Product: Gladiator [VHS] (2000)
Rating: 5.0
A Vision of Rome - in DTS
In Gladiator, Commodus says he will show the people a vision of Rome - and that is exactly what this film gives us, a vision. Do not watch this film (or any other Roman epic, for that matter) expecting historical accuracy, watch it for the vision of Rome, which is the best that we have yet witnessed, from the bustling city streets to the torn up forests of Germania. At the film's core, of course, are the massive spectacles of the Collosseum, which are captured quite faithfully. There is a wonderful deleted scene on the DVD where Maximus witnesses Christians being fed to the lions between gladiator contests. This scene shows the horror and depravity of the Roman mob through the eyes of an innocent child, clutching his mother on the sandy floor of the arena.In addition to grand spectacle, this is probably the best DVD I have ever purchased with regard to technical detail. The deleted scenes and documentaries are a very novel touch. Some films have a few deleted scenes, but 25 minutes' worth!?!If you have a DTS setup for your home theater, BUY THIS DVD. I watched it with my parents at their home over Thanksgiving and had major reservations about the big screen spectacle's translation onto video, and then I got home and popped it in my DTS system. I cannot begin to explain the awe - the sound editing on this movie should win an Oscar. If it weren't R rated, every high-end home theater store would be showing this film to show of DVD and DTS capability.