Biggest mystery for me is why the producers didn't just use the 2003 novel of the same name by Robert Harris (who has a track record, writing the original stories for Fatherland, The Ghost, etc.). Still an unrealistic romance, but instead of imitating Gladiator and the rest, they could have focused on the lives of more authentic residents.[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pompeii_%28novel%29]
shareFinally got around to seeing this movie tonight. I don't know where I got the idea from but I had assumed it was going to be the film of the book you mentioned. Was disappointed it was just an action film set around the disaster.
I think an adaptation of Harris' novel would have made for a far more enjoyable and historically accurate film, but not with this director at the helm. From memory the novel was a lot like the neo-noir film, Chinatown, with an architect working on the local aqueduct system around Mount Versuvius investigating why the water stops flowing. Interacting with fictitious characters and real historical people he becomes embroiled in a Roman-era conspiracy before the mountain erupts.
I wonder if we'll ever get to see the Pompeii novel turned into a movie now that this one has sort of over-shadowed it somewhat in the eyes of mainstream audiences? Might be waiting a while now,...
I think it's pretty clear they didn't want a structured drama based on archaeological fact; they wanted a motion comic they could populate with CG spectacle and American clichés.
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