Product: Gladiator [VHS] (2000)
Rating: 5.0
Suprisingly Beautiful...
After such flawed epics as Braveheart and Titanic, I resigned myself to the fact that this film's main entertainment would be Russell Crowe looking intense for 3 hours. By the time the credits rolled I found myself wide eyed, halfway through the film I found myself transfixed by a formaula plot as though I had seen this formula for the first time. I walked away from the theatre with a sense of tragedy and satisfaction. Other than Saving Private Ryan, this is first "movie for the masses" I've really enjoyed.This story doesn't claim to be anything original.. It's a good old fashioned tale with modern technique. It's a faux-Shakespearean historical fantasy that's meant for fun and entertainment. I don't see why some people are judging it so harshly. If you don't like it, it just didn't appeal to you. Fine.It's a revenge play... Hamlet in the arena if you will... but what makes it work so well are the talented cast, music and beautiful costumes/sets. It plays on your emotions without being sappy, it doesn't have to have any really annoying overblown message to succede. It looks so good it dazzles your eyes, a familiar story yet you wait excitedly to see how it works out. It's just great fun, not tedious and arrogant like Spartacus and Ben Hur. Every scene is forward and to the point, none of this nonsense that makes other movies of this length just too long.Russell steals the show... but Nielson and Phoenix run him a close second. Lucilla is really a postive female role without being exaggerated. I really appreciated this.