A Ridley Scott Masterclass

Rating: 10/10 (13 January 2019)

Scott reinvents the epic genre with a vengeance. Sharp script, haunting music, spectacular cinematography, but the acting is just off the scale. Russell Crowe and Joaquin Phoenix demonstrate what it means for an actor to lose themselves in their role. They become Maximus and Commodus to the extent that you forget who the actors are as you watch. The multi-Oscared Streeps and Day Lewis' of the thespian universe please note how it's done. We don't want to see you in your roles but the characters you are supposed to play. Connie Nielsen was born to play the role of the Roman matron. Both in bearing and demeanor she is the most authentic Roman noble born woman since Sian Phillips' Livia in the BBC series I, Claudius. Harris and Reed give incredibly nuanced turns, but it's hard to name single actor who first do a spectacular job. I fell in love with Djimon Hounsou here...the editing must get an honourable mention. It balanced the overlapping narrative threads with such clarity the viewer is always in the know.
Why is it a masterclass movie? Because you don't need to know a thing about the Roman Empire to fully get into the story and meaning of the movie. That's the hallmark of any great work of art: it gives the viewer all the parameters they need to make sense of it, without looking for contextual support outside the work.