonding; forbidden love; heroic defender; historical drama; male bonding; manipulator; melodrama; patriarchy; persecution; prison; redemption; religion; rescue; revenge; Roman empire; romance; servitude; strongman; suicide; torture; treachery; unrequited love

The Last Days Of Pompeii (Gli Ultimi Giorni di Pompei) [1913]

Eleuterio Rodolfi (director)
Mario Caserini (writer)
Edward George Bulwer-Lytton (author)
Fernanda Negri Pouget (lead)
Eugenia Tettoni Fior (lead)
Ubaldo Stefani (lead)
Antonio Grisanti (lead)
Società Anonima Ambrosio (production)

Language: Silent, English titles, released in May 1913
Minutes: 58

This version puts more focus on the dark deeds of the evil Egyptian high priest.

Featured elements:

: abuse; boozy-woozy; courtroom; death scene; falsely accused; heroic defender; historical drama; manipulator; melodrama; redemption; rescue; revenge; Roman empire; servitude; suicide; unrequited love

Jone, Or The Last Days Of Pompeii

Ubaldo Maria Del Colle (director)
Giovanni Enrico Vidali (director)
Edward George Bulwer-Lytton (author)
Cristina Ruspoli (lead)
Pasquali e C. (production)
Vay e Hubert (production)

Language: Silent, Italian titles, English subtitles, released in Aug 1913
Minutes: 100

This version adds characters, and adds variety to the settings (including animals and spectacular chariot races). Most interesting is the lively background action that adds a sense of ambiguous realism - is that a crap game? Wait - is he supposed to be a femboy? And why does that crazy dance come to the foreground, hiding the villain's attack on Jone?? Strange, but dazzling flick.

Featured elements:

: abuse; animal act; boozy-woozy; courtroom; dance; falsely accused; heroic defender; historical drama; manipulator; melodrama; redemption; rescue; revenge; Roman empire; servitude; suicide; treachery; unrequited love

Antony and Cleopatra (Marcantonio e Cleopatra)

Enrico Guazzoni (director)
Alessandro Bona (cinematographer)
William Shakespeare (author)
Amleto Novelli (lead)
Società Italiana Cines (production)

Language: Silent, English titles, released in Sep 1913
Minutes: 74

Initially lacks the striking imagery of other epics of this period, so doesn't seem to be worth the effort required to view this badly damaged print. But patience is somewhat rewarded when the glitz kicks in later on.