HMMM???

Rating: 7/10 (26 May 2000)

I'm sorry, I found "Gladiator" not quite convincing. Its a mixture of "The decline of the Roman Empire" and "Ben Hur" (i.e. a story of revenge), and first of all its the personal story of Maximus. But I couldnt feel with him, this charakter remains a shadow - despite Crowes good performance. Did he love Marc Aurel (Alec Guiness gave the emperor-philosopher outstanding, Harris is not just my favorite) and his family, does he hate Commodus??? Surely, but its not on the screen. What else? Marc Aurel TOOK Commodus as Co-Emperor in 177 - but Manns movie told the same nonsense. And - nothing changed since "Quo vadis?" and "The robe" - the Emperor's conflict with the senate and "the people". Neither did the Roman senate representate "the people" nor could he offer - or even wanted it - a "democratic" alternative to the regime of the emperors.
I like the genre, but this movie stands not for its resurrection.