Majestic production that won 2000s-audience; Fabulous Roman epic that echoes in film history as "masterpiece"

Rating: 10/10 (18 June 2006)

They were just shadows and dust. Yet, their courageous deeds have been admired for hundreds of years. Their name was ... gladiators.
Since 1959 and the release of the ultra popular Roman epic BEN HUR, many people have thought that William Wyler's movie reached the ultimate splendor on screen and no other production may take its stead. However, the memorable year 2000 sees a premiere of GLADIATOR by Ridley Scott. The movie's title does not indicate any novel nor any specific period of Roman history. Yet, the film becomes one of the top Hollywood productions. What is so extraordinary about it that GLADIATOR is admired not only by epic fans but by the audiences of different interests, different preferences, different expectations from a movie.
First of all, GLADIATOR, unlike many other epics, shows a very realistic image of the Roman Empire and makes a perfect use of this on screen. In this case, the movie which discusses a very distant period in time (2nd century A.D.) occurs to be clearly interpreted and understood by the 21 century-audience. This fact proves a great talent of the director, Ridley Scott, who exactly knows viewers' expectations. Such a movie is more a spectacle and entertainment than pure history. Therefore, even if there are historic figures in the film, we cannot treat it as history and look for historical accuracy or inaccuracy. It is much more since it generally shows Rome, its power, its emperors, its people, its games, finally...its gladiators.
It seems quite unnecessary to present the content of the film while hundreds have done this before me. What I want to concentrate on GLADIATOR's universal aspect, which makes it an exceptional epic. As a matter of fact, no one will fully understand the story of Maximus (Russell Crowe) without profound reflections. Simply, the entire content of GLADIATOR is one great symbol. A simple man, a farmer becomes a great leader, emperor's friend. Yet, when times change, he gets through a personal tragedy becoming a slave, a gladiator whose primary task is to amuse people and the corrupted emperor by killing. Nevertheless, it is him who is honored at his death - He was the one who loved Rome. In my opinion, the very first shot of the movie shows it all - where Maximus heart is - a bird symbolizing gentleness, and fields symbolizing his life. The final fight on arena between emperor Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix) and Maximus cannot be treated historically. It is a symbolic battle between two visions of Rome (using modern language - between two visions of the world) - the one of honor, equality and love and the one of decadence, slavery and corruption. And this is, I think, the most important message of this movie. In this perspective, the movie develops all characters universally.
CAST: Russell Crowe, who portrays Maximus, does a very fine job. He portrays a man of a good heart who is exposed to living in the reality that is against all he heads for, a leader who got a new name, "gladiator". I loved his performance in one scene more than in any other - in the conversation with the emperor Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris). Wonderful meeting of two seeing one goal - goodness of Rome! Joaquin Phoenix is also very memorable as brute Commodus, a corrupted emperor who is, on the one hand, a blood sucker, but, on the other hand, a man who wants to be loved. I also loved the performance of Connie Nielsen as Lucilla. This beautiful Danish actress very well fits to this role portraying a woman who lives in the very ambiguous reality. A note must also be made of Derek Jacobi, unforgettable Claudius from a perfect BBC series made almost 30 years earlier. Yet, two performances by already late actors are a must to mention, Richard Harris's phenomenal portrayal of Marcus Aurelius and Oliver Reed's slave trader Proximo. Oliver Reed died during filming and his death is a terrible loss to all film industry. We thank him for such a powerful performance in this film, unforgettable, forever in our hearts and minds.
Some people say that GLADIATOR is too violent. I admit that there are very brutal moments, especially the ones showing arena fights. Nevertheless, that is what these fights looked like. Visual effects of the movie are so stunning that I was lost in admiration. Commodus's triumphant entrance to Rome (a bit exaggerated in size but representing not that much a city but rather its power), the sequence at Zucchabar, a fictional Roman province set in Mauretania Caesariensis, the imperial palace, the brutal battle in the woods of Germania - all is filled with unforgettable grandeur! The locations at Morocco, Malta, Italy and Spain add a thrill to the spectacle.
And the music... it is half of the whole entertainment to watch GLADIATOR without the admiration of its excellent musical pieces. It is a flow from sentimentalism, through exotic sounds to the tunes expressing the gore of the arena. I loved the title song, it touched my heart. There is something like a gentle power in it...
GLADIATOR is in many aspects a film that will become a cult movie, not only an ancient epic but a masterpiece of movie art. When I was a boy, I was saddened by the fact that I don't live in such times like the 1950s when great masterpieces were released like BEN HUR, QUO VADIS or THE TEN COMMANDMENTS. Yet, GLADIATOR made my dream come true. We all do live in such times, the times of great movies and this is, without doubt, one of such films. 10/10!
They were just shadows and dust. However, who among them would predict that they would once (in almost 2000 years) be the characters of such a film masterpiece. So were only the emperors immortal?