Digital effects are fine in some situations, not in others

Rating: Null/10 (22 May 2000)

I have no problem with the use of digital effects where circumstance, be it money, danger, the death of an actor, etc requires their use. However, I was most bothered by their use in this movie in situations where they seemed to be there simply for their own sake, and often not illuminating the plot, characters, or situation. The most obvious example of this, and, frankly, the one which bothered me the most, was a scene between Maximus and Marcus Aurelius, I believe, on the battleground. The snow was obviously digitized and the two actors seemed to be standing behind a "snow curtain," not unlike the "rain curtain" I saw used in a touring stage production of _Singing in the Rain_ a few years ago. Neither actor had more than a couple of flakes on his costume in a pretty furious flurry. Also, the foley that we were hearing in this scene was that of the wind whistling, implying that there was at least more than the breath of wind which the snow's lugubrious progress down the frame, occasionally drifting back up into our field of vision again. It is true that snow DOES do this from time to time, but not in the company of winds more than a breeze. Perhaps this is a nitpicky thing, but it and a few other unnecessary digital effects somewhat destroyed my full commitment to the world which Ridley Scott so painstakingly created. This sort of effect can be easily achieved with some plastic snow, (and/or rosepetals, in the case of another scene) which any self-respecting propshop can give you, and an industrial fan.