Edward Bulwer-Lytton's magisterial 1830s novel about the Last Days of Pompeii is twisted onto a soap opera in two ways: as a sort of proto-"Gladiator" and as a ancient Roman soap opera.
But this is no place to compare the novel to what we see on the screen. How many movies could bear such scrutiny? Joh Buchan, author of THE 39 STEPS, watched the Hitchcock version of his book and he said it was interesting to see a movie based on something he wrote yet he was left wondering how it would come out.
I wouldn't be surprised if the author of this miniseries read a "Classics Illustrated" version of the book and left it at that. Why not? Nineteenth century novels are difficult these days. And it varies. I enjoy Dickens, Bulwer-Lytton and Scott but can't break the code of Trollope or Austen.
So how does "The Last Days of Pompeii" stand alone by itself as a production independent from its source material? Well, it ain't half bad. I don't like all the blatantly S&M gladiators, but Romans had day games nearly every afternoon.
The cast is hit and miss. It rounded up many of the usual miniseries suspects of that day: Ernest Borgnine, Ned Beatty, Leslie-Anne Down.
I don't mind the last. It shows my age (I was about 23 when this was first broadcast), but I always thought Down one of the loveliest actresses and I love her accent. I also loved the lap dance she gave Duncan Regehr, a highlight of part one.
Borgnine won an Oscar so one may overlook his overacting in everything he's done since. As always, he's one of the loudest actors on TV. Beatty looks ridiculous and talks worse; and it's not because he was intended to be a fat figure of fun. He's simply awful. He was being plugged into a lot back then where he didn't belong but after "Deliverance" I can barely stand to look at him.
The better actors have British accents.
The boors are American. So we have Brian Blessed, Nicholas Clay, Anthony Quayle ("Lawrence of Arabia"!) Even Laurence Olivier, when he was in his "anything for a buck" coasting on his name era. And Franco Nero, hardly British, whom I've seen in lots of things but never really got. Nero plays a sort of televangelist of the day. Perhaps his name popped up as someone was reminded by a slightly-earlier emperor.
The cast includes two Virgin Marys, Siobhan McKenna and Olivia Hussey. Considering that the real Mary, mother of Jesus Christ, might conceivable have been alive at the time Vesuvius blew its top, that adds to the miniseries' wonder. Hussey was never much of an actor but she was lovely.
And there's a very young Linda Purl playing the blind Nydia, right from the novel, showing the difficulties of the disabled in Roman times.
From the start we have that disaster-movie guessing-game of who will survive. Many of those marked for death are fairly obvious. But we're never quite sure. It's enough suspense to keep us watching. And anyone who likes Roman spectacle should tune in.
It's faint praise, but there's lots worse things out there. Down's dance alone is worth the price of admission.
But this is no place to compare the novel to what we see on the screen. How many movies could bear such scrutiny? Joh Buchan, author of THE 39 STEPS, watched the Hitchcock version of his book and he said it was interesting to see a movie based on something he wrote yet he was left wondering how it would come out.
I wouldn't be surprised if the author of this miniseries read a "Classics Illustrated" version of the book and left it at that. Why not? Nineteenth century novels are difficult these days. And it varies. I enjoy Dickens, Bulwer-Lytton and Scott but can't break the code of Trollope or Austen.
So how does "The Last Days of Pompeii" stand alone by itself as a production independent from its source material? Well, it ain't half bad. I don't like all the blatantly S&M gladiators, but Romans had day games nearly every afternoon.
The cast is hit and miss. It rounded up many of the usual miniseries suspects of that day: Ernest Borgnine, Ned Beatty, Leslie-Anne Down.
I don't mind the last. It shows my age (I was about 23 when this was first broadcast), but I always thought Down one of the loveliest actresses and I love her accent. I also loved the lap dance she gave Duncan Regehr, a highlight of part one.
Borgnine won an Oscar so one may overlook his overacting in everything he's done since. As always, he's one of the loudest actors on TV. Beatty looks ridiculous and talks worse; and it's not because he was intended to be a fat figure of fun. He's simply awful. He was being plugged into a lot back then where he didn't belong but after "Deliverance" I can barely stand to look at him.
The better actors have British accents.
The boors are American. So we have Brian Blessed, Nicholas Clay, Anthony Quayle ("Lawrence of Arabia"!) Even Laurence Olivier, when he was in his "anything for a buck" coasting on his name era. And Franco Nero, hardly British, whom I've seen in lots of things but never really got. Nero plays a sort of televangelist of the day. Perhaps his name popped up as someone was reminded by a slightly-earlier emperor.
The cast includes two Virgin Marys, Siobhan McKenna and Olivia Hussey. Considering that the real Mary, mother of Jesus Christ, might conceivable have been alive at the time Vesuvius blew its top, that adds to the miniseries' wonder. Hussey was never much of an actor but she was lovely.
And there's a very young Linda Purl playing the blind Nydia, right from the novel, showing the difficulties of the disabled in Roman times.
From the start we have that disaster-movie guessing-game of who will survive. Many of those marked for death are fairly obvious. But we're never quite sure. It's enough suspense to keep us watching. And anyone who likes Roman spectacle should tune in.
It's faint praise, but there's lots worse things out there. Down's dance alone is worth the price of admission.