Gladiator Movie Review
Its 180 AD and General Maximus Decimus
Meridius (Russell Crowe) is leading the Roman army to victory against
the Germanic tribe, one that will prove to be Marcus Aurelius’ (Richard Harris)
last. After finally concurring the barbaric tribe in Germania, emperor Aurelius
names Maximus protector of Rome, a decision that doesn’t go down to kindly with
the emperor’s son, Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix).
In order for Commodus to become emperor of Rome he takes matters into
his own hands and squeezes the last remnants of life out of his elderly
father.
After Commodus orders for the execution of Maximus and his family
(a decision conjured out of his bitter personality and jealously towards his
father’s admiration of Maximus), the ex-Roman general escapes and winds up in
North Africa where he is sold to the slave master Proximo (Oliver Reed, who
sadly past away during the filming of this movie).
Commodus decides against plans to open work on the sewerage
system, one that will put a stop to the plague infesting Rome, and instead decides
to re-open the Colosseum games in celebration of his father’s death (though
this is mealy a mask as these games are no more than a form of entertainment
for Commodus’s amusement). This lifting
of the gladiator boycott in Rome paves the way for Maximus to fight his way to
the top so he can seek revenge against the emperor that cast his family into
the after-life.
Gladiator does a great job in re-creating an immersive
atmosphere in Rome at the height of its power. Director Ridley Scott (Alien,
Blade Runner) is renowned for his special effects, and the accolades Scott
earned from constructing the beautiful dark, Sci-Fi atmospheres in Blade Runner
and Alien are kept to good use in ‘Gladiator’ as Scott creates this immersive setting
at the heart of the most powerful civilizations in human history.
Russell Crowe delivers a superb performance in Gladiator
that can’t be faulted, a performance that won him an Oscar for ‘Best Actor’
back in 2001. Joaquin Phoenix is sufficient in his sinister role while his
on-screen sister, played by Connie Nielsen, adds that much needed emotional
depth to the movie.
It’s the musical score though that is the main driving
factor that transforms ‘Gladiator’ from a good movie into a great movie. The
Oscar nominated Score from Hans Zimmer and Lisa Gerrard is fantastic and one of
the standout movie scores ever created. It’s co-ordinated perfectly to
accompany the specific scenes that evoke the spine-chilling emotion. The slow
paced, vocal ‘Now We Are Free’ song is put to good use in the more touching
parts of the movie and the heated battle scenes fit nicely to the higher tempo
of ‘The Battle’. It’s hard to imagine this movie without Zimmer’s score as this
is the main highlight that springs to mind when you think of ‘Gladiator’.
At times Gladiator does struggle from poor lighting, this
being in the opening sequences that create this grainy texture to the back
drop, (mainly present during the battle of Germania scene, due to the lighting
being also concealed behind the German forest).
To accompany this we also get a poor first look at the Colosseum that
visually looks far to animated (though the visuals are subsequently better the
second time round when Maximus arrives in Rome).
This being said none of these aspects damage the backbone of
this movie as this still stands out as a movie not to be missed. The musical
score on its own is enough to entice you in this story. This emotive layer created
by the score, accompanied by the immersive atmosphere all add to this heroic
tale of Maximus defying all odds, to battle against the most powerful man on
the planet. By the time the final confrontation comes to a conclusion you are
left satisfied, and this exhilarating tale of vengeance is a spectacle not to
be missed.
Buy Gladiator on Blu-Ray or DVD.Buy Gladiator Soundtrack from Hans Zimmer and Lisa Gerrard.
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