Discontented

Rating: Null/10 (5 May 2000)

I'd been looking forward to seeing Gladiator, since reviewers have hailed it as a revival of the Roman epic. Frankly, I don't see what the fuss is about. The story failed to engage me and was altogether silly with its blend of historical figures and obviously fictional events. What's more, the screenwriters seemed intent on having the characters attempt to solve their problems and dilemmas through the most convoluted means imaginable. Russell Crowe's character was distant and broody for much of the film, but suddenly and inexplicably developed a sense of humor midway. Nevertheless, the movie could have been enjoyable as pure spectacle, but I found it disappointing even in this regard. Unlike other viewers, I felt that much of the scenery had an obvious computer-generated quality (crowds out of focus, blurry backgrounds). When I imagine gladiators in combat, I picture them in the coliseum under a blistering sun. Most of the photography however, had a dull, murky quality to it. My biggest complaint concerns the hyper-editing & camera style used for most of the fight sequences. Indeed, it was so hyper that half the time I couldn't tell who was killing who (perhaps it didn't matter?). The Gladiator isn't awful, but it's not particularly memorable either. You may want to see it to satisfy your curiosity, but not if you're concerned with getting value for your money.