Imperium: Augustus is a film that narrates the extraordinary life of Augustus, the first emperor of Roman Empire. Having seen the film, I would like to make my comment in three aspects.
a) The analysis of Augustus’ personality
In the film, the double personality of Augustus was represented thoroughly. He is merciful and also cruel.
When he was still a cowboy, in spite of his families’ opposition, he followed Caesar to fight the enemy valiantly without hesitation. During the time he was with Caesar, he learned a lot from Caesar, and the most important was Caesar’s dream of making Rome a peaceful and just place for everyone. After Caesar was assassinated, as the heir, Augustus tried every means to achieve Caesar’s dream and his “destiny” given by the gods.
In the conflicts with Mark Antony, Augustus spared Antony’s and his son Julus’ lives, which showed his admirable mercy towards other people. However, in order to accomplish his dream, he married his first wife just for her identity of nobility and money. What’s worse, he arranged miserable marriages for his sister and his daughter. Augustus sacrificed the happiness of those who he loved. As Tiberius said indignantly in the film, “People call you God, but they are wrong. You destroy everything you love.” In this way, he was also depicted as a cruel man.
From an objective perspective, we cannot rashly judge Augustus simply by the stories that we learned from histories or films. Only those who lived in the age of him could make a more authentic comment on him. But I believe that there is no doubt Augustus is one of the most prominent emperor in the world.
b) Roman government, law and architecture
Not only were the characters depicted aptly in the film, Roman style was also shown vividly. In terms of government and law, the Senate, a group people consisting of nobles, played an important role in the political issues. It was the authority and the dominant force in many areas, such as the judgment and foreign policy. Even the emperor Augustus consulted it frequently and treated it with respect. When it came to the architecture, as we saw in the film, the Roman Forum was the emblem of a Roman city where the justice and administration were implemented.
c) Other features of the film
Firstly, the story in the film was told by the old Augustus from the view of first person, which had the function of empathy to the audience. In addition, following the order of the narrator’s elaboration, those flashbacks that interspersed between the narrations built the story towards the climax. Secondly, the performance of the actors and actresses involved in this film were remarkable. Love, hatred and struggle, these feelings were expressed fully. They perfectly realized the characters’ disposition.
In conclusion, Imperium: Augustus is a successful film in restoring the history and provoking people’s thoughts about life and decisions. It is worth watching!
