We Who Are About To Die Salute You

Rating: 10/10 (5 May 2000)

I have been waiting a long time to see Gladiator, having first seen the trailer for the film way back in December when I went to see Galaxy Quest. I must say that the wait was worth it. Comparisons have been made between this film and the earlier Roman Epics such as Spartacus and The Fall of the Roman Empire, but I think, all in all, this film holds it own. From the opening sequence with Russell Crowe remembering what it is like to walk in the wheat fields of his home to the final shots of the Collesium right before the final credits roll, this film was breathtaking. I have always liked movies like Ben Hur, and seeing a modern version of one of these fine films goes to show that sometimes a return to the old days of timeless epics would be good for Hollywood. Special effects pay a big part in the movie, and they have taken the place of elaborate sets that Hollywood once created. In fairness, the cost of making a film like Ben Hur or Cleopatra by today's standards would be astronomical. It would make the reported budgets of Titanic or Waterworld pale by comparison. If you need a computer to do what craftsmen once did, so be it. It is about the film, after all, more so than the sets. As long as they look believable. On a sad note, this was Oliver Reed's last film. I think he did a splendid job and only wish he could have been around to see the finished project. I am sure he would have been proud. I highly recommend this film to one and all, both as a glimpse into what life was like back then and as a return to a grand style of film-making.
Hail, Caesar.