A Proposal for a Film About the End of the Roman Republic with an All-star Cast

Re: Proposed blockbuster about THE LATE ROMAN REPUBLIC

As you know, pictures about Rome have always done well at the Box Office. From Ben Hur to Gladiator to Cleopatra- millions have been made because of the spectacles involved. Even HBO now has a mini series about the change from Caesar to Augustus, which has a lot of sexual implications that only cable TV can bring. I now propose a new strategy to capture that audience which seldom goes to theatres any longer because the films are so predictable or, to put it bluntly, lousy. The background for my film, tentatively entitled BURYINMG CAESAR, will not be a gladiator arena or a battle field, but a court room. With an all-star cast, the research coming from Plutarch's writings, we put on trial those men we suspect of being the cause of the end of the Republic. It will not be so much a "political" picture, as one of class struggle. It is this basis of the Roman Senate being made up mostly of aristocrats rather than ordinary people, that brings some modern symbolism about today's disenfranchised citizens worldwide. The end of the Roman Republic was really because of a number of civil wars, which featured such currently famous names as Julius Caesar, Cicero, Marius, Sulla, Pompey, Brutus and Cato (no, not Cato Kalin!)

We will be spending money on hiring a number of the world's most honored screen writers. We are looking for Spielberg or Scorsese to direct (especially Scorsese with his Italian background). And, each of the Roman Republic's most important figures will be portrayed by one of the world's most acclaimed actors. Let me outline just a few for you, Brad:

Julius Caesar may be the name most familiar to today's students. "Caesar was always daring and ambitious- his social and financial circumstances were such he had to be (Plutarch 243). This film is not about his assassination, although that will play a small part in the overall trial sequence. Soldier. Statesman. Ambitious. Determined. And no longer young. Hollister describes Caesar as "a man of many talents- a superb general (and) an astute politician" (Hollister 182). We have Johnny Depp ready to sign.

Pompey, who at the beginning was Caesar's rival for power, was a man of many moods. "The Pompey who emerges from the pages of Cicero is hardly tactful, easy of manner and free from conceit" (Plutarch 157). One of the turning points of the Republic, of course, was the rivalry between Pompey and Caesar and Caesar's eventual triumph. Pompey appears in this film as a disgruntled general with wild mood swings. The part is ideal for Bruce Willis.

More important in this film scenario than Caesar and Pompey are two figures not as well known to the general public, but perhaps more instrumental in the eventual changeover to the Empire. These two are Marius and Sulla. Marius changed the concept of Rome's legions, "opening the army to volunteers from the poorest classes" (Hollister 177). Marius and Sulla were competing for the same command of a military campaign which the Senate awarded to Sulla. This is a key point in the trial of who caused the end of the Republic, because Marius, in effect created some terrorist threats and took command. Sulla, nevertheless, was angry enough to lead the army he had already assembled on Rome. We will not show the march, but rather hear it in the voices of Marius and Sulla and some members of the Senate which was outraged at these actions. We have selected two hot-blooded Latin types for the two roles- Antonio Banderas, Jr. as Sulla, "the terribly sharp and dominating glare of his... eyes was made more dreadful by the complexion of his face in which the pale skin was covered with angry blotches of red" (Plutarch 67) and Benicio del Toro. as Marius, "the rough, bitter character which is supposed to be his" (Plutarch 14).

The Prosecutor/interrogator of our film is Cicero, the famous Orator. It will be his task to show the hatred of many of these characters for one another, the lust, greed and backstabbing (no pun intended) that turned the Republic eventually into the Empire under Caesar Augustus. We are waiting word from Sean Connery's agent about his availability for this film.

Brutus will play a relatively minor role in the film, since we are not focusing on Caesar's assassination. However, Geoffrey Rush is on board. (You, of course, know he won an Academy Award as Best Actor for Shine in 1997).

One more leading male role needs to be carefully cast: Crassus. "The coalition of Pompey, Caesar and Crassus played a major part in Roman politics between 60 BC and his death in 53 BC" (Plutarch 113). Of the three, he was less an experienced army leader than a wealthy man, who obviously contributed some of his wealth to influencing Rome on behalf of this triumvirate. Perhaps Crassus is best known as the one sent to quell that infamous slave rebellion led by Spartacus. Of course, there is very little actual historical fact available, but we will interpolate Crassus' role as implementing the power of aristocratic, wealthy politicians which eventually led to the downfall of the Republic. Gael Garcia Bernal, the hottest new Mexican star is available for the role of Crassus.

Given these major stars and the fact that we propose not to make this a wide-screen epic of battling armies, the basis of the plot is to solve the question: Who caused the end of the Republic? Who would be considered the heroes and villains of this time-frame? The way we are proceeding is ton consider Caesar, shrewd politician and ambitious as he was, as our hero. The villains we see as three major characters, Pompey, Marius and Sulla. Had there been no rivalry between Sulla and Marius, had Pompey and Caesar's ambitions and political greed not clashed, perhaps the Republic might well have lasted a thousand years.

Brad, this is not an epic multi-million dollar grosser. It is a thoughtful review of how history could have been changed. There is no sex, no love interest, but the literal fight to the death among those who wanted to have and remain in control. The ultimate goal of our movie is that by burying Caesar, Romans buried their Republic.

REFERENCES:

Hollister, C. Warren: Roots of Western Tradition- A Sort History of the Ancient World New York: McGraw Hill (1996)

Plutarch: Fall of the RomanRepublic London UK: Penguin Classics (1972)