HBO\'s "Rome" to present more realistic look at the

[Theodosius the Great]

challenged the historical accuracy of the series, as well as its use of British actors to portray Romans.

Historical accuracy is always a problem. But the part about British actors : I wonder if it's a racial thing or just the fact that they're British. The Brits have done many collaborations with Italy for decades, as the latter has the biggest cinematic industry in all of Europe, so I doubt it's the latter.

I guess they don't go for the Nordic look. But the Northern Italians are also Nordic looking, so what are they talking about ? They want more Sicilian looking actors ?

I agree that would look more authentic, but it sounds like they're just nitpicking. Italy can make their own Roman films. The problem is they always botch it up. It's a shame too since they're probably the most direct heirs to Rome, but they don't seem to embrace their hertitage all that much. Case in point : the buried library at Pompeii with all its books are in imminent danger of being sealed off forever, but the government doesn't fund any emergency excavations. All their Roman treasures are wasting away.
:x
Anyhow, the best film they've made, IMO, is "Constantine and the Cross". But that film may have been a collaboration with another foreign film industry because it had Cornel Wilde in the lead (who could also speak Italian).

I'm not defending the TV series, because I don't care for it myself. But the Italians have only themselve to blame, IMO. They have every resource to make a brilliant Roman film - money, sets, climate, seasoned actors and directors, etc... Now Poland is ahead of Italy with the new film "Quo Vadis" - the best European film on Rome. That speaks volumes.