So emotionally strong and captivating that you will not take your eyes off the screen until it is over. Also, a movie for men.

Rating: 8/10 (3 June 2010)

8.6
It is no secret that men love Gladiator. The film's protagonist is easily relatable to. He is not a rich man, nor a noble. He has a family and a bit of land. He doesn't ask for more than that. However, he is also a soldier. A very good and respected soldier, in fact. He is a general. However, he is still under the rule of a king. That authority oppresses him and takes away what little he had. He manages to gain his respect and recognition back, but he doesn't do this by performing superheroic acts. In fact, most of the time he has his head down. Yet, he is a strong man, one that is able to survive everything that is thrown at him. It is easy to see why Gladiator appeals to men.
It also helps that the film is very engaging. The filmmakers take the approach that puts you in the shoes of the protagonist. The protagonist doesn't say much, and only responds in wholehearted mutterings. The film does a very good job of engaging the audience's emotions. Throughout the narrative, it is easy to be captured by the tale and not be able to break free until satisfaction is found. The conclusion of the film comes as a surprise, but it does so in a way that summons so much emotion from the audience that it doesn't leave them with a foul taste afterward.
The cinematography in Gladiator is great. From the cold forest that the intro sequence takes place in, to the hot, golden scenes in the desert, almost every scene in Gladiator does a fine job of inviting the audience. There are some very powerful scenes in the movie, such as the sequences where someone is walking through a wheat field, and passing his hand through the wheat. My favorite part of the entire film is that this was included in the beginning of the movie, and not just at the end. The moments where Maximus, the protagonist is near to death, are done very well. There are some mesmerizing moments where he seems to be floating to the afterlife.
Of course, Gladiator is not without its imperfections. The film doesn't focus too much on the whole Gladiation thing. I can see this being pretty disappointing to some audiences. However, the gladiatorial chapters are handled very well. Again, the filmmakers display incredible ability to involve audiences. Some of the characters are a little hard to believe, in terms of their actions. Namely, the king and his sister. Some of the things that they do and say are a little unbelievable. Not in the sense that it wouldn't happen, but in the sense that it feels out of place in the film, and it doesn't translate well to the screen. The film is also paced a bit weird. It feels like too much time is spent in the setup, that the middle of the film ends up suffering. Clocking in at about two and a half hours, it's very surprising to see that such little time was spent in the arena.
Gladiator is a very powerful film. It has good performances, and an incredible job by the crew. The only thing that holds it back is ultimately the script. Watching the final product, it feels like the pacing is odd, and the script needed to be refocused on different aspects of the film. Still, the filmmaker's ability to strike up emotion in the audiences is the strongest point of the film. Most likely, the film will capture your attention and not let go until its conclusion. It is also a film that appeals greatly to men. Some people say that film-making is all about the story. I think what is more important than the actual content of the narrative, is the execution of it. Not the story itself, but the storytelling. Apparently, Ridley Scott and crew know very well how to tell a story.