#34 Gladiator

In Summary

Sword and sandals meets CGI in Ridley Scott's Ancient Rome epic, Gladiator.

Set at the peak of the Roman Empire, Gladiator, tells a story of rivalry, jealousy, and blood - with hints at incest thrown in just for fun - as the soldier, Maximus, rises from unfairly being thrown into slavery to become the hero of the Colosseum.

Gladiator's portrayal of Ancient Rome at its very height is a key element of this film's appeal. The use of CGI allows the film to convey a sense of scale and grandeur simply hadn't been previously possible. Importantly, Ridley Scott manages at the same time to portray Rome as a place where people lived.

While the plot itself is a fairly straightforward tale of revenge, it is the way in which it is executed that is so successful about Gladiator.

Our protagonist, Maximus, is a man with a straightforward notion of honour and excellent fighting skills. Despite having been stripped of his position as the heir apparent to the emperor, then forced into slavery and having his family killed, Maximus somehow manages to maintain a heroic level of stoicism throughout the film.

Away from the fighting scenes, the highlight of Gladiator is Joaquin Phoenix in his excellent portrayal of the jealous and petty Emperor Commodus.

For anyone with a passing interest in Ancient Rome - and is willing to forgive some stretching of historical accuracy - Gladiator is an epic that provides both emotional and visceral intrigue.

A Memorable Quote

Are you not entertained? Are you not entertained? Is this not why you are here?

Things You May Not Know

• Oliver Reed - Proximo - died three weeks before filming ended with scenes left to film. The script was re-written in order to account for his passing.
• Mel Gibson was originally offered the role of Maximus, but turned it down as he felt he was too old.
• The crowd scenes in the Colosseum feature a mix of extras, CGI and cardboard cutouts to fill out the stands.

One of the Greatest of All Time?
While I can appreciate the technical triumphs of this film, Gladiator just didn't hit the right notes for me. The story is a little too straightforward and it's only really Joaquin Phoenix's Emperor Commodus who adds any level of intrigue to the film's two-and-a-half hour running-time flow.

I can understand why people like Gladiator, however, it's not a film that I enjoyed watching.