Ridley Scott, we salute you!

Rating: 10/10 (2 June 2000)

I had been waiting several months, trembling with anticipation, for the arrival of this film, and I am pleased to say that it did not disappoint me. Russell Crowe is instantly likeable as the world weary General Maximus, commanding the legions about to "unleash Hell" on the armies of Germania. His only aim is to see an end to battle, and return home to his farm and family. Certain events, heralded by the intervention of Joaquin Pheonix as the insane emperor Commodus, spectacularly prevent him from doing so. Commodus is a power mad, snivelling wretch who, when he isn't plotting and scheming to rule Rome, tries his hardest to get his sister into bed. The unfortunate Maximus gets in the way of his plans, and so has to be removed. Maximus winds up in the gladiatorial ring facing a madness far removed from that of the battlefield. He now has a different criteria. To survive the arena and exact revenge on Commodus for the brutal slaying of his wife and son. The battle sequences are bloody, violent and messy, and human life is cheap. But through all of this shines Maximus, a noble but reluctant hero, who touches the life of all those he comes in contact with.
The excellent score by Hans Zimmer is powerful and emotional, borrowing some of the choral strains from his Crimson Tide offering, and Holst's Mars theme from the Planets suite. (He was the Roman God of war, after all.) The soundtrack hasn't left my car stereo since I bought it two weeks ago. Reading through other reviews, it seems that people either love or hate this film. I loved it with a passion; something about it touched a nerve. Some scenes left me breathless, while others had me fighting back a tear. I have seen it four times now, and it won't be the last. There are a lot of purists out there who say that Rome was never like this, and that history records these events differently. To these people I say, WHO CARES?! I go to the cinema to be entertained, not watch a documentary. I go to escape from the real world for a few hours, lose myself in fantasy. Surely this was the reason that Cinema was invented.
I cannot stop praising this film, much to the dismay of my friends and family. Gladiator should be in receipt of a few statuettes come Oscar time, or there is very little justice in this world. Ridley Scott has, in my humble opinion, produced a masterpiece worthy of praise. We salute you!