Big Screen Rome - Paperback

by Monica Silveira Cyrino (Author)

Big Screen Rome is the first systematic survey of the most important and popular films from the past half century that reconstruct the image of Roman antiquity.

• The first systematic survey of the most important and popular recent films about Roman antiquity.
• Shows how cinema explores, reinvents and celebrates the spectacle of ancient Rome.
• Films discussed in depth include Stanley Kubrick's Spartacus, Ridley Scott's Gladiator and Terry Jones's Monty Python's Life of Brian.
• Contributes to discussions about the ongoing relevance of the classical world.
• Shows how contemporary film-makers use recreations of ancient history as commentaries on contemporary society.
• Structured in a way that makes it suitable for course use, and features issues for discussion and analysis, and reference to further bibliographic resources.
• Written in an energetic and engaging style.

Back Jacket

Big Screen Rome is the first systematic survey of the most important and popular films from the past half century that reconstruct the image of Roman antiquity. The book provides in-depth discussions of a broad selection of famous films, including: Quo Vadis, Ben-Hur, Spartacus, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, Monty Python's Life of Brian, and Gladiator.

Big Screen Rome makes an important contribution to discussions about the ongoing relevance of the classical world, demonstrating how popular appropriations of classical antiquity on film can enrich our understanding of the classical tradition. It also shows how modern film-makers use recreations of ancient history as commentaries on contemporary society. Written in an energetic and engaging style, the book responds to the exciting renewal of popular and scholarly interest in cinema about the ancient Roman world.

Author Biography

Monica Silveira Cyrino is Associate Professor of Classics at the University of New Mexico. She is the author of In Pandora's Jar: Lovesickness in Early Greek Poetry (1995) and a contributor to Martin Winkler's Gladiator: Film and History (Blackwell Publishing, 2004). She has appeared as an academic consultant on the television show "History vs. Hollywood" on The History Channel. She was awarded the American Philological Association's national teaching award in classics (1998-99).