# Gladiator (2000)

### reviewed by
Berge Garabedian

    GLADIATOR
    RATING: 8 /10 --> Great movie

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Rave reviews about this movie have been trickling onto the Net for months now. Russell Crowe is an extremely hot commodity after his Oscar nomination for THE INSIDER, and Ridley Scott has been due for a big movie for some time now. With all of these expectations brewing in my little head, I was just asking to be disappointed in this hyped film, but once I got into my seat, absorbed battle scene after crazy battle scene, I couldn't help but be drawn into this motion picture event myself. See it for yourself. It's solid.

PLOT: A highly respected general of the Roman Empire is stripped of his livelihood and family, when the son of the recently deceased Emperor decides that he is a threat to his leadership. Enslaved and forced to join the gladiator circuit and fight for survival, it isn't long before the fallen man discovers a way to return to Rome and face the man who ruined his life.

CRITIQUE: A sprawling epic set ablaze by massive sets, genuine authenticity, awesome battle sequences and yes, even a good ol' fashioned story dipped in love, power and revenge. And to top it off, this film officially christens Russell Crowe as an all-out "movie star", a man laced with superior acting talent, an impressive body of work and a rugged handsomeness to boot! Having seen him in several interviews, Crowe comes across as the ultimate unpretentious actor, whose down-to-earth manner and subtle charm endears him to most anyone who follows his work. A man's man starring in a film created for men, but ultimately accessible to all. The film's strong points are unquestionably highlighted in its various battle scenes, but don't let it be said that these fights are set adrift in a plot-less movie. In fact, many internal struggles take place in this picture with love, redemption, revenge, honor, tradition, allegiance and blackmail all making personal appearances. For perverts, incest also plays a part in the festivities, albeit a small one, but it is the film's sheer scale which demonstrates its grandest achievement. All we kept thinking about as we walked out of the theatre was how Hollywood has been rebooting crappy TV shows into movies for the past decade now, and no one, and I mean no one, ever thought to bring back the Roman action flicks.

Kudos to Ridley Scott for having the balls to go ahead with it, and further kudos to him for managing to pull it off so magnificently. God knows copycat producers are already developing various incarnations of this film for next summer, but this will surely be the one to remember. You always remember your first. A couple of minor complaints of mine include the so-so showing by Phoenix, who seemed to be "acting" a little too much for my taste, some scenes which dragged on for a few minutes too long, and the general predictability of the story. Of course, none of these minor details made much of a dent in my overall enjoyment of the movie, which was all but certified with a great ending, accentuated by some effective emotional drama. Yes...I even got a little choked up. Of course, you don't have to take my word for it, you can read just about every other review of this film on the Net, the majority of which praise the movie through and through. In the end, you will more than likely get your money's worth on this picture if the story and trailer appeals to you. Now put your hands together and welcome back...the epic motion picture!!

Little Known Facts about this film and its stars: Russell Crowe had no problem packing on 40 pounds for his Oscar-nominated role in THE INSIDER, but took much longer to lose the weight for this film. With his cholesterol level being at such a high rate, the Australian actor only managed to lose 5 pounds after his first five weeks of working out alone. Russell also accepted the role on a giant leap of faith. When presented to him, they basically said "We don't have a script which is good now, but we've got a concept. Ridley Scott...185 A.D...you start the movie as a Roman General. Want to talk to Ridley?" Russell immediately agreed. He's been acting since the age of six and smoking since the age of ten. Joaquin Phoenix was born with a cleft lip, and is the younger brother of late actor River Phoenix. Joaquin was the one who made the 911 phone call on the night his brother overdosed at the Viper Room. The character of Maximus is purely fictional, but the rest are all drawn out of the history books. Actor Oliver Reed, who portrayed the role of Proximo in this film, died of apparent heart failure toward the end of filming.

    Review Date: May 4, 2000
    Director: Ridley Scott
    Writers: David H. Franzoni, John Logan and William Nicholson
    Producers: David H. Franzono, Steven Spielberg and Douglas Wick
    Actors: Russell Crowe as Maximus
    Joaquin Phoenix as Commodus
    Connie Nielsen as Lucilla
    Genre: Action
    Year of Release: 2000
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    (c) 2000 Berge Garabedian

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