Freedom Fighter

Rating: 9/10 (13 August 2000)

What is the price for freedom? Once I read about a Jewish concentration camp prisoner who is survived fully, because he is able to free himself inside the camp. Freedom from the fear and mental tortures in which he received during his 3 years of imprisonment. Physical tortures and isolation is better compared to mental and thought imprisonment. Nelson Mandela once said 'They can kept me away, but the will not kept away my thoughts and ideas' Maximus Decimus Meridius (if I'm not mistaken), a top rate Roman general, is offered a choice between coming home to his family Spain or take another duty in Rome. He cannot say no and half heartedly decide to rule Rome and stand up for the people and the republic for the glory of the Roman Empire. A condition which was changed by the corrupt politicians and tyrants. Alas, the Empire died and replaced by his son, a disfunctional characters longing for love and acceptance from his father, the last Caesar.
Maximus overuled the Caesar and deserted until he was stranded at the gladiator arena. And we are dealing with the imperfect characters; Maximus who is imprisoned by his own rage and pain towards his family, Caesar who is imprisoned by his own fear and hunger for love, his sister who is trapped in her fear and love towards his brother and son and in between good and evil. The audience was placed perfectly in the screen. From the magnificent opening, the barbarian and bloody fights in the collosseum, through many colossal acts and supportive CGI. Russel Crowe (Virtuosity, the Quick and the Dead, the Insider), the humble hero arise not because he is well built like Arnold or with Bruce Willis sinister look. It's because he is merely integrated with the casts and the atmosphere built by the talented movie crews. And so the Gladiator arise, towards the fight for the freedom. A freedom more than just physical, which asks us about how we're dealing towards our own imprisonment. Freedom from fear, hate, anything. Destined to be another Ridley Scott (Blade Runner, Black Rain, Alien, Thelma & Louise) masterpiece, the movie itself speaks with the same ambience like his previous movies. So typical and make us stop and think after the movie ends...