Now Thats what I call Screen Magic !

Rating: 10/10 (3 August 2005)

I used to mumble "Afterlife' a Joke" till Gladiator happened. Now I start to wonder if my actions will in fact echo in my Afterlife ! Set in Ancient Rome, The Gladiator is everything spectacular that you can imagine about a movie of such epic proportions. Breathtaking visuals of the amphitheaters and of Rome itself will segue you into an ancient Roman realm. The grandeur of the "games" will just etch itself in your mind. And the afterlife concept and its depiction was really mind-blowing.
USP 1: Dialogue! The Dialogue is everything that can be. It is Awe-Inspiring. It is Heart-Rending. It sends your Pulse-Racing and your hackles springing. I have watched this movie a zillion times now and have memorized every bit of verbal legerdemain that it has to offer. It is clearly exemplary in buttressing the already superior climaxes.
USP 2: Russel Crowe - Welcoming you into a cesarean time , is a stubbled Russel Crowe breathtakingly wielding his sword first in battle as a reputed general ,then in the amphitheater as a slave and finally in the Collosuem as the Gladiator. Although the entire cast have a splendid acting performance, Crowe in particular is terrific. Makes it all the more challenging, as his character traverses a wide variety of emotions and situations. He also command a certain air of unnerving chivalry throughout the movie. His English accent goes really well with the movie and its resounding dialog.
USP 3 : Hans Zimmer - Soundtrack! Hmm! How many times has it resonated in my ears ! Its brings the Afterlife to ...well ...life. It sets a super cadence to which you would pound your feat , drool your way through Elysiums and colloseums , enliven your emotions and indulge your senses. You could rerun the entire movie in your head with the soundtrack alone ! The sound track for the most part has a tinge of "Gregorian" and fittingly so too.
USP 4 : Cinematography and Special Effects - Cinematography and Special effects are so outstanding, that without the aforementioned USP's the Colosseum scenes would have comprehensively eclipsed the rest of the movie. And the Academy certainly didn't disagree either. Of particular significance, is the portrayal of Afterlife which although is a complete human conception , tends to inculcate into the movie a sense of mysticism. This is exactly where the Cinematography is a huge success.
It was really pleasing to witness "The Gladiator" make all the big snatches at the Academy Awards even against such stern competition as "Traffic" and "Erin Brokovich". The Gladiator doesn't fall short to make it to the established pedestals of movie making on any front. All in all, a "Screen Magic"!