Nero

[Virgil Reality]

WHO AM I?

My relatives are ambitious incestuous leaders

I am sent to be raised by my crazy aunt

I have to leave my love and go to the Big City and rule against my will.

I have all these beaut ideas for improvements but somehow, don't know why, all the rich guys and heavies seem to resent being told what to do by some thingyy young upstart and especially when it's against their best interests. They want me to rule and then complain when I want to have fun with the power.

And I don't go for those Christians too much.

The answer is NOT Mordred. Or is it?

[Gg]

cheeky

[sabbs]

Dad.........is that you?

[Robin]

No, it's actually George W. Bush. ;D

[Virgil Reality]

Good point It sounds like it could be ( WAS he raised by his aunt?)

So much for my thought-provoking discussion on this interpretation of Nero!

[Virgil Reality]

Viewers vote on Nero

[Virgil Reality]

Is it just me or does he look a bit like a boy playing dress-ups with his mum's curtains?

Gg, post your pic and caption!

[Gg]

Oh have mercy I don't know what's wrong, my avatars never even show up...useless

[Gg]

fine Mommy, you can send the big guards guys to make me get dressed and get out of bed but

you are not the boss of me

[Virgil Reality]

But still - the curtains. The samecurtains

Brava Gg

[JenoWhatIMean]

You know, I can almost see the saucepan on his head...

[Virgil Reality]

Now to get serious....

Thanks to the kindness, generosity and efficiency of Licentia, my copy of "Nerone" arrived, a little after a week of its airing on TV How's that for a record?

Seems a bit unfair to comment on something you see dubbed into a language you only vaguely follow in spoken form, and taped off TV and sent halfway across the world through at least two customs scanning machines. Let's just say that for a supposed big-budget production, it doesn't look it.

Nonetheless, you can follow the story quite easily - there are no surprises there after all. As Licentia mentioned, the second half is better and I found myself more absorbed in the story there. In the first half I found my attention drifting to the quality of the lighting. At first I wondered if it was an artistic effect but no, sometimes it's just bad.

But Hans was definitely the best thing in it, though there were good performances from Laura Morante, the guy who was Claudius and John Simm was great in a brief role as Caligula. Has to smile when Melanie Thierry turned up albeit briefly. Wonder what the story was there? The actress who played Acte was great too, good chemistry with Hans and they really focus on that relationship. Unfortunately she was quite a bit taller so it gave it a bit of a mother- figure twist for me. But maybe that was intentional.

Best scenes?

Liked the scene where Nerone and Acte are looking out over the city at night.

The dueling lyres scene is fun. Cute when he kisses the horse.

Interesting collection of curtains and caftans, but they are more flattering than the knee-length hessian bag. But red is not your colour, Hans.

The scene where Nero and Aggrippina almost kiss - well that's the way I read it

Oh, and good death scene.

Quite a lot of similarities with Mists - at one stage I could almost hear him say "So you want to me to rule with you at my side as High Priestess" and "so the people's love for a king must be made less so" Or something.

And then, the character played by Mario Opinato (the guy in the Rai Conferenza pics) is a real baddy Can you just hear "Every scene I have with him, I have to hate him so it's been quite difficult cos I really like him etc."

Thanks again Licentia. Plans afoot for NTSC version - be patient

[zodiac]

Nice review - thanks Virgil! I certainly do want to see this eventually, but I guess my hopes are still not very high. The thought of dubbing over that beautiful voice just about kills me.

What's the smile behind the Melanie Thierry appearance all about?

Thanks again for the timely shipping and review!

[vahishta]

Gaaa! i am just waiting to get a hold of Nero! i don't think it will come out in the US any time soon and my parents won't let me buy anything on line!
ahhhh! i can't stand it! nero looks great.
he seems to like movies with stringed instruments alot (ie- Still Crazy, Canone Inverso)
the costumes look wonderful from what i've seen of the picture.
i am praying that i can get a hold of it! until then....oh well

[Virgil Reality]

What's the smile behind the Melanie Thierry appearance all about?

Don't worry, nothing you missed out on. It's just that I only recently was thinking "Whatever happened to Melanie?" and then she turns up twice in the one week, in "Charles II" and then in "Nerone". She's not listed in the cast on IMDB or the Rai site but is listed in the credits as " with the 'amichevole' participation of Melanie Thierry" Friendly? Kind? She is only in it for a moment, doesn't speak. Wonder what she was doing in Tunisia or if she went there specially for this scene - all of 30 seconds screen time.

Commiserations, Vahishta Not being able to order stuff on-line is a serious handicap for a Hans fan. Maybe you can introduce your folks to the wonders of ebay - or Hans! Or send out a plea in The Matheson Mafia thread.