More than just a 'boys' movie . . .

Rating: Null/10 (20 March 2002)

Every now and then a movie comes along which you take a while to see, but end up loving. In the case of Gladiator, I saw it almost two years after its release. The obvious question then is: Why on earth did it take me so long? I must admit that when it first came out I wasn't too keen to see it, since it sounded too much like a typical 'boys' action movie with plenty of blood and gratuitous human destruction. Well, having now seen it more than once, I must say this film is most impressive. Rather than simply 'entertaining the masses' (in more ways than one), this film seems to work on quite a convincing spiritual level. OK, I concede it does revolve around 4 or 5 very well orchestrated fight sequences, however for me these, some would say, 'pivotal' sequences are secondary to what I consider to be a much more important aspect of the film - the spiritual journey undertaken by Maximus. Russell Crowe's performance in this film is very, very good, since his character is quite complex, more complex perhaps than some viewers would think. For mine, he captures both the physicality and the spirituality of Maximus more than adequately. However, it is the character of Maximus I am more moved by than the actor who plays him. Maximus really is an outstanding creation who appealed to me both as a dedicated soldier and as a human being. The motif of Maximus walking through the wheat I find extremely moving, as it shows him to be a man of enormous spiritual depth, despite the ugly Roman world he exists in. The opening shot of him, brooding, contemplating, and acknowledging the presence of the bird only adds to his sentimentality. As a counterpoint to this Joaquin Phoenix is truly outstanding. I really do feel that he deserved the Oscar for supporting actor for this role (perhaps more so than Benecio Del Toro) since this is a knockout performance. He captures so brilliantly the hideous brutality of the Roman Empire, the twisted, perverted view of the world that excessive power can instill in an individual who lacks the maturity to handle it appropriately. It seems Phoenix injected himself into this role most admirably. The results, I feel, are absolutely first-rate. As for the film's ending, well, what can one say? What a fantastic ending! I suspect some may not go for it, however, for me, I couldn't really imagine it any other way. It must be hard for filmmakers to conclude their stories, so I guess it makes us admire them all the more when they do it so well as Ridley Scott has here. The closing fight sequence is riveting (including its pre-cursor in the corridors), and the closing sequences left me speechless (and this is rare!) So well done to Ridley Scott et al for this major contribution to the Hollywood circuit. Although Scott can get a bit carried away with his filmmaking at times, he has truly struck a chord with this viewer in the case of Gladiator. I was spiritually moved by this film, and I seriously never expected that I would be.