One of the last "sword and sandal" epics of the 50s and 60s, "The Fall of the Roman Empire" might be more remembered for nearly bankrupting a studio than any of the film’s actual content. What’s ironic is this film is a lot more intelligent than most others of the genre. What’s doubly ironic is, from an entertainment standpoint, that very intelligence often works against it.

The story is essentially the same as Ridley Scott’s "Gladiator" (and plays equally fast and loose with historical facts). The film also features one of the more impressive casts of any movie of this genre, including Sophia Loren (impossibly beautiful as always), Christopher Plummer (one of his earliest film roles, and he steals the entire film), Alec Guinness, James Mason, John Ireland, Anthony Quayle and Omar Sharif. Unfortunately, the leading man is Stephen Boyd, who, in a role originally intended for Charleton Heston, simply doesn’t muster the necessary intensity for the part. Also working against the film is its length. Clocking in at over three hours, there are times when it really drags, unlike the much-faster-paced "Gladiator." The film is also often emotionally aloof (and, let’s face it, much of what makes many less respectable epics so much fun is the over-the-top dialogue and performances).

Still, there’s a lot to admire about the movie, even 44 years later. The set design is magnificent, as is Dimitri Tiomkin’s wonderful music score, and even though the film would have benefitted from some trimming, it’s difficult to screw up a story like this. Then there’s Plummer, whose performance is nothing less than revelatory; he strikes the perfect balance between being villainous and sympathetic (much more effectively than Joaquin Phoenix in the same role 40 years later).