It is interesting that "epic" films û- usually defined by their large dramatic or historical scope and the need for a huge production budget -- have always been so popular among the movie-going public. The range of this kind of Hollywood storytelling usually covers many years and/or generations, and travels across immense distances and colorfully different cultures. The epic typically has more than a handful of main characters, twice as many secondary characters, and -û as Hollywood likes to say -û "a cast of thousands." The word "spectacle" is synonymous with Hollywood "epics" because they provide extraordinary scenes in super wide-screen format and promise a story that will "endure the ages" û in your heart, if not your mind. So it is not unexpected that millions of people will drive thousands of miles to the nearest Cineplex, plunk down their eight to nine bucks (maybe more by the time this is read), drop another seven to ten dollars for popcorn and drink, and gasp in amazement at the wonder of it all when the film finally begins to roll.
But what if you didn't have to spend any of your money, and what if all that spectacle is simply there for your very own strange or particular pleasure? Just imagine that you're there to see things you have never seen before, and not projected on some big white screen in a darkened theater, but instead is really happening out in the middle of some gigantic stadium in what we now define as "real time," right there, right now?
This was the world of Roman people in ancient times when their emperor, whose continuing rule was so very dependent on his subjects liking him, would spare little expense to keep them happily entertained. Looking at past Hollywood epics, we know he would do this with huge and lavish parades to honor the empire's military might ("Cleopatra" - 1963), or get them out for an exciting day at the chariot races ("Ben Hur" - 1959), or encourage them to cheer on their fav...