Product: Gladiator [VHS] (2000)
Rating: 4.0
History in the Making
This story is set in ancient Rome around 180 A.D. Marcus Aurelius is the aging emperor and Maximus (Russell Crowe) is a great general who has won many battles. Marcus (Richard Harris) loves him like a son and more than his own son Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix). Marcus intends to make Maximus emperor to be but Commodus kills Marcus before this be known. He works to destroy Maximus, but Maximus escapes and rides swiftly to his home where he finds his wife and son murdered. Overcome with grief and exhaustion, he lies unconcious on the ground and is later taken by slave traders and sold to a former gladiator (Oliver Reed) and must fight in the arena as a gladiator if he wants to live. He lives only for revenge, to one day kill Commodus. Maximus and his pack of gladiators become well known and come to Rome to fight in the Coliseum. They defy incredible odds and utterly destroy a horde of gladiators in chariots. Maximus becomes the crowd's favorite. They chant his name in the arena. The scenes in the arena with the gladiators are quite grisly but are some of the best scenes in the movie. Marcus's daughter loves Maximus and plots to destroy Commodus. Commodus is an evil man with evil deeds to his credit. He lusts after his sister and has spies to keep him well informed. Maximus gets his chance at revenge, Commodus doesn't want to make him a martyr.