Hollywoods Traum Von ROM

Quo Vadis, Ben-Hur, Gladiator: How realistic are Hollywood's "peplum" or "sword-and-sandal" films? Reality and fiction are compared in an instructive and vivid manner through many examples. Films such as Spartacus or The Last Days of Pompeii have influenced the popular image of Roman Antiquity far more than traditional sources on Ancient history. Regarding realism in such films, though, current research often plays a far less important role than technological constraints, artistic intent, and last but not least the audience's expectations. The author examines all these aspects using numerous examples from films spanning three quarters of a century of film history. German text.