# Gladiator (2000)

### reviewed by
Akiva Gottlieb

    Gladiator ***
    rated R
    154 minutes
    DreamWorks/Universal
    starring Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Connie
    Nielsen, Oliver Reed, Derek Jacobi, Djimon Hounsou,
    Richard Harris, David Schofield
    written by David H. Franzoni, John Logan, William
    Nicholson
    directed by Ridley Scott

    A Review by Akiva Gottlieb

Summer is beginning earlier than ever, with each year's first blockbuster action picture being released in early May. Last year, early May brought us `The Mummy', easily the worst film to hit screens in 1999. The summer of 2000, however, seems to be a more ambitious one, with its May blockbuster being Ridley Scott's thrilling `Gladiator', a solid, high-octane period picture that wears the guise of a sweeping, emotionally-charged epic.

The success of `Gladiator' (both critically and commercially) should be attributed to two film veterans. The first is director Ridley Scott; a man who, in the early 80's, changed the face of science-fiction forever with `Blade Runner' and `Alien', and showed a knack for female-exploitation with his estrogen-fueled `Thelma and Louise' and `G.I. Jane'.

The second reason for the event-movie status of `Gladiator' is Australian heartbreaker Russell Crowe, who was recently robbed of an Oscar for his riveting work in Michael Mann's `The Insider'. After years of stunning bit roles in American films like `L.A. Confidential', he may finally become a recognized star with his compelling performance in `Gladiator'.

The film begins with a battle sequence so sharply edited that it rivals the football matches in Oliver Stone's `Any Given Sunday'. The Roman army, led by General Maximus (Russell Crowe), engages in bloody combat with an incompetent squad of Germanians, and comes out victorious. The battle brings to an end another tireless war, and the dying king Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris) feels that it is time to pass his crown on to another man.

The expected choice would be Aurelius' son, the brutally unscrupulous Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix). But Aurelius has a different agenda, and tells General Maximus in closed quarters that it is he who he wants as heir. When not on the battlefield, Maximus is a humble farmer with a wife and son, and claims not to know a thing about Rome and/or politics. Aurelius claims that his lack of political knowledge proves only that he has not been corrupted by Roman wealth, unlike his son.

When Commodus learns of his father's proposal to Maximus, he murders his father and then orders Maximus to be put to death. Maximus escapes his execution, and his wife and son suffer the fate that he was planned to receive. In the desert, a wounded Maximus is captured and sold as a slave to a man who plans barbaric gladiator fights in large stadiums. Because of his former stature in the army, he is quite a fighter, and becomes known as `The Spaniard'. He plans to use his new `power', and some help from the radiant Lucilla (Connie Nielsen), to help exact his revenge on her brother, Commodus.

`Gladiator' is full of intense, strategic scenes of gladiatorial battle, and beautiful, wide-angle cinematography. It is a slick action film, entertaining and often thrilling, but if Ridley Scott is aspiring to a sweeping, `Braveheart'-like epic, then his work is unsuccessful. `Gladiator's' plotline is the generic revenge tale, somewhere along the lines of `Hamlet' and `The Count of Monte Cristo'.

`Gladiator' is glorious on a technical level, but the emotional aspects of the film are not on par. Crowe's Maximus is a traditional hero, Phoenix's Commodus his traditional villain, and like most action films, `Gladiator' is traditionally predictable. Though the film has been blamed for some historical inaccuracies, the period detail of ancient Rome seems particularly genuine.

Ridley Scott is a master of the movie blockbuster, and his films are often revered by his legion of fans long after their original release. Despite a number of shortcomings, `Gladiator', a film magnificent in its scope, should prove to be no exception. It is a wonderful way to kick off a long summer.

    Akiva Gottlieb
    Critical66@yahoo.com
    http://pictureshow.8m.com

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