An influential Italian epic that paved the way for the elaborate costume drama, THE LAST DAYS OF POMPEII romanticizes the final hours of those ill-fated souls living in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius. In this rendition of Edward Bulwer's classic novel, set in 79 A.D., the lives of a prominent statesman, a beautiful woman, a pagan priest, a spiteful witch and a blind beggar are carefully interwoven. The intrigues that connect them are brought to a climax in the gladiatorial arena, at the moment the sleeping volcano unleashes its molten fury.