what is the movie pompeii about

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Set in 79 A.D., POMPEII tells the epic story of Milo (Kit Harington), a slave turned invincible gladiator who finds himself in a race against time to save his true love Cassia (Emily Browning), the beautiful daughter of a wealthy merchant who has been unwillingly betrothed to a corrupt Roman Senator. As Mount Vesuvius erupts in a torrent of blazing lava, Milo must fight his way …

Is Pompeii the movie based on a true story?

Although the movie is fictional, it humanizes the disaster in a way that historical accounts don't, Yeomans said. "When you let yourself watch the movie, you make the human connection that these were real people in a real tragedy."Feb 20, 2014

Is Pompeii worth watching?

Even if you aren't a history buff, Ancient Pompeii is worth the visit. It is just incredible and amazing. A person can easily spend half a day here just roaming through the ancient streets. There is a cafeteria near the forum, so you can take a break if it's needed.

Did any one survive Pompeii?

One survivor who we have a record of was Cornelius Fuscus, who later died in a military campaign. In an inscription following his name, it states that he was from the colony of Pompeii, then he lived in Naples and then he joined the army.

Was Pompeii a good movie?

Audience Reviews for Pompeii Let's start with the positive: the movie looks great, the visuals and effects really work. Little else does, though. The cast acts wooden, the story is predictable and boring, borrowing many elements from Gladiator and the end is cheesy as hell. Overall a real waste of time.

What happens at the end of Pompeii movie?

Milo and Cassia are able to escape the city, but they know that they cannot outrun the lava. In their last moments together, Milo and Cassia embrace each other and kiss as the lava envelopes them both. The movie ends with the two lovers encased in ash, together forever.

Are there any movies about Pompeii?

Pompeii is a 2014 romantic historical disaster film produced and directed by Paul W. S. Anderson. An international co-production between the United States, Germany and Canada, it is inspired by and based on the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D. that destroyed Pompeii, a city of the Roman Empire.

How many people died at Pompeii?

By the time the Vesuvius eruption sputtered to an end the next day, Pompeii was buried under millions of tons of volcanic ash. About 2,000 Pompeiians were dead, but the eruption killed as many as 16,000 people overall.May 13, 2020

What killed the people of Pompeii?

A giant cloud of ash and gases released by Vesuvius in 79 AD took about 15 minutes to kill the inhabitants of Pompeii, research suggests.Mar 22, 2021

What language did they speak in Pompeii?

LatinLatin replaced Oscan as the official language, and the city soon became Romanized in institutions, architecture, and culture. A riot in the amphitheatre at Pompeii between the Pompeians and the Nucerians, in 59 ce, is reported by the Roman historian Tacitus.

Is Pompeii suitable for children?

Children of that particular age tend to take an intense interest in very specific topics -- dinosaurs, ancient history, science, etc. If your children are interested in volcanoes, disasters, or ancient Rome, then a trip to Pompeii will be, for them, like walking into their imaginations.

Is Pompeii family friendly?

Like many ancient sites, visiting Pompeii can be dull for kids if the ruins are not put into an engaging context. With this family-friendly tour, these magnificent ruins come alive for tots and teens alike.

What is the Pompeii cast project?

The Pompeii Casts Project sets out to challenge these myths and discover what can actually be known about these victims, ensuring throughout the process that we give these people the respect they deserve as humans who were killed in a tragedy nearly 2000 years ago.

Storyline

Set in 79 A.D., POMPEII tells the epic story of Milo (Kit Harington), a slave turned invincible gladiator who finds himself in a race against time to save his true love Cassia (Emily Browning), the beautiful daughter of a wealthy merchant who has been unwillingly betrothed to a corrupt Roman Senator.

Did you know

The thumbs-up/thumbs-down gestures which stem from gladiatorial events had different if not opposite meanings to what they do today. A down-turned thumb by an official symbolized the winner burying his sword in the sand and the loser's life spared; an upturned thumb expressed delivering the killing stroke, symbolizing a slit throat.

What was the movie "Pompeii" about?

Anderson. An international co-production between the United States, Germany and Canada, it is inspired by and based on the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D. that destroyed Pompeii, a city of the Roman Empire.

What year was the movie Pompeii made?

Pompeii. (film) This article is about the 2014 film. For the classical Roman city, see Pompeii. Pompeii is a 2014 romantic historical disaster film produced and directed by Paul W. S. Anderson.

How much did Pompeii make in 2014?

As of June 30, 2014, the film has grossed $23.2 million in North America and $78.6 in other territories for a worldwide total of $117.8 million.

When was Pompeii released?

Pompeii premiered in France, Belgium, and Russia on Februar y 19, 2014, and was released over the course of the next day in Argentina, Greece, Hungary, Italy and later in the United States and Canada on February 21, 2014. This is FilmDistrict 's last film before it merged with Focus Features .

Who plays Cassia in Pompeii?

