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Gladiator [2000]


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Editorial
Amazon.co.uk Review

A big-budget summer epic with money to burn and a scale worthy of its golden Hollywood predecessors, Ridley Scott's Gladiator is a rousing, grisly, action-packed epic that takes moviemaking back to the Roman Empire via computer-generated visual effects. While not as fluid as the computer work done for, say, Titanic, it's an impressive achievement that will leave you marveling at the glory that was Rome, when you're not marveling at the glory that is Russell Crowe. Starring as the heroic general Maximus, Crowe firmly cements his star status both in terms of screen presence and acting chops, carrying the film on his decidedly non-computer-generated shoulders as he goes from brave general to wounded fugitive to stoic slave to gladiator hero. Gladiator's plot is a whirlwind of faux-Shakespearean machinations of death, betrayal, power plays, and secret identities (with lots of faux-Shakespearean dialogue ladled on to keep the proceedings appropriately "classical"), but it's all briskly shot, edited, and paced with a contemporary sensibility. Even the action scenes, somewhat muted but graphic in terms of implied violence and liberal bloodletting, are shot with a veracity that brings to mind--believe it or not--Saving Private Ryan, even if everyone is wearing a toga. As Crowe's nemesis, the evil emperor Commodus, Joaquin Phoenix chews scenery with authority, whether he's damning Maximus's popularity with the Roman mobs or lusting after his sister Lucilla (beautiful but distant Connie Nielsen); Oliver Reed, in his last role, hits the perfect notes of camp and gravitas as the slave owner who rescues Maximus from death and turns him into a coliseum star. Director Scott's visual flair is abundantly in evidence, with breathtaking shots and beautiful (albeit digital) landscapes, but it's Crowe's star power that will keep you in thrall--he's a true gladiator, worthy of his legendary status. Hail the conquering hero! --Mark Englehart

Editorial
Synopsis

A violent drama set in Roman times under the rule of Emperor Marcus Aurelius. Maximus, a Roman general finds himself caught up in the battle for the throne when the Emperor chooses him over his son Commodus. When Maximus discovers that his family has been slaughtered he allows himself to be captured and thrown into the gladiator games as a slave...

Quite possibly the best film i've ever seen.
Review date: 2008-03-17 Rating: 10 out of 10

Good God! Russell Crow is one of my favorate actors, and I think this is his best film to date. With a superb supporting cast with the likes of Joaquin Phoenix, Oliver Reed, and Richard Harris. This is a tail of one mans quest to find the man who wronged him. Betrayed by his own emperor, the general turned slave turned gladiator must take on an empire to bring justice to his life.

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Reviews


Exciting, moving and hugely enjoyable. An epic film.
Review date: 2008-02-04 Rating: 10 out of 10

I had been waiting for this a long time, an epic film about ancient Rome. Ridley Scotts is perhaps the greatest director alive today and as usual with a Ridley Scott film, the production is good and cinematography is excellent. Richard Harris, Oliver Reed, Joachim Pheonix and Russell Crow are excellent in their respected roles.

For me, the opening battle scene is the most enjoyable scene in this movie. It is the best scene depicting a battle from ancient times that I can remember, certainly the most realistic.

This film is exciting, moving and hugely enjoyable.

one of the greatest films of all time
Review date: 2008-01-28 Rating: 10 out of 10

I've watched this twice from beginning to end and it's superb.The battle scenes are top-drawer and Russell Crowe was born to play the lead role.My only disappointment was there can't be a Gladiator 2 because i'd purchase that too.Recommended to all.

The best
Review date: 2007-12-29 Rating: 10 out of 10

This is my favourite film of all time. When Maximus turns his back to the emperor and then reveals who he is is the best bit of any film ever...
You have to watch it to get the impact - awesome.

Raiders of the Epic Films
Review date: 2007-10-19 Rating: 6 out of 10

I'm a big fan of Ridley Scott (and also of his brother Tony) but, although I enjoyed this entertaining film in a year of relatively weak productions, I was also left rather disappointed by it. It's certainly good but it falls just short of very good and it's simply not great. Overrated? Of course but we expected that. These days every time a super-hyped film is released that actually turns out to be good it's inevitably blown out of all proportion with a huge dose of self-congratulatory Hollywood nonsense; the critics and publicists alike lauding it, and all those involved in it as `great'.

The fans are naturally very excited to hear that someone's made a half decent picture amidst all the contrived and compromised drivel that's typically packaged as `blockbuster entertainment' - and they promptly lose their sense of perspective too.. Or perhaps they've simply not studied some of the true classics of cinema and never had a balanced perspective in the first place? Just because an action film has been set in an interesting historical context, demonstrates rather more integrity and plausibility than is usual for the genre and also contains some strong performances, doesn't make it great.

