Gladiator (2000)

Director: Ridley Scott
Story: David Franzoni, John Logan, William Nicholson
Cast: Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Connie Nielsen, Djimon Hounsou
Music: Hans Zimmer, Lisa Gerard, Klaus Badelt
Time: 155 minutes
Bottom-line: Must watch for Crowe’s acting and some exciting battle scenes

   Ridley Scott’s film on Roman history is one of his best, and definitely one of Russell Crowe’s best films, if not his best. Scott once again shows that he can direct films in various timelines, ranging from 2nd century Rome (this film) to futuristic scenarios (Blade Runner). With a first class performance by Crowe, supported by a terrific performance by Phoenix, Gladiator remains one of the best films on Roman history made so far.

The timeline is AD 180. General Maximus Decimus Meridius (Crowe) leads the Roman army to a successful victory against Germanic tribes, thereby winning the favour of Emperor Marcus Aurelius. He wants Maximus to succeed him as the heir, but his son, Commodus (Phoenix) kills him and takes possession of the throne. Moreover, he also captures Maximus, and sends Quintus and his men to Spain, to kill Maximus’ wife and son. Maximus escapes, but returns home, only to find the burnt bodies of his wife and son. He buries them, passes out, and is considered as a deserter. He is eventually purchased as a gladiator by Proximo. He wins all the battles, and this gets him many friends, including Juba (Hounsou) and Hagen (Ralf Moeller), who are also gladiators. Proximo himself tells Maximus that he fought enough in the Colosseum to earn his freedom. Eventually Commodus, the king, comes to know about Maximus’ fame, and meets him. He is shocked to know that Maximus is still alive, after Maximus vows to take revenge on him. Commodus cannot kill Maximus because the crowd loves him more than Commodus. Maximus’ former lover, Lucilla (Nielsen) also helps Maximus with his needs along the way. The rest of the film is about whether or not Maximus takes revenge on Commodus, and whether or not Commodus kills Maximus before that.

Crowe as Maximus (left) and Hounsou as Juba

 The acting by all the leads is excellent. Crowe’s performance is simply marvelous, and he definitely deserved the Best Actor Oscar that he won for this film. Phoenix also plays a very good role, but however, he did not win the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, though he was nominated. Crowe has multiple facial expressions: that of a victorious but humble leader in the beginning, that of sadness when his family is killed, and that of revenge when he becomes a gladiator. Phoenix plays a villainous -but charming on the outside- king. He plays a calm villain, with a murderous intent. Hounsou also acts well as Juba. Zimmer, along with Gerard and Badelt, has done a great job with the score as well.  

The dialogues are excellent, and several of them are memorable. The memorable ones may not be like the ones of Shakespeare, but yet, few powerful dialogues also add to the film’s overall success. The character of Maximus has these memorable lines: when Commodus asks him who he is, Maximus says, “…Father to a murdered son, husband to a murdered wife. And I will have my vengeance, in this life or the next.” Other famous ones include, “At my sign… unleash hell,” and, “Brothers, what we do in life, echoes in our eternity.” Yet his best line might be when he yells, “Are you not entertained?!” to the crowd gathered at the Colosseum. Proximo also has a famous quote, “The beating heart of Rome lies not in the marble of the Senate, but in the sands of the Colosseum.” Other than the expressions displayed by Crowe, these dialogues also give a boost to his performance. Crowe criticized William Nicholson for some dialogues, but Nicholson later agreed that his lines may have been poor, but Crowe’s acting made them sound good.

Phoenix as Commodus

The story is good, though it occasionally goes slow in some places. The underlying story is one of revenge. The characters are loosely based on real life characters, so if you want to compare the roles, then you can consider this film as an alternate ending to some historic events. The fight scenes are thrilling to see, and the photography is top notch. There are a couple of famous fights, like the reenactment of the ‘Battle of Zama’, where Maximus’ men are on foot, and the enemy is on chariots. The battle between Maximus and Tigris, another former gladiator, is also visually appealing.

Maximus' famous scene: "Are you not entertained?"

Along with the great photography, the settings are also excellent. Like I said, Scott has directed films in various timelines, and so, one would naturally expect good settings in his films, and this film doesn’t disappoint in that aspect. The costumes, the buildings (especially the Colosseum) and all the other vehicles and surroundings are all pretty authentic.

Maximus vs Tigris

 To sum up, Ridley Scott’s Roman epic Gladiator is a highly recommended film. The story may be occasionally slow, but this is covered up by the excellent dialogues, great settings, and great photography. Crowe’s and Phoenix’s acting, along with exciting battle scenes all add to the film. This film may not have the impact or the class of Ben-Hur, but promises to be a fantastic entertainer.

My Rating: 4/5
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 77%