Movies About The Roman Empire

From Ridley Scott, starring Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Connie Nielsen, Oliver Reed
Rated R

Gladiator is a 2000 epic historical drama directed by Ridley Scott and stars Russell Crowe as Maximus Decimus Meridius, a once-loyal general of the Roman Empire. After the death of the emperor Marcus Aurelius, his son, Commodus, becomes emperor and orders the death of Maximus. Maximus escapes and is sold into slavery, becoming a gladiator in the arena. He rises through the ranks and eventually becomes a champion, gaining fame and the favor of the crowd. At the same time, Maximus begins to form a plan to exact revenge on Commodus for the death of his family. In the end, Maximus is successful in overthrowing Commodus and restoring the Roman Republic.

From William Wyler, starring Charlton Heston, Jack Hawkins, Stephen Boyd, Haya Harareet
Rated G

Ben-Hur is a 1959 American epic historical drama film directed by William Wyler and starring Charlton Heston. The film recounts the story of Judah Ben-Hur, a Jewish prince from Jerusalem who is falsely accused of treason by his adopted brother Messala, an officer in the Roman army. Stripped of his title and separated from his family and his love, Esther, Judah is forced into slavery. After years at sea, Judah returns to his homeland to seek revenge, but finds redemption instead. The film won a record 11 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Cinematography. The story of Judah Ben-Hur is one of revenge, redemption, faith, and courage.

From Terry Jones, starring Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Michael Palin, Terry Gilliam
Rated R

Life of Brian is a classic British comedy film from 1979 directed by Terry Jones. The film follows the life of Brian Cohen, a young Jewish man born on the same day as Jesus Christ, who is mistaken for the Messiah. Despite his best efforts to explain his true identity, the people of Jerusalem continue to believe he is the savior they have been waiting for and follow him through his misadventures. Through Brian's interactions with his followers, he learns the importance of faith, community, and self-reflection. In the end, Brian is able to leave his followers with a valuable lesson: that life is too short to be spent worrying about what other people think.

From Stanley Kubrick, starring Kirk Douglas, Laurence Olivier, Jean Simmons, Charles Laughton
Rated PG-13

Spartacus is a 1960 American epic historical drama film directed by Stanley Kubrick. The screenplay by Dalton Trumbo was based on the novel of the same title by Howard Fast. It stars Kirk Douglas in the title role, Laurence Olivier as Roman general and politician Marcus Licinius Crassus, Peter Ustinov as slave trader Lentulus Batiatus, and Jean Simmons as Varinia, the object of Crassus' lust. The film follows Spartacus and his slave rebellion against the Roman Republic during the Third Servile War. Along with his fellow captives, Spartacus is sold to Lentulus Batiatus to be a gladiator in Capua. After Spartacus wins in the arena, he is bought by a Roman senator who raises him to freedom. Meanwhile, Crassus and a Roman legion arrive to capture Spartacus and the other gladiators. In the ensuing battle, Spartacus is killed, and the slaves are defeated. The film ends with a tribute to the spirit of Spartacus, praising him for instilling his followers with hope for freedom.

From Mel Gibson, starring Jim Caviezel, Monica Bellucci, Maia Morgenstern, Christo Jivkov
Rated R

From Joseph L. Mankiewicz, starring Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, Rex Harrison, Pamela Brown
Rated G

From Antoine Fuqua, starring Clive Owen, Stephen Dillane, Keira Knightley, Ioan Gruffudd
Rated PG-13

From Kevin Reynolds, starring Joseph Fiennes, Tom Felton, Peter Firth, Cliff Curtis
Rated PG-13

From Neil Marshall, starring Michael Fassbender, Dominic West, Olga Kurylenko, Andreas Wisniewski
Rated R

From Kevin Macdonald, starring Channing Tatum, Jamie Bell, Donald Sutherland, István Göz
Rated PG-13

From Paul W.S. Anderson, starring Kit Harington, Emily Browning, Kiefer Sutherland, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje
Rated PG-13

From Doug Lefler, starring Colin Firth, Ben Kingsley, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Peter Mullan
Rated PG-13