Region 1 Genius Products (USA)
NTSC, 2.30:1 16x9 enhanced
185 minutes
Audio: DD 5.1 English
Subtitles: Optional English SDH, Spanish
Extras: audio commentary by Bill Bronston and Mel Martin; Rome in Madrid; stills galleries; filmographies; trailers; The Rise and Fall of an Epic Production; The Rise and Fall of an Empire; Hollywood vs. History; Dimitri Tiomkin: Scoring the Roman Empire; Encyclopedia Britannica educational films; postcards; reproduction of 1964 souvenir booklet

Released: 29 April 2008
slim keepcase for three discs in a cardboard box
40 chapters

When Harvey and Bob Weinstein left their posts at Disney, they lost the rights to the Miramax brand. For the Weinsteins, this was akin to a family tragedy as Miramax was named after their parents, Miriam and Max. They set up a new film production and distribution outlet called The Weinstein Company, and they corralled video distributor Genius Products (previously best-known for children’s educational titles) for their DVD operations. The Weinsteins are paying tribute to their mother again with The Miriam Collection, a premium line devoted to oldie goodies and “art” films.

The first official Miriam title was El Cid, though as indicated by the selection of trailers on this release’s Disc 1, the special edition box set of Cinema Paradiso is considered an unofficial part of the Miriam line. The Fall of the Roman Empire is the next entry. Like El Cid and Cinema Paradiso, you can buy The Fall of the Roman Empire as a two-disc release or as a Limited Collector’s Edition Box Set. In fact, in outward appearance and in terms of non-disc extras, the box sets for El Cid and The Fall of the Roman Empire follow the groundwork laid by the Cinema Paradiso box set (postcards, booklets, etc.).

In this day and age, we’re conditioned to thinking of directors as the primary authors of movies, but directors haven’t always been the Big Men on Campus. During the heyday of the Studio System, directors were assigned to projects just like actors, cinematographers, editors, set designers, composers, etc. What we think of as specific directors’ “styles” were really molded by studio executives and teams of artists working towards common goals. Therefore, before auteurism became a dominant theoretical framework, “styles” were more associated with studios (such as MGM’s musical extravaganzas, Warner’s gangster flicks, Paramount’s Westerns, etc.) than with individuals. Movies from the 1930s to the 1950s of which we have fond memories were created with the same methodologies as the bad movies--they all rolled off the assembly line, and the good ones were frequently happy accidents.

Even if one prefers to emphasize the achievements of individuals over those of studios, one has to realize that producers paved the way for directors (and later, stars) to exercise authorship. Producers like David O. Selznick, Irving Thalberg, and Sam Spiegel oversaw productions from genesis to release, whereas their directors were frequently hired hands who did little more than shout “Action!” and “Cut!” on sets. Independent producers gave directors the freedom to work without interference from multiple studio execs.

Samuel Bronston was one such independent producer, and he carved a little bit of Hollywood history for himself when he went to Spain and produced blockbuster historical epics like El Cid and The Fall of the Roman Empire. These movies had huge sets, huge casts, and awe-inspiring production values, though as a self-financed filmmaker, Bronston could not absorb costs across a whole slate of releases the way that MGM could with a Ben-Hur. Bronston’s output of huge independent undertakings was limited to a handful, and they’ve taken a long time to appear on Region 1 DVD since distribution rights were sold in messy pieces.

The Fall of the Roman Empire chronicles the death of Marcus Aurelius and the ascendancy of Commodus as Emperor of Rome. Commodus was a poor ruler, so Rome’s decline is attributed in part to his stewardship. Sophia Loren plays Commodus’s sister Lucilla, and Stephen Boyd (Messala in Ben-Hur) plays a Roman military commander in love with Lucilla. Does this movie sound familiar? It should if you’ve seen Ridley Scott’s Gladiator.

Note: Disc 2 explains that this is the longest version of the movie that the Weinsteins could find. They also found a deleted scene that was included in some Roadshow prints. However, that scene could not be restored in time for this DVD pressing, though it might be finished for a future DVD release.

Video:
The 2.30:1 anamorphic widescreen image is very sharp and very clear, and there are only a few instances of minor print damage and dirt/dust. Reds are surprisingly strong. However, in general, the colors are faded, and light levels are inconsistent (scenes suddenly go dark between edits).

Audio:
The DD 5.1 English track is a disappointing boost of the movie’s original mono/stereo stems. The audio sounds flat, harsh, and constricted, with muffled low ends and very little channel separation. While one shouldn’t expect a lot of surround activity for a movie that was designed to have front-biased sound, I wonder why the Weinsteins even bothered with a multi-channel re-mix. Better good mono (i.e. Casablanca) than purposeless surround sound.

Optional English SDH and Spanish subtitles support the audio.

Extras:
--Disc 1--
First up is an audio commentary by Bill Bronston (son of the producer) and Mel Martin (a biographer). The two don’t speak for long gaps, and whatever information they impart can be gleaned elsewhere without enduring the dull silences.

“Rome in Madrid” is a promotional film created to advertise the movie. Yes, they had fluffy “making of” featurettes long before DVDs appeared on the horizon.

You also get two stills galleries, filmographies, and trailers for this and other movies.

--Disc 2--
As the movie is split across Discs 1 and 2, you get the continuation of Bronston and Martin’s audio commentary.

“The Rise and Fall of an Epic Production” is a retrospective documentary that sheds light on some of the “negative” aspects of the movie’s development (such as the fact that Charlton Heston refused to work with Sophia Loren again after El Cid).

“The Rise and Fall of an Empire” and “Hollywood vs. History” delve into the real history that inspired the movie.

“Dimitri Tiomkin: Scoring the Roman Empire” is a tribute to the legendary composer.

--Disc 3--
Disc 3 is exclusive to this set. You get a collection of educational films shot by Encyclopedia Britannica about the Roman Empire. Much of the footage was shot on The Fall of the Roman Empire’s sets.

--Miscellaneous--
This discs are housed in a slim keepcase. In addition to the discs, you also get postcards, a reproduction of the booklet that was given to audiences, and a handsome, sturdy box.