Best Roman-Empire movie since Ben-Hur and Spartacus! (Extend edition review-the true Ridley Scott masterpiece

Rating: 10/10 (15 April 2013)

Who would knew that the director of "Alien", "Blade Runner" and "Thelma & Louise", Ridley Scott. Would make one day a amazing Roman epic since "Ben-Hur" and "Spartacus". And speaking of the extended edition (only available on Blue-ray) could not only overcome in several details the original, but also be another masterpiece of Ridley Scott's career.
The film tells the story of the Roman general, the Spanish Maximus Decimus Meridius (Russell Crowe). Maximus is on a military campaign in the barbaric Germania, led by the Emperor Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris), which has lasted over ten years. Aurelius sees in Maximus courage and humility, and the spirit of a true leader, as a proof the love and admiration that the Roman army has for Maximus. Aurelius and Maximus nurture a big friendship and a love of father and son, which led to Aurelius appoint Maximus to be the new leader of Rome after his death, instructing Maximus to make Rome a republic again. But Maximus hesitate just because he expects his military pantry and return to his family in Spain, but the respect he has for the Emperor is very large. Everything changes when the arrogant and envious son of Aurelius, Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix) kills his father and orders the execution of Maximus and his family. Maximus manages to escape and return home, where he finds his wife and children crucified beside the door. Maximus is arrested and later sold to a gladiator trainer Proximo (Oliver Reed), which later becomes the best among them, and sees a path to revenge.
You could say that "Gladiator" is Ridley Scott's "Braveheart". As it is filmed in the same realistic and violent style, but (in my opinion) can be much more epic. The direction of Ridley Scott is a great help, along with a dazzling cinematography on each scene. Both in spectacular epic battles (inside and outside the visually stunning Coliseum) and the superb dialog scenes.
A major problem with films like "Spartacus" and "Braveheart" was connecting the dialog with the characters, which sometimes it failed and couldn't maintain a line of fiction with true historical facts, often not loyal at all. But I think Scott knew that and hired the right screenwriter for the job, David Franzoni. The writer of "Amistad" along with John Logan and William Nicholson, can build a superb narrative to the film from start to finish. Achieving at the same time creating a fiction story, and be extremely loyal to historical facts of the Roman Empire.
This is mostly seen in the extended version of the film. Where we have many more dialogs between the characters never getting boring for a moment. And can demonstrate accurately the Roman political system, since the massive corruption and political rivalries within the senate and also the great imperial totalitarianism with the character of Commodus. And thanks to Scott, manages to have a good level of entertainment within the amazing story.
But for all become more epic and exciting, Scott asked the best author of soundtracks of this generation Hans-Zimmer to participate in this epic. And delivers a soundtrack that ranges from the thrilling and exciting to dramatic and chilling (as always done ever since).
And course, no one in the cast disappoints. Joaquin Phoenix didn't won the Oscar in this movie for two reasons: 1- F#ckin Critics (as always), 2- Benicio Del Toro superb performance in "Traffic", 3- Blue-ray versions don't compete for the Oscars. But who shines of course is Russell Crowe, with the PERFECT performance that put him on the map.
Not that the theatrical version is bad. But after watching the extended version, the original feels very incomplete. Because here it was shown the exuberant performances of all the cast; the superb direction of Ridley Scott giving spectacular and realistic epic battles; a fantastic script that while it is original, it can be historically accurate with a fantastic story of the general who became a slave, the slave that turned into a gladiator, the gladiator who defied an empire. It has a question in the film: "Are you not entertained?" All I have to answer is "Yes, I 'am"!
10/10