Only One Minor Flaw

Rating: 10/10 (4 June 2000)

There is only one flaw in Gladiator and that is that the cinematography frequently takes attention away from what is happening instead of staying decently, and professionally, out of the way of how the action/story is proceeding. There was a time that the camera spun around with no real reason to do so. It might also be said that the choice of color and/or exposure is sometimes intrusive also because it is too unnatural. There are some areas of the story where it would be "natural" as in the Elysian Fields or in the candlelite tent of Caesar. But none of this is too intrusive, it's just that in a masterpiece it is the only intrusive element. Maybe it can be fixed up in later editions.