Masada - The Complete Epic Mini-Series (1981)

Masada The Epic Mini-Series

Since I recently spent three weeks in Israel and visited Masada the Epic Mini-Series brought to life that wich I could only imagne. Thank you for provideing all this at such a reasonable cost. August 14, 2008

Brief opinion

Attractive historical event, perfectly chosen movie crew and technique usually gives perfect results or perfect movie. It is a pity that You don't offer even english titled version??? August 11, 2008

"We have won a rock in the middle of a wasteland on the shore of a poisoned sea."

Back in 1981 this epic mini-series about the ill-fated Jewish rebellion against Roman rule pulled in what was then the biggest TV audience of all time, yet it's languished on the shelf forgotten for the past couple of decades. This DVD isn't even released by producers Universal and comes with no extras, though it does include the six-hour-plus series, but not the abridged feature film version released outside the US as The Antagonists, which apparently featured some different scenes (the abridged version was not a success: in the UK it had the dubious honor of being the lowest-grossing film of it's year).

As with most siege epics, the action is limited to the beginning and the end, with much of the interim filled in with intrigue and character development while we wait for the big battle that in this case, famously, never actually happens. Not altogether surprisingly it spends more screen time with the Romans than with the zealots - even if the zealots' strategy was more than simply watching and waiting while sporadically taunting their would-be conquerors, with their penchant for spectacle and infighting, the Romans are always better dramatic value in these sorts of epics. Certainly Peter O'Toole effortlessly dominates the series as the humane Roman commander forced by the political situation back in Rome to fight the rebels rather than negotiate with them only to find himself facing mutiny, senatorial spies and other political animals as well as heat, windstorms and not enough water before his legions can even start to virtually move mountains to reach the clifftop fortress of Masada. By contrast, then-reigning king of the miniseries Peter Strauss has less to work with as his character spends much of the series waiting and trying to raise moral with only a few half-hearted attempts at soul-searching along the way, only really coming into his own in the still powerful final scenes.

The supporting cast is impressive, with a line-up of familiar Brits including David Warner, Anthony Quayle, Timothy West, Dennis Quilley, Anthony Valentine and Nigel Davenport making up the officers, emperors and senators while the likes of Jack Watson, Norman Rossington, Warren Clarke, Michael Elphick and Nick Brimble swell the Roman ranks. The Judeans have to make do with Barbara Carrera, Joseph Wiseman, David Opatoshu and Paul L. Smith. For the most part they're blessed with exceptionally good dialogue with few lapses (though Anthony Valentine's "I'm a tribune, darling" is an unwelcome moment of unintended camp) thanks to Joel Oliansky's surprisingly intelligent and often witty screenplay, which boasts a good understanding of the politics of the day on both sides and an ability to offer memorable character moments for even the bit players - siege engineer's Quayle's briefing on the practicalities how to get the most out of slave labor is a perfect example of how to juggle exposition and background research without it seeming like a history lecture.

Visually it's often impressive too, although at times Boris Sagal's direction is caught between location naturalism and old-school studio work. The destruction of Jerusalem has something of the look of a late De Mille epic to it, with Albert Whitlock's old school columns of fire matte paintings having an almost storybook stylisation that wouldn't look out of place in The Ten Commandments but despite some obvious studio interior-`exteriors' in a few scenes, it's a genuinely spectacular production from a time when the big-screen epic had long fallen from favor. There's also an extraordinarily good score from Jerry Goldsmith (with additional music by Morton Gould based on his themes) at the peak of his powers even if his great elegiac finale cue was never used. Still pretty impressive stuff.
July 25, 2008

A bit too melodramitic but good.

Masada is a good movie. It's not on a scale of others set in the same era. Peter O'toole gives a good performance as do Anthony Quayle and some others, but the action is limited and the staging stiff. As a made-for-tv movie it is average. The length is far to long and the story could have been shortened by an hour. The most irritating aspect is the music which is annoying at best. July 25, 2008

the best that TV mini-series can offer

This is a very good made-4-tv melodrama based on the historical myth of the Jewish struggle against the Romans. So far as I could see, in telling a complex story with many layers and on an epic scale, it strove for a level of historical accuracy that is rare for TV. This could not be done as well in a 2-hour movie - it merits 6 hours.

At the center of the film is the conflict between two charismatic leaders. O'Toole is the Roman general, who is hard yet reasonable and not cruel. Strauss is the leader of the zealots: hardly a religious fanatic, he wants to preserve the freedom of his people and is willing to risk everything to do so. Both are deeply conflicted: the aristocratic Roman is exhausted, having lost his beloved wife while on campaign and taking solace in drink. Strauss is wracked with personal doubts, yet is a brilliant tactitian and natural leader. After some good-faith negotiations that fail due to Roman politics, the two enter an end-game struggle that will decide both of their fates. The acting is so good that the viewer can believe them completely.

There are also plots within plots, which are very interesting. On the one hand, O'Toole must contend with the poisonous creatures of Roman political intrigues, who interfere with his professional maneuvering in the field. This pits him and his gifted military engineer against a number of his former intimates, perhaps even the emperor himself. His idealism remains intact, if compromised by realities. Another subplot is his taking on a concubine slave, the unbelievably beautiful Carrera in her prime. On the other hand, the Jews are also fighting eachother, debating what course to take in ever murderous risks. The performances are wonderfully subtle and nuanced, if at times melodramatic.

Then there is the setting, which in the real place is absolutely spectacular. They are fighting over a desert, which is of little strategic military value, highlighting the political nature of the conflict. It is splendidly ironic in my viewing and the Roman engineering of a platform and siege vehicle is fascinating.

As a history buff, I was not entirely comfortable with the "take" of the film. It fits into official myths, which are very current in the contemporary Middle East, leaving little space to rival interpretations. That is, there is a great controversy as to the true nature of the zealots: the only written source is Josephous, who transcribed the tale from several alleged survivors and later used by Moshe Dayan as a propagandistic image for military training. Their version does not entirely jibe with the archaeological evidence, which points to a less unified or accepted actions by the zealots. Indeed, there is a blatant plug for Israeli nationalism at the beginning and end of the series, which explains Masada in crude patriotic terms. It is the only thing that mars the series.

Recommended. It will stimulate and fascinate. July 24, 2008

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