Anno Domini - Kampf der Märtyrer

I saw A.D. a few years ago on television. It was the only series/film about the Roman empire I saw, in which the Forum Romanum was rebuild realisticly. Although it is very difficult (not to say impossible) to revive the past, I would say that the cast and crew of A.D. managed to recreate the first decades of the Roman Empire in a realistic and believable way. If one wants to learn more of the history of this period, A.D. provides a good history lesson.

I liked also the way in which the several stories are set. Not only do we get a view of the lives of the first Roman emperors and the deciples in Israel, the series also follows the lives of a few common people in these times. The mixture of these stories (although this is fictious) is very good.

I find A.D. a very good series. It is a pity that there are no reruns of the series. I understand A.D. is on VHS, but I did not find it yet (Maybe someone can help me with this). Hopefully one day it will be released on DVD. I am looking forward to that.

The team Anthony Burgess/Vincenzo Labella has after tremendous movies like "Jesus of Nazareth" and "Moses the Lawgiver" once again surpassed itself by retelling the story about the birth of christianity in such a fascinating and powerful way. Nothing compares to the profound "road to Emmaus-scene" which conveys the new hope in Christs resurrection in a very moving way. Dennis Quilley played Peter in accordance with Luke's descripion of him in the book of the acts. But the greatest performance was undoubtetly Philip Sayer as Paul who especially knew how to portray the change that took place in his character on the road to Damascus. Watching him in his role was seeing a vivid portrayal of what it means and takes to change from Saul to Paul. Nobody knows what Paul acctually looked like but everytime I hear the name Paul or think about this great apostle the image of Philip Sayer as Paul popes up in my mind - an astounding performance! The roman emperors Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius and Nero were depicted in a very impressive way. They even had some similarity with the real emperors busts which are still preserved. Apart from the wonderful spititual message this movie conveys it is as some other viewers already observed very accurate with historical details like f. e. Claudius who hid himself behind the curtain before he was hailed as Romes new emperor or Calebs mentioning of Pilates massacre among the samaritans that made him lose his position. Scenes like these were in absolute accordance with the historical records of the roman age. (A little flaw: baptisms were performed by immersion at that time) Not only the acting but also the music was first class! It couldn't have been better. I also wonder why this movie isn't available on DVD or at least on VHS.

To whom it may concern: Release it on DVD!

In the tradition of the Robe, Quo Vadis, and Jesus of Nazareth, this film is more than just a religious movie but a historical account of the Roman Empire. It goes in greater detail than any thing I've seen before about the time period. I've seen it only once and that was when I was ten years old. It left such a good impression on me that I still remember it fifteen years later.

I plead with the people who own this, PUT IT OUT ON DVD please, and Thank You.

I was surprised how good this movie actually was. I've watched this almost ten hour movie twice already. As a christian I just loved to see Peter and Paul in action. There acting was just great. Peter was so great, and Paul too. You could almost see, that the Holy Spirit was working in them, and the message was very Biblical and good... This one is released on VHS in three parts. So it is possible to get it on VHS. But I hope it will be released on DVD soon. This movie is highly recommended. I give it 9 out of 10.

A.D. has to be one of the most breathtaking attempts to create a film based on the events surrounding the early Roman Empire's encounter with the then-nascent sect of Christianity. Unfortunately, the attempt is bloated and collapses under the weight of its own pretensions. Many in the incredible ensemble casts give terrific performances, not the least of which are Ava Gardner, Anthony Andrews, James Mason, and Paul Freeman. However, there is an equal number giving uninsipired performances, particularly among the fictional main characters.

The dialogue verges between passable and ludicrously embarrassing. That some great actors had to deliver ham-fisted lines is somewhat of a travesty. It also becomes overwhelmingly preachy and sentimental at times, so don't look for an objective view of the historical period.

The best thing going for A.D. is the production values, which are top-notch. Moreso than any movie up until that point, it conveyed a real sense of what it was like to live in that time period. But that and the few inspired performances aren't enough to save this from being a missed opportunity.