Statue of the The Roman Poet, Ovid Daily Thoughts 1/1/2010
I have been watching I Claudius, the BBC production of Robert Grave's book. It is worth reading Robert Graves book The reader over your shoulder : a handbook for writers of English prose. His books on classical mythology are also quite excellent.
The BBC production of I Claudius is wonderful to watch. I like the costumes and the settings. I find it very languid and entertaining. The acting is excellent. The story is quite dark and intriguing. It is the remastered dvd series put out by Image entertainment. There are a dozen episodes.
The actor who I immediately recognized was a young Patrick Stewart with hair. He plays a Roman solider. Patrick Stewart started out as a stage actor before he was a screen star. I rather liked seeing him in this production. Patrick Stewart's most famous role is as Jean Luc Picard in Star Trek.
The story is excellent. I watched four of the episodes today and did not do much else. I am waiting to see the portion on Caligula who is played by John Hurt. It was a nice break from reading. The story is very sophisticated: it is full of poisonings, exiles, Roman oratory, and Roman history. You get to see Rome in all its cruelty and its glory. So far I have seen the rise of Tiberius and the Death of August Caesar.
It has been a pleasant way to spend the new year. Happy New Year to all of you.
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