Product: Gladiator [VHS] (2000)
Rating: 5.0
A millennial answer to "Ben Hur"
"Gladiator", with Russell Crowe in the lead role, and Ridley Scott at the helm, is a modern mega-budget epic that could rank as a contemporary answer to such Hollywood blockbusters as "Lawrence of Arabia" and "Ben Hur". The violence is orchestrated with much aplomb, and the plot abounds in elements of betrayal, lust, intrigue and danger. The toga'd characters, the gladiatorial combats and the devouring tigers in the arenas all create a sumptuous and magnificent feast for the imagination, an image of the splendour of Roman times. The dialogue is formal but contemporary, elevated without being forced, thus helping to underscore the "Shakespearian" effect.