Lincoln as Gladiator

Rating: 10/10 (16 February 2002)

This is a magnificent Ridley Scott film, honoured by a sensational score from Hans Zimmer.
Gladiator has all of the visual flare that you come to expect from Ridley Scott, this time enhanced by brilliant use of computer graphics (note the rendering of Rome). Hans Zimmer produces a good score, featuring also Lisa Gerrard.
Oliver Reed does himself justice in what turns out to be his valedictory role.
My final thought is that at the end of the film, just before succumbing to his trecherous wounds from Commodus, the title gladiator Maximus announces 'free my men'! He is clearly President LINCOLN all along, playing out a noble quest to free all slaves and democratise the nation. This is reinforced by the final, end tribute from the freed black gladiator who says that they've all been freed by Maximus.

NB. Buy this on the special edition DVD, which features tons of stuff on the music (interview with Hans Zimmer), making of, documentaries about gladiators, etc. the DVD is brilliant!