Here are four of my favorites. I've saved the best for last. (Trigger warning: all feature extreme violence.)
The 1959 version of Ben-Hur is a standout for the spectacular chariot race alone. In actuality, a well-to-do Roman man adopted by a powerful patrician (Judah Ben-Hur, played by Charlton Heston) and an equally-noble tribune (Messala, played by Stephen Boyd) would not be participating in chariot races. Chariot racing was something slaves or low-class commoners did, even though the nobility enjoyed watching and betting on it. While the spiked chariot wheels were likely a fiction too, the Romans really did have those dolphin pull-things to mark completed laps of the race.
The Eagle is actually quite good, especially for the scenes showing Roman soldiers preparing the fort's defenses, particularly when they form the testudo or turtle formation for protection. The story, about a Roman commander attempting to redeem his father's tarnished reputation, is taken from a 1954 novel about the Romans in Britain, written by the extraordinary historical novelist Rosemary Sutcliffe, whose level of accuracy and engagement is something we can all only hope to aspire to.
The HBO series Rome, which centers around two Roman soldiers and the family of the noble Julii, is another great pick. While you shouldn't mistake the storyline for actual history, it does a great job of showing what Roman life was really like for nobles, commoners, and slaves (trigger warning: explicit sex scenes). Everyone shines in this production that runs for two seasons. Just remember: when you see riders using stirrups, that was a concession to the actors--stirrups didn't appear in Western Europe until about the 8th or 9th century AD.
And for the favorite, I ask you, what film about ancient Rome can ever top Gladiator?
Although the film's storyline involving the emperors Marcus Aurelius and his son Commodus has been elaborated on in a way that's not historically accurate, it's a heart wrenching tale that deserves to be told. The film pits the heroic general, Maximus, against the treachery of the tormented Roman emperor Commodus, who inherits the empire from his father, the "good" emperor Marcus Aurelius. Like the series Rome, Gladiator does a good job with technical accuracy even if the story itself is fictional. Gladiator is the movie that seems to have started a renaissance of interest in ancient Rome. There's even a rumor that a Gladiator II film is in the works. Exciting!
Have fun!
All film stills were taken from various sites on the internet and I wasn't able to obtain their original provenance.
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