Roar of Battle, the Roar of Crowds

Rating: 9/10 (5 September 2005)

Ridley Scott brings his stylistic sense to the historical epic in this recreation of the Roman Empire at its zenith. This time frame is actually ahead of the usual one with Julius Caesar that we're mostly used to seeing and actually takes place, I believe, during the same time as the elder epic "The Fall of the Roman Empire"(64). By the title and the hearsay, you'd expect the story to revolve around gladiatorial combat in the arena, but though some of the significant scenes do take place there, the scope encompasses all of Rome and its surrounding provinces. The beginning is a lengthy sequence depicting a final battle in the war against Germania, a brutal & staggering depiction of two armies in combat. It's here that director Scott presents the flavor of what the viewer will become accustomed to as the picture progresses: important people, important events, important decisions - set to an epic scale, of course.
But it's the people portion of the formula that dominates what could have been just another epic. Maximus (Crowe), a Roman general at the start of the pic, makes it clear very early where his priorities lie: with his wife & son, whom he hasn't seen in over two years. Yet, he's also intensely loyal to the empire and the emperor (Harris). We realize he's caught between the two responsibilities at this early stage of the film and it's not a simple dilemma; priorities must be weighed, possible impacts both personal & political. Although a decision is taken out of his hands, we see that it's not a simple solution of 'well, i'll go home' as he desired which would have dictated his actions. There's real intelligence to the script by this point. Crowe won the Oscar for his part and though he probably was more deserving for a couple of other films, it's easy to see how he carried the picture here.
The supporting cast is first rate. Phoenix as Commodus, the new emperor who takes the decision out of Maximus' hands, does not come across as a standard villain, despite his actions (patricide, lusting for his sister, sadistic murder). You see him make revolting faces during the gladiatorial games, reveling in the blood spilled, and of course you think, what a grotesque villain. Yet, in other scenes he is quite pitiful - it's astonishing we can feel any sympathy for this wretch, but Phoenix plays the 'daddy should have loved me' angle to the hilt - and it works. The no.1 position in the empire dictates that the holder cannot trust anyone, it's so true; no one seems more alone than Phoenix throughout the film. Oliver Reed hams it up a bit as an arena entertainer, but it is Reed, a fitting final role. There's a lot a class spread out among the remainder of the cast - Harris, Jacobi, Hemmings all lend some gravitas, and Connie Nielsen is very good in a truly regal role.
Since much of this film involves gladiatorial combat, I must at least mention the fighting scenes in the various arenas. They are very well done. But they're probably not the main reason to see the picture.