True, "Gladiator" certainly stands on its own two sandaled feet and does make a highly watchable, entertaining and even -dare I say- a reasonably fulfilling film. But in terms of depth, it amounts to nothing much more than a hate-motivated revenge flic. The evil Commodus instigates the rape and murder of Maximus's family, thereby providing the cheap emotional blackmail that allows us to feel secure in hating him and root for our wronged hero Maximus all the way.

But my main gripe is that, although one should judge a piece of work on its own merits, the simple truth is that Scott has shamelessly raided the two classics of the genre for most of his story and ideas; "Ben-Hur" provides not only the core of the film's plot and the events that prgress the leading role but also many of the supporting characters, whilst "Spartacus" is clearly the inspiration behind the gladiator training and combat sequences. I won't make a detailed plot comparison but suffice to say that "Gladiator" and (the first two hours of) "Ben-Hur" are both essentially the exact same story:-

1) Both our heros are strong willed men of some status in the empire, morally wronged and unfairly convicted of treason.

2) They lose their family, status and freedom at the hands of their arch nemesis (Glad's Joaquin Phoenix as "Commodus"/ Ben-Hur's Stephen Boyd as "Messala")

3) Both wind up in a remote part of the Roman Empire, in slavery (Maximus a forced gladiator / Ben-Hur a war ship's galley slave.)

4) Both are adopted by a `mentor' figure (Glad: Oliver Reed's Proximo /Ben-Hur: Jack Hawkins' Quintus Arrius) and eventually fight and will their way back to Rome where they are granted their freedom by the mentor.

5) This sets them up for a public show-down with their nemesis and the opportunity to regain their honour and exact revenge, by way of a contest in the great arena (The Gladiator fight/ the Chariot Race of Ben-Hur)

Great stuff but no marks for Glad's originality, I'm afraid. Our hero's motivations differ slightly in each story, mainly because Heston's Ben-Hur is a more spiritual and complex character than the harder, duller Maximus but it's basically that simple: "Gladiator" completely rips the first two hours off "Ben-Hur", the key difference being that Crowe simply doesn't offer half of Heston's depth of character and his supporting cast -Phoenix aside- do not offer enough substance to leave an impression on the viewer or have any real impact on Maximus's actions.

It was nice seeing Oliver Reed in his last performance but sadly having no real relationship to Maximus, so, IMO, he is utterly wasted. His character is neither as funny as Peter Ustinov's gladiator school-owner nor as outlandish at Hugh Griffith's Arab horse trader (both of whom won Oscars for their performances in "Spartacus" and "Ben-Hur", respectively.) Likewise, Glad's supporting actor Djimon Hounsou (from "Amistad" and "E.R.")is merely a poor man's Woody Strode from "Spartacus". In that film, Strode died like a true hero, hurling his spear at Laurence Olivier's Marcus Crassus and thereby inspiring Kirk Douglas to initiate the slave revolt. In the forty years between "Spartacus" and "Gladiator," the one single part for a black actor has degenerated from Woody Strode playing a short but crucially important character, to Djimon Hounsou, playing the short, thankless part of the token Negro companion.

Of course, whereas "Gladiator" runs 154 minutes in length "Ben-Hur" is a 212 minute epic- so when Crowe kisses that arena dirt Heston still has an hour plus in which to additionally rescue his family from the leper colony, hook up with JC and `see the light'! So, if you're a big fan of "The Hur" and "Spartacus" you'll be forgiven for not getting quite so excited with this stylish, but shallow re-working of a former classic. With all the blood and guts that a modern day gladiator pic was destined to put on show, it simply offers nothing as powerful or dramatic as "Spartacus" drowning the head of the gladiator school (the great Charles McGraw) in a pot of soup! Likewise, no action sequence committed to this(nor any other) film is ever likely to touch the dramatic build up and exhilarating execution of the famous chariot race in "Ben-Hur". Now that's simply awesome.

So, for all you `bang-for-your-buck' loving folk with an annoying tendency to pronounce `GREATNESS' in every second sentence I've no doubt that you'll absolutely love Gladiator- and why not! But might I suggest you also watch its big daddy "Ben Hur" and uncle "Spartacus" and re-discover what true greatness is.

Product Details/Specifications


Actor(s):
Richard Harris
Joaquin Phoenix
Derek Jacobi
Oliver Reed
Russell Crowe

Creators:
Russell Crowe (Primary Contributor)
Joaquin Phoenix (Primary Contributor)

Director(s):

Recording label: Universal Pictures
Manufacturer: Universal Pictures
EAN: 5050582069259
Binding: DVD
Number of items: 1
Format: PAL,
Release date: 2006-07-03
Audience rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
Region code: 2
Running time: 149 minutes
Theatrical release date: 2000
Language: English (Original Language)

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