Epic for All Times

Rating: 10/10 (19 August 2011)

'Gladiator' is the story of General Maximus. Like the famous movie tag line Maximus is the general who became a slave, a slave who became a gladiator, a gladiator who defied an emperor. It has been little more than 11 years since this movie was made and its influences and precedents are legion. More than that, it may yet be the best of all the historic Roman movies (Ben Hur, Spartacus, etc).
For one, the character Maximus is a great expression of the Athenian Ideal. He is a citizen soldier, trusted leader of one of Rome's greatest armies. He serves Rome because, in Maximus' own words, he has seen much of the rest of the world, which is brutal and dark - Rome is the light. He believes in Rome and in its exalted leader, Caesar Marcus Aurelius. Maximus' defining characteristic is love - love of country, love of Caesar, and most importantly love of his family. He does not seek power nor influence, he only wishes to do his duty with honor. Russell Crowe fleshes out this character expertly, and brings a quiet soul to a very violent life. Winning the Oscar for his performance understates how timeless and beautiful an acting job he gave.
His antagonist, Commodus, is quite the opposite. While Marcus Aurelius pointedly prefers Maximus, he spurns Commodus from assuming the throne because of his weakness and immorality. Joaquin Phoenix deliciously plays the corrupt and vile Commodus and creates one of the great 'characters-you-love-to-hate'. When the movie was still playing in theaters the common review I heard was 'but I hated Joaquin Phoenix'. I would ask why, and the response usually centered around how 'creepy' or 'slimy' he was. Joaquin made the villain so sinister he made us hate him, as we were meant to. Connie Nielsen gives a heartfelt and stoic turn as Lucilla, who in many ways reflects the broken heart of Rome and its hope that it can be whole again.
Most movies, particularly in the modern era, tend to cast antagonist and protagonist as very similar in character and ideology save one critical, large difference. Here, 'Gladiator' gives us polar opposites: Maximus the general who fights for honor and love and idealism, Commodus who schemes and lusts for self-serving power. It makes for an extremely compelling script with a venerated supporting cast, many of whom were already well-established classical actors such as Richard Harris, Derek Jacoby, and Oliver Reed. They bring gravitas to small but critical roles and supply the weight of Roman political intrigue.
Enough cannot be said for Ridley Scott's vision and direction. In so many ways, the movie is an accurate portrayal of Roman history, and in others a wild fantasy of it. He paints a grand and imposing visage of ancient Rome that is as much a character in the movie as any actor. It gives scope to the stakes Maximus and Commodus are playing for. Stylistically, the influence of this movie has oft been repeated, but never duplicated. The violence is simultaneously brutal and vague, bloody and implied. The cinematography is at times elegant and vicious, still and harried. Its a great blend that keeps your eyes glued to the screen and leaves a thin, glossy veneer that elevates the movie above slasher B-flick violence, which is precisely what gladiator fighting was. The gray tones of Germania, the warm sepia tones of Trujillo, the bright granite of Rome - a wonderful color palette that Ridley paints with to perfection. I especially like many of the Rome scenes that mix shots in half-shadow, half-light underscoring the divided, dark nature of the Roman empire.
Its a stylistically transcendent and progressive movie of conscience and soul that tells a very old, classical tale. Many professional musician friends of mine did not like Hans Zimmer's music score at all, but I disagree. Its simplistic and stirring and fits the movie perfectly. It cues the audience into the horror, the tension, and the grandeur that was ancient Rome. This movie will endure because it has a timeless soul and is told artfully and truthfully. I have seen many of the 50s/60s period epics that are so revered, but I do not think they will stand the test of time as well as Gladiator will. To me, a product of post-modern cinema, those movies do not connect emotionally nor historically. Ridley Scott brought an historic grittiness to 'Gladiator' that I think will endure and, consequently, was one of the forerunners to the last ten years of cinema where movies are now revered for their gritty accuracy, rather than their bubble gum ignorance of it. Like the conflict between Maximus and Commodus, 'Gladiator' is a refined study in balance and conflict and threads this needle expertly with as poetic an ending in movies as you'll ever see. It is great now, and still will be when movie lovers not yet born discover it.