Emily Browning as Cassia, daughter to Severus and Aurelia. Kiefer Sutherland as Senator Quintus Attius Corvus. Carrie-Anne Moss as Aurelia, wife to Severus. Jared Harris as Severus, the city governor of Pompeii. Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje as Atticus, a gladiator. Jessica Lucas as Ariadne, a servant to Cassia.

Who produced Resident Evil?

Resident Evil producers Jeremy Bolt and Don Carmody reunited with Anderson for the film. FilmDistrict bought the distribution rights in the US, and because of Sony 's relationship with the filmmakers, they chose to release the film with TriStar Pictures.

What to know

This big-budget sword-and-sandal adventure lacks the energy and storytelling heft to amount to more than a guilty pleasure. Read critic reviews

Movie Info

In 79 A.D., Pompeii, a bustling port city, stands in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius. Milo (Kit Harington), a former slave, is a gladiator who has caught the eye of Cassia (Emily Browning), a wealthy merchant's daughter.

Movie & TV guides

The percentage of Approved Tomatometer Critics who have given this movie a positive review.

Who was the director of Pompeii?

But (spoiler!) this is impossible. Director, Paul Anderson says that he got him and his team to observe the footage of other eruptions that have been caught on film. He cites the volcanic eruption of Mount Etna and various Japanese volcanoes as inspiration for Pompeii.

What was the destruction of Pompeii?

One of the worst catastrophes in history, the destruction of Pompeii has become legend. Needless to say, the movies contained fireballs, crumbling buildings, fleeing crowds of extras and more. But how accurate was the movie to the actual historic event?

How fast did the eruption of Vesuvius cause the eruption of the volcano?

Vesuvius then erupted, causing a loud thunder sound that blasted a large cloud of volcanic debris into the atmosphere, estimating to be over 19 km high. The volcano then blasted pyroclastic flow waves over 32km tall of gas, ash, and rock down towards Pompeii at speeds of 700km per hour.

When did Mount Vesuvius erupt?

The 79 BC eruption of Mount Vesuvius. In the year 79 BC , the volcano Mount Vesuvius erupted, destroying the ancient city of Pompeii and a majority of its citizens. The warnings started days prior to the eruption, with small earthquakes felt frequently for four days beforehand.

Who brought Milo to Pompeii?

17 years later Milo has grown into a strong killing machine, which is noticed by another slave owner, Graecus, who brings Milo to Pompeii with him as a successful gladiator who the crowds call “the celt”.

What is the connection between Atticus and Milo?

Impressed by Milo’s compassion, the two have an instant connection which drives the remainder of the film. The two go their separate ways, for now, both being of opposite social standing. In Pompeii, Milo develops a rivalry with Atticus, another champion gladiator who must win one more battle to secure his freedom.

What was the movie Pompeii based on?

The buildings, streets and items in the market were based on real ones preserved in the ash, while the characters' costumes were based on paintings and mosaics of real people.

What was the city in the movie "Pompoii"?

The film's depiction of the city of Pompeii was fairly impressive, according to Sarah Yeomans, an archaeologist at USC who has spent much of her life studying the city (but was not a consultant on the film). As the film showed, Pompeii was a resort town for the Roman elite, and gladiator games were a big part of life.

What happened to Milo in Pompeii?

As flaming balls of lava and ash rain down on the streets of Pompeii, the renegade gladiator Milo gallops on horseback after a chariot ridden by his beloved Cassia, who has been kidnapped by an evil Roman senator. Meanwhile, a massive tsunami floods the harbor, sending a ship careering through the city's streets.

How many people died in the eruption of Mount Vesuvius?

Helens. Mount Vesuvius erupted again in 1631, killing at least 3,000 people, and today, more than a million people live in the vicinity of the volcano. Although the movie is fictional, it humanizes the ...

How many feet did Mount Vesuvius erupt?

The eruption of Mount Vesuvius buried Pompeii, Herculaneum and other surrounding cities in 13 to 20 feet (4 to 6 meters) of volcanic ash. Pliny the Younger witnessed the eruption from across the Bay of Naples, and recorded the destruction in a letter.

Why did they fill the casts in the movie?

When archaeologists excavated Pompeii, they filled these casts with plaster to produce the famous molds of people frozen in their dying poses. The characters in the movie are based on some of these plaster casts.

Who played Milo in the movie?

The film, produced by TriStar Pictures, tells the fictional story of a slave-turned-gladiator named Milo (played by Kit Harington) who falls in love with the daughter of a wealthy merchant, Cassia (Emily Browning), and their struggle to escape a villainous Roman senator (Kiefer Sutherland) amid the devastation of Pompeii.

Disclosure statement

Virginia L Campbell does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

Partners

University of Leeds provides funding as a founding partner of The Conversation UK.

Overview

Historical accuracy

The film relies for its reconstruction of historical events on two letters from Pliny the Younger to the Roman historian Tacitus. It opens with the quotation from Pliny:
You could hear the shrieks of women, the wailing of infants, and the shouting of men; some were calling their parents, others their children or their wives, trying to recognize them by their voices. People bewailed their own fate or that of their relatives, and there were some who prayed for de…

Plot

Cast

Production

Release

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