Search - I, Claudius on DVD

Content Advisory: Violence Movie Release: 1975 DVD Release: 08/15/2000 Format: DVD SwapaDVD Credits: 5 Number of Discs: 5 Run Time: 12 hrs 20 mins Studio: Image Entertainment Members Wishing: 30 Genres: Epic, Historical Film, Historical Epic, Sword-and-Sandal

This 13-episode miniseries was adapted from the book by Robert Graves, which chronicles the tumultuous life and times of Claudius (Derek Jacobi), who despite a deformed leg and a speech impediment through prophecy becomes the Roman Empire. An aging Claudius looks back at the bizarre and treacherous times through which he's lived and sets them down in a secret history that is not to be read until after his death. The distinguished cast of I, Claudius includes John Hurt as Caligula, Brian Blessed as Augustus, Sian Phillips as Livia, Margaret Tyzack as Antonia, and Patrick Stewart as Sejanus. The home-video release also includes the documentary The Epic That Never Was, which looks at producer Alexander Korda ill-starred attempt to film Graves' novel in the mid-1930s. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Derek Jacobi - Claudius
Sian Phillips - Livia
Brian Blessed - Augustus
Margaret Tyzack - Antonia
John Hurt - Caligula

One of the most memorable, ambitious, and artistically successful BBC productions, I, Claudius comes to DVD with a standard full-frame 1.33:1 image that preserves the original picture. The English soundtrack is rendered in Dolby Digital Mono. There are no subtitles or closed-captions. Although there are no special features pertaining to this production, a fascinating documentary concerning the failed attempt by Alexander Korda to bring this same material to the silver screen in 1937 is included. One could understand a desire for more factual information concerning the Roman figures embodied in the movie, but film historians will savor the documentary on this disc, as well as the production itself. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide