Hinds' Caesar

I have to slightly amend my opinion of Hinds

I too am re-watching the series, with particular emphasis on Hinds' performance.

It reinforces my view that the producers and screenwrites developed their own view of Caesar - based on the historical man - but very much the "strong man" and a foil to the principal protagonists.

ROME IS NOT IMHO about Caesar, it is about the people around him. Hence what was required was a strong and powerful but not dominating performance. had Hind's stolen the show, it's point would have been lost. We would have had a longer version of the other relatively recent TV mini-series "Julius Caesar" - and i think the ROME crew would have been anxious to avoid that.

As the lack of impressive or more than suggested battles should tell us, this is a DOMESTIC soap-opery approach to ancient Rome.

You could introduce the US President into Dallas of Dynasty for an episode or two so long as the focus was on JR or Joan Collins etc. Make US politics and the President the main show and JR etc have no place - you get the West Wing. Similarly with ROME, Caesar provides a context, a backdrop, but HE is not the story.

In that light, I think Hinds does a superb job.

Phil

I too am re-watching the series, with particular emphasis on Hinds' performance.

 

It reinforces my view that the producers and screenwrites developed their own view of Caesar - based on the historical man - but very much the "strong man" and a foil to the principal protagonists.

 

ROME IS NOT IMHO about Caesar, it is about the people around him. Hence what was required was a strong and powerful but not dominating performance. had Hind's stolen the show, it's point would have been lost. We would have had a longer version of the other relatively recent TV mini-series "Julius Caesar" - and i think the ROME crew would have been anxious to avoid that.

 

As the lack of impressive or more than suggested battles should tell us, this is a DOMESTIC soap-opery approach to ancient Rome.

 

You could introduce the US President into Dallas of Dynasty for an episode or two so long as the focus was on JR or Joan Collins etc. Make US politics and the President the main show and JR etc have no place - you get the West Wing. Similarly with ROME, Caesar provides a context, a backdrop, but HE is not the story.

 

In that light, I think Hinds does a superb job.

 

Phil

That's an interesting perspective Phil, one that I hadn't really considered before. When I stop to consider the ramifications of an overwhelming Caesar performance on the show in its entirety, your scenario makes a good deal of sense.

Caesar was known to have unbridled energy. I get no feeling of this at all from Hinds. Authority, yes. Majesty, too. But no sense of zip or spark similar to the way Harrison, Calhern, and Rains portray him.

 

Of course, in all fairness, I've only seen the first four episodes.

I definitely agree with you! He's commanding, regal, refined, and self-contained but definitely lacks the motivational and energetic aspects that Caesar is known for! Also, according to most accounts, Caesar was blonde, dark eyed and very tall.