Gladiator

Gladiator (2000)

 
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Kenneth S.
Updated December 22, 2024
Gladiator

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Movie Overview | Gladiator (2000)

Set in Roman times, the story of a once-powerful general forced to become a common gladiator. The emperor's son is enraged when he is passed over as heir in favour of his father's favourite general. He kills his father and arranges the murder of the general's family, and the general is sold into slavery to be trained as a gladiator - but his subsequent popularity in the arena threatens the throne.

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A Magnificent Movie that Ticks All the Boxes!
(Updated: January 04, 2025)
Overall rating
 
5.0
Entertainment Factor
 
5.0
Story
 
5.0
Actors Performance
 
5.0
Cinematography
 
5.0
Sound Track
 
5.0
Gladiator (2000) is a Ridley Scott film with a star-studded cast. The Roman general Maximus Decimus Meridius is betrayed when Commodus, the ambitious son of Emperor Marcus Aurelius, murders his father and seizes the throne. Barely escaping death, and witness to the destruction of his property and the murder of his wife and child, Maximus is taken into slavery to become a gladiator. He rises through the ranks to finally achieve the goal gladiators aspire to: fighting in the Colosseum in Rome. But Maximus has other plans. Going to Rome to fight will bring him into the orbit of Emperor Commodus, a corrupt and spendthrift ruler who placates the restless Roman populace with bread and circuses. Then he can take his revenge. The plot unfolds as Maximus rallies various senators, allies, his men, and even the sister of the Emperor, Lucilla, whom he once loved in his youth, to overthrow and kill Commodus. 

With a cast that boasts Russell Crowe as Maximus, Richard Harris as Marcus Aurelius, Joaquin Phoenix as Commodus, and Connie Nielsen as Lucilla, with acting stalwarts like Oliver Reed, Derek Jacobi, David Hemmings, David Shrapnel, David Schofield et al, can one go wrong? No, as is evidenced by this truly magnificent film. Albeit relatively unknown at the time, Crowe sealed his future career with a performance that was nothing short of remarkable. The camera loves him, and he knows how to act with his mind. The point of film acting is to remember that less truly is more. His performance is memorable. But no one can act alone in a film such as this one, and the stellar supporting cast was superb. 

The photography can only be described as mesmerizing. The opening battle scenes in the forests of Germania are mind-blowing and set the tone for the drama and grandeur to follow. The luxury, opulence, beauty, and decay of the Roman Empire are on full display. The excesses of wealth, entertainment, and corruption are brilliantly portrayed. The Colosseum, (a replica section built in Malta) is truly magnificent and hopefully will get viewers thinking about the sheer brilliance and ingenuity of the architects of the original. It is the largest amphitheater ever built and is the largest still standing. The gladiator/fight scenes are just nail-bitingly fantastic. The music by Hans Zimmer and Lisa Gerrard is equally magnificent; grand in places and haunting in others, it evokes instant recognition in listeners. The film had mixed reviews, but the incredible box office response indicates that more people liked it than those who did not. It won five awards at the 73rd Academy Awards and was nominated for seven more. 

Historical accuracy is spotty although the producers hired historians to advise, one of which resigned. In my humble opinion, audiences know there is artistic license, and this is a story. A story, I must add, that is gripping, compelling, and very well told. Perhaps more viewers will, like me, be curious enough to do some research to find out what happened to the real Marcus Aurelius, Commodus, and Lucilla. Gladiator II has been released and boasts a similar stellar cast with new characters played by Denzel Washington and Pedro Pascal, and with Connie Nielsen and Derek Jacobi returning. 

Gladiator (2000) is incredible and even after 24 years, its splendor has not dimmed. I rewatched it for the umpteenth time and still saw new things. Don’t miss it. This is real entertainment and has great acting. 

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