Lise Walker

I am on Episode 3, and I don't think I can hang on much longer. It is so bad in so many ways. I can't be bothered to enumerate - the whole production is just spiritless and commercial and full of shallow characters. And why call Pompey "Sextus" and Octavian "Gaius?" They had these names, but these are not the names by which history knows them. I had to look them up to be sure these were who was meant. Others have noted historical errors. What a load of junk.

Roger Ebert said that his intellect sees this film is clichéd, but that it is nevertheless emotionally engaging. Well, as he says, you have to be familiar with war films to know whether it's clichéd, and I'm not. So I didn't experience the split consciousness he did - I just found it edge of your seat engaging. I think it probably is true that we women may have less tendency than men to be drawn to war films, and, with few exceptions, I have not been. But it was a very appealing young woman waiting on me in a photo shop who recommended it to me, so I sought it out. I was riveted. The feeling of vulnerability , identifying with those in that planeand imagining what it takes to function at all in those circumstances had me transfixed holding my breath.It also made me feel how stupid war is. Anyway, I loved it.