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Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Are you not Entertained?
Gladiator was the s**t to me back in the day. I saw it in theaters, and then when it came out for DVD, I quickly bought it. I was happy that Russell Crowe won the Academy Award for Best Actor and the film won Best Picture. I used to come home from school and watch this movie all the time while doing homework. It got to the point where I could recite the movie word for word. I decided to watch it again, and let me tell you, it might not be the best winner of the Best Picture and Russell Crowe acting was meh. However, this movie is still entertaining because of the badass fight scenes. That is where this film shows its worth, and also, back in high school, I was a HUGE fan of the Roman Empire.
The story of Gladiator is straight forward. The film starts off with a major battle lead by general Maximus Decimus Meridias (Crowe). A dying Emperor Marcus Aurelius (Harris) plans to name Maximus the keeper of Rome so that rule might pass from the Caesars back to the people and Senate. Well, shit hits the fan when Marcus Aurelius neglected and punk-ass son, Commodus (Phoenix), kills the emperor because he wants the throne. During the quick transition of power and Maximus turning his back on giving the new emperor, he is arrested and to be executed. Maximus manages to escape, but on his way home to Spain, he is too late to save his son and child. Distraught, Maximus is taken into slavery and trained as a gladiator by Proximo (Reed). Maximus rage and revenge are only set on killing Commodus one day. The time soon comes when Proximo’s troupe is called to Rome to participate in a marathon of gladiator games held at the behest of the new emperor, Commodus. When in Rome, Maximus shows his military brilliance in one of the games and delivers the ultimate disrespect to Commodus. Soon a plot begins to overthrow Commodus. Maximus slowly gains support from Commodus’s own sister and soon the people.
Let me get the best parts of the whole movie out of the way. The fight scenes in this entire film are fantastic. Scott really makes it a point to show how fighting in the Coliseum was, and it is fun to watch. The first fight scene was the opening. Maybe not the all-time greatest opening in movie history like the war scene in Saving Private Ryan, but this one should rank up there. The tone was set when Maximus said unleash hell, and boy did the Roman army unleash on their foe. The difference in strength and then the calvary riding and cutting down people. That was a badass opening statement to a movie.
The fights when Maximus became a gladiator was insane. Scott did a masterful job with the progression of the character from a nobody to a champion. In the beginning, Maximus is a nobody, and it shows. Another slave gave him this whatever look, and he is paired with Juba. Also, the dude pissing himself shows how real shit was about to get. That scene was entertaining. Then the next fight scene where Maximus fights FIVE dudes and shows the world and asks the famous question: Are you not Entertained?! When he cuts the dude head off with those two swords, Mortal Kombat Fatality should’ve roared through the crowd because it was insane. Then the first fight in the Coliseum. Scott didn’t hold back because we got chariots, people cut in half, and an EPIC fight. Finally, when Maximus fights Tigris of Gaul, you want to talk about a show. That was a show with all the tigers and fighting. Simply BEAUTIFUL fighting all around.
Now the music by Hans Zimmer was one of the biggest highlights of the film. When that music played for the battles, it was loud, intense, and genuinely EPIC. Made your skin get goosebumps because you know s**t was about to go down. The music had it all for that first battle: the drums, violins, trumpets, and the works. When the attack happened, Zimmer seemed to let loose the glory of Rome because that is what would’ve played during that time. Then Zimmer threw in the victory melody that was soft but still triumphant. It let people know that the person won.
Russell Crowe was a beast in this film. Was it his best work? Nope, but it did the job. If I had to think of all the Russell Crowe film roles, this one doesn’t wow you. He was actually pretty mellow and calm in this film. Maybe that is why he is so good. He is a man in control and a general. When the situation seems out of control, he finds a way to succeed, like when the men first get to the Coliseum. He rarely smiles and has short outbursts like the are you not entertained scene. Crowe plays this character perfectly. A man who loved his family but is bound by duty. When he wants vengeance, the dude goes after it.
Joaquin Phoenix, as Commodus, was one of the most IRRITATING people I have seen on film. To this day, I hate his cry-baby ass. He was just a punk-a** b***h who was a spoiled brat because he didn’t get the kingdom. You see