Adrenaline pumping action but not ancient Rome

Rating: Null/10 (6 May 2000)

I have been waiting for this movie for some time and was not disappointed. I thought that Phoenix played a great part as Commodus giving the role a certain amount of believability compared to some of the derranged depictions of Roman Emporers that have gone before. Russell Crowe also makes his character come to life holding the whole movie together. On the accuracy side the film gives a very accurate depiction of the colliseum but the other shots of Rome in the background are fanciful to say the least.
The first gladiatorial sequence gives a real feel for the total lack of value placed on human life by the Romans however I don't think the true horror of the collisseum comes through in this picture. The typical day at the colliseum was split in three with the first part of the day belonging to the beast hunts. Where up to a hundred lions, bears, bulls elephants etc would be made to fight each other and teams of besterai(beast fighters) also convicted criminals and slaves would be lead into the ring in chains, the chains would be removed and the person striped naked and forced to meet the lions etc by poding with red hot branding irons often the people would be hung from different types of contraptions to make it more difficult for the animals to get a clean kill. Death by a lion was considered a clean kill as the animal would kill its victim in short order, smaller carnivores where often used and the victim would be hardly recognisable as a human before the death blow was finally administered by the staff to enable the later shows to continue. Midday brought out the slightly more favoured criminals who where made to fight each other to the death the winner staying on until he meet his death. Once again the application of branding irons to reluctant victims ensure entertainment for the masses. The afternoon brought the Gladiatorial fights as depicted in the movie. The bodies of the victims where branded to ensure death. If any life was left a blow was applied to the cranium to finish the job, a hook was then stuck in the carcasses gut and a horse was used to drag out the body and was thrown into large pits near the colliseum kept for such purposes.
I am not sure that this sort of horror could be depicted in a modern movie as not only would it be censored but it is so outrageous that a modern audience would think it lacked credulity. Commodus also as depicted in the movie was a more loveable character than the one described in the histories of the times but yet again his depravities would not suit the censors.
All in all great entertainment though.