Gladiator (2000)

Director: Ridley Scott
Starring: Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Connie Neilson, Oliver Reed

I remember seeing Gladiator in the cinema back in 2000 and came out of the cinema feeling stunned by this beautiful movie.

From the very beginning as soon as the Dreamworks logo fills the screen and when a hand is seen grazing through a cornfield, I was captivated. I was captured by Russell Crowe’s first few moments as General Maximus. He did not even have to speak any words and I knew that there was something unique about him.

There are so many aspects of to this movie that it would be impossible to explain it all, so I will try to put in words as much as I can.

Scott’s opening battle sequence is breathtaking and horrifying and truly makes you realise what kind of brutal and savage world existed at that time and it’s always interesting to see a director bring back a style of film that has been vacant in cinema for decades and this movie was welcomed by the cinema going public and I felt that it worked extremely well.

I truly cannot image anyone else playing Maximus other than Russell Crowe. Crowe’s performance is wonderful and he has the ability to act with his eyes and also carries a great deal of masculinity and screen charisma, that being something that not all actors possess.

The tale of a General in the Roman Army, someone who is very highly respected not only by his men, but Emperor Marcus Aruelius also, is heartbreaking at times. Maximus’ family are killed and he has his whole world stripped away from him. The General is cast into slavery and later, forced to survive as a Gladiator in the Roman arena. I not only feel sympathy for Maximus’ character, but also for Commodus’ sister, Lucilla. The story is also tragic because Maximus and Marcus Aruelius had a close friendship which is broken by Aruelius’ jealous son, Commodus.

Thrust into slavery, and later becoming an arena Gladiator, Maximus wants nothing more than revenge against Commodus and Maximus soon becomes popular in the arena and this only increases when he arrives at the Coliseum and is forced to reveal his true identity to Emperor Commodus.

The film hints that Maximus and Lucilla had some kind of previous relationship which adds an even more interesting spin on things, especially as Commodus has a romantic interest in his sister.

In some ways, you can’t help but feel a certain amount sympathy for Commodus as he felt that he could never live up to his father’s expectations. Saying that, Phoenix portrays the young Emperor in a way that any sympathy you had for the character is for Maximus.

This is a visually beautiful movie and you have to hand it to Scott as he does have a talent for being able to create and show worlds. The coliseum itself is a visual masterpiece and was stunning captured. Hans Zimmer’s musical score somehow manages to get under your skin and the North African themes and styles are flawlessly executed and Maximus’ fight scenes are truly impressive, especially seeing Crowe pull off fighting with two swords.

The supporting cast are nothing short of magnificent and I can’t help but feel that Joaquin Phoenix should have won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his performance. It is also very sad that Oliver Reed died during filming and Richard Harris passed away a few years ago.

This is the type of film that you will find yourself revisiting many times and I think it’s fair to say that this movie deserves the classification of modern epic.