The Fall of the Roman Empire

Set in the second century AD, The Fall of the Roman Empire centres on the last days of Emperor Marcus Aurelius and the struggle over who will succeed him. Facing pressure from Germanic tribes along the northern frontier, the ageing ruler passes over his son Commodus in favour of the general Livius, who is in love with his daughter Lucilla. Commodus nonetheless takes power, and his rule destabilises the empire, leaving Rome exposed to enemies abroad and division within.

Anthony Mann directed the film, the nineteenth of the twenty features listed in his filmography, following El Cid and preceding The Heroes of Telemark. The screenplay is credited to Ben Barzman, Basilio Franchina and Philip Yordan, with Samuel Bronston producing. Sophia Loren plays Lucilla, Stephen Boyd is Livius, Alec Guinness appears as Marcus Aurelius, Christopher Plummer plays Commodus, and James Mason and Anthony Quayle are also among the thirty credited cast members.

The production carried a budget of 19 million dollars and returned 5 million dollars worldwide, a disparity that made it a costly undertaking for Paramount and Samuel Bronston Productions. On IMDb it holds 6.7 out of 10 from around 11,000 votes, while on TMDB it stands at 6.5 from 236 votes. A critics' rating of 7.2 from 14 reviews places it somewhat above the audience scores.