FILM STUDY GUIDE

I. General Concepts

  • Historical Epic Film: A genre characterized by large scale, historical settings, strong characters, and weighty themes, often reflecting contemporary concerns.

  • Contemporary Context: The social, political, and cultural environment in which a film is made, influencing its themes and messages.

  • Historiography: The study of how history is written and interpreted, including the biases and perspectives that shape historical narratives.

  • Anachronism: An element in a film that is historically inaccurate or inconsistent with the time period depicted.

  • Romanization: The process by which Roman culture and institutions were spread throughout the Roman Empire.

  • Blacklisting: A practice in the mid-20th century United States where individuals suspected of communist sympathies were denied employment in the film industry.

  • Parody: An imitation of the style of a particular writer, artist, or genre with deliberate exaggeration for comic effect.

  • Stereotype: A widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person or thing.

  • Inversion: Reversal of the normal order of words, typically for rhetorical effect.

II. Historical Figures

  • Spartacus: A Thracian gladiator who led a major slave revolt against the Roman Republic.

  • Julius Caesar: A Roman general and statesman who played a key role in the events that led to the demise of the Roman Republic and the rise of the Roman Empire.

  • Cleopatra VII: The last active ruler of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt, known for her relationships with Julius Caesar and Mark Antony.

  • Mark Antony: A Roman politician and general who formed the Second Triumvirate with Octavian and Lepidus, and later had a relationship with Cleopatra.

  • Octavian/Augustus: The first Roman emperor, who established the Pax Romana and consolidated power after defeating Mark Antony and Cleopatra.

  • Commodus: Roman Emperor known for being a cruel, erratic, and incompetent leader, assassinated in AD 192.

  • Marcus Aurelius: Roman Emperor and Stoic philosopher, known for his wisdom and military leadership.

  • Hypatia: A philosopher, astronomer, and mathematician in Roman Egypt, murdered in 415 AD.

  • Theodosius I: Roman Emperor who made Christianity the state religion of the Roman Empire.

III. Films

  • Spartacus (1960): A historical epic about a slave revolt, reflecting Cold War anxieties and the Civil Rights Movement.

  • Carry On Cleo (1964): A British comedy parodying historical epics, especially Cleopatra.

  • Gladiator (2000): A historical epic set during the reign of Commodus, exploring themes of power, corruption, and the loss of the Republic.

  • Agora (2009): A film set in Roman Egypt during the rise of Christianity, critiquing religious fundamentalism and intolerance.

IV. Historical Events and Concepts

  • Roman Republic: The period of Roman history from 509 BC to 27 BC, characterized by a system of government with elected officials and a senate.

  • Roman Empire: The period of Roman history from 27 BC to 476 AD (in the West) and 1453 AD (in the East), characterized by autocratic rule by emperors.

  • Pax Romana: A period of relative peace and stability in the Roman Empire, lasting from 27 BC to 180 AD.

  • Crisis of the Third Century: A period of political, economic, and military instability in the Roman Empire from 235 AD to 284 AD.

  • Tetrarchy: A system of government established by Diocletian in 293 AD, dividing the Roman Empire into four regions, each ruled by an emperor.

  • Byzantine Empire: The Eastern Roman Empire, which continued after the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 AD.

  • Hellenistic Kingdoms: The Greek-speaking kingdoms that emerged after the death of Alexander the Great, eventually conquered by Rome.

  • Ptolemaic Egypt: The Hellenistic kingdom in Egypt ruled by the descendants of Ptolemy I Soter, one of Alexander the Great's generals.

  • Council Chamber & Senate: The film almost always shows the Council Chamber and Senate in a semi-circular pattern, especially the Greek.

V. Locations

  • Rome: The capital city of the Roman Republic and Empire.

  • Alexandria: A major city in Roman Egypt, known for its library and intellectual achievements.

  • Capua: A city in southern Italy where the Spartacus slave revolt began.