The Fall of the Roman Empire (1964): Cast & Plot
The Fall of the Roman Empire is a 1964 historical drama directed by Anthony Mann, starring Patricia Wright as Roman Citizen, Slave Woman (uncredited), Alec Guinness and Christopher Plummer. It runs 3 hours 8 minutes.
- Released
- Runtime
- 3h 8m (188 min)
- Director
- Anthony Mann
- Original language
-
English - Studio
- Samuel Bronston Productions
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is The Fall of the Roman Empire About?
The premise of The Fall of the Roman Empire without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
Set in 180 A.D., as Germanic tribes mass on Rome’s northern frontiers, the ailing Emperor Marcus Aurelius faces a crucial succession crisis. He must choose between his ambitious son Commodus, driven by power, and the devoted general Gaius Livius, while the empire teeters on the brink of collapse.
The Fall of the Roman Empire Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- romantic rivalry
- unrequited love
- marcus aurelius character
- roman empire
- 2nd century
- european history
- damsel in distress
- ancient rome
- based on true story
- italy
- manipulative female
- manipulative father
+38 more Show fewer
- male male relationship
- gladiator duel
- brother sister relationship
- brother brother relationship
- father son relationship
- dysfunctional marriage
- burned at the stake
- swimming pool
- step brother step brother relationship
- barbarian horde
- roman senate
- end of an era
- peplum
- germanic peoples
- barbarian
- sword and sandal history
- epic history
- bare chested man
- caesar character
- hairy chested man
- love
- horseback riding
- all star cast
- ensemble cast
- mason and boyd
- sharif and mason
- plummer and mason
- sword and sandal action
- emperor
- loosely based on historical events
- title spoken by narrator
- death
- 70mm film
- cult film
- chariot race
- sword
- rebellion
- cape
The Fall of the Roman Empire Cast & Characters
Patricia Wright leads the cast as Roman Citizen, Slave Woman (uncredited), with Alec Guinness as Marcus Aurelius and Christopher Plummer as Commodus. Directed by Anthony Mann; 30 actors are credited in all.
-
Director Anthony Mann
- Patricia Wright as Roman Citizen, Slave Woman (uncredited)
-
Alec Guinness as Marcus Aurelius -
Christopher Plummer as Commodus - Stephen Boyd as Livius
Also Starring in The Fall of the Roman Empire
· 26 more- Jeffrey O'Kelly Brother of Livius (uncredited)
- James Mason Timonides
- Mel Ferrer Cleander
- John Ireland Ballomar
- Sophia Loren Lucilla
- Anthony Quayle Verulus
- Omar Sharif Sohamus
- Finlay Currie Senator
- Douglas Wilmer Niger
- Robert Rietti Opening Narrator (voice / uncredited)
- Andrew Keir Polybius
- Guy Rolfe Marius (uncredited)
- Friedrich von Ledebur Barbarian (uncredited)
- George Murcell Victorinus
- Michael Gwynn Cornelius
- Eric Porter Julianus
Show all 30 cast members Show fewer cast members
- Virgílio Teixeira Marcellus
- Norman Wooland Virgilianus
- José Terrón Soldier on Horse (uncredited)
- Rafael Luis Calvo Lentulus
- Gabriella Licudi Tauna (uncredited)
- Lena von Martens Helva
- Peter Damon Claudius
- Roland Carey Barbarian (uncredited)
- Margaret Fuller Part of Court (uncredited)
- Mario Ghignone Gladiators Trainer (uncredited)
More from Anthony Mann
More films directed by Anthony Mann, best-rated first: El Cid, Quo Vadis, A Dandy in Aspic and The Heroes of Telemark.
The Fall of the Roman Empire Plot Summary
What happens in The Fall of the Roman Empire from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 14 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 3-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
In the winter of 180 AD, the Roman Empire faces a precarious moment as Emperor Marcus Aurelius battles to defend his northern borders along the Danube from invading Germanic tribes. A wise and compassionate ruler, Aurelius secretly harbors visions of reforming the empire to promote equality and justice for all its citizens. This idealism puts him at odds with his ambitious son, Commodus, who values power and prefers to rule through strength and fear rather than fairness.
Full summary
The whole story of The Fall of the Roman Empire, scene by scene
The Fall of the Roman Empire Trailers & Videos
3 videos: 2 trailers and 1 featurette.
- Trailer Fall of the Roman Empire 1964 Trailer
- Featurette John Landis on FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE
How Well Do You Know The Fall of the Roman Empire?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
Who is the Roman emperor at the start of the film?
The Fall of the Roman Empire Also Known As
23 alternative titles, including “A Queda do Império Romano” and “Падение Римской империи”.
- Also known as
-
- A Queda do Império Romano
- Падение Римской империи
- Der Untergang des Römischen Reiches
- La caduta dell'impero romano
- 罗马帝国沦亡录
- La caída del Imperio Romano
- La Chute de l'Empire romain
- A Római Birodalom bukása
- Pád říše římské
- Η Πτώση της Ρωμαϊκής Αυτοκρατορίας
- נפילת האימפריה הרומית
- Roma İmparatorluğu'nun Çöküşü
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- Падіння Римської імперії
- Упадъкът на Римската империя
- Upadek Cesarstwa Rzymskiego
- Romerrigets fald
- Romarrikets fall
- 로마 제국의 멸망
- 羅馬帝國淪亡錄
- سقوط امپراتوری روم
- Rooman valtakunnan tuho, რომის იმპერიის დაცემა
- La caiguda de l’Imperi romà
- Căderea imperiului Roman
Seen The Fall of the Roman Empire?
Movies Like The Fall of the Roman Empire
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including The Fall of Rome, Gladiator and The Fight for Rome.
The Fall of the Roman Empire FAQ: Cast & Runtime
Runtime, release date, director, cast and post-credit scenes of The Fall of the Roman Empire, each answered in a sentence.
How long is The Fall of the Roman Empire?
The Fall of the Roman Empire runs 3 hours 8 minutes (188 minutes).
When was The Fall of the Roman Empire released?
The Fall of the Roman Empire was released on March 24, 1964.
Who directed The Fall of the Roman Empire?
The Fall of the Roman Empire was directed by Anthony Mann.
More films by Anthony Mann Who is in the cast of The Fall of the Roman Empire?
The Fall of the Roman Empire stars Patricia Wright as Roman Citizen, Slave Woman (uncredited), Alec Guinness as Marcus Aurelius and Christopher Plummer as Commodus, among 30 credited actors.
Does The Fall of the Roman Empire have a post-credit scene?
No. The Fall of the Roman Empire has no extra scene during or after the credits.
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