Gladiator

Rating: 9/10 (11 April 2016)

Epicly April got off to a, well, epic start with my viewing of Gladiator. The Academy Award Best Picture winner for 2000 was definitely grand in scale. Ridley Scott has turned in an illustrious career making impressive films, and Gladiator certainly belongs in this category. Russell Crowe and Joaquin Phoenix lead the cast in this tale of revenge against a corrupt Emporer. A gripping tale of avenging the death of one's family, Gladiator keeps audiences on the edge of their seats through the entire 2.5-hour film.
Maximus (Russel Crowe) is a adored General for the Roman army. He is even loved by the aging Emporer Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris). When Aurelius tells his son Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix) that he intends to crown Maximus Emporer over his own blood, Commodus takes this as the ultimate betrayal. After murdering his own father, Commodus assumes power, as no one knew of Marcus Aurelius' intentions to crown Maximus. Commodus then goes on to condemn Maximus to death and sends henchmen to murder his family. Defying odds, Maximus escapes his execution and hurries back in an attempt to save his wife and child. Too late to save them, Maximus is taken into slavery and trained as a gladiator. Maximus gets through his days by hoping that he will eventually be able to exact revenge against Commodus and fulfill his own Emporer, Marcus Aurelius', dying wish. The day finally comes in which Maximus' gladiator troupe is called to fight in the coliseum of Emporer Commodus to participate in a marathon of gladiator challenges. Joining together with Senator Gracchus (Derek Jacobi) who wishes to bring democracy to Rome, and Lucilla (Connie Nielsen) daughter to Marcus Aurelius and sister to Commodus who bore Lucius (Spencer Treat Clark) heir to the throne of his Uncle and is deathly afraid of her brother, the gang of misfits attempts to bring about the demise of Commodus.
Gladiator looks like the spectacle you would imagine it to look like. The sounds and score were perfect for the film and made you feel like you needed to wipe the sand out of your eyes because you were so involved in the action. My favorite part, like others I'm sure, was the scene with Russel Crowe fighting the tigers in the coliseum. The scene looked like reality and thankfully wasn't bogged down with CGI. Russel Crowe played the brooding warrior exceptionally and was matched in talent with Joaquin Phoenix's sanctimonious turn as the self- righteous Emporer. Gladiator was a real tour-de-force as far as the acting was concerned. Another stand out was the stark colors sprinkled throughout the film, especially in the costumes. Janty Yates certainly pulled all the stops designing the costumes worn in this epic and was more than worthy of her Oscar for Best Costume Design. It is the scenes in the coliseum that show just how many extras were used in this movie and acts as further proof that Ridley Scott more than deserved the gold statuette for Best Director he took home from the 2000 Oscar ceremony. Everything came together so well in Gladiator that I can more than see why audiences and critics alike have few negative words for this film.
Gladiator is driven by the vehicle of revenge. Maximus wants nothing more than to kill Commodus, both because he is responsible for the death of Maximus' own wife and child, and because it was the wish of Marcus Aurelius for Commodus to die and Maximus to take the thrown. Seeking revenge gives Maximus' life purpose after his escape from death and the loss of his family. Maximus' laser focus on revenge fuels every aspect of Maximus' day and one is left to wonder if this idea of revenge turns into an obsession and if it is healthy. Granted, Maximus gives his life purpose with the goal of revenge, but he is set upon killing which never seems to right any wrongs. The theme works in this film and is paced so well that the audience is engaged throughout the entire film. I am happy that a month of viewing epics had brought me Gladiator, a film I am guaranteed to see again and again.