Very seldom do you see a film that is shot in one location with a duration of 26 minutes that sustains all the drama, tension, and tenacity that keeps its audience glued to the screen. "Roma Sub Rosa" hit the nail on the head with super-human torque!! As I watched this short film I was so impressed by the details that were so well expressed....e.g. the costumes, the actors appearances, the set design, the dialects, the writing, the pacing, the ACTING....the action, etc. This film sucks you into the REALITY of life as a Roman General during the time that Hannibal was creating such havoc for them and shows you what these "normal", everyday guys with families, non-military jobs, and dreams beyond the battlefield, thought, loved, lived, etc. When a spontaneous assassination of the Emporer's 16 year old son is completed, Scipio, with blood on his hands tries to explain "the necessity of lying" to the Senate and Emporer about the fate of his spoiled brat son. The back story of this short film is explained in the first few minutes, which in short is that the Emproer's son wants to send Roman troops after Hannibal only two months after Hannibal slaughtered 35,000 Roman soldiers at the battle of "Ca Nae". To this order, Scipio and his fellow generals say, "NO!" and must face court marshal, death or killing this belligerent little brat and creating a cover for the murder until they can explain it at a later date. The acting is brilliant on every level...the action shots...the fight scenes are spectacular and the dialogue are all so real and convincing, I felt like I was watching the prequel to The Sopranos. This film ROCKED the Del Rey International Film Festival and will, I'm sure, create waves at any venue in which it is viewed. This movie is a must see!!!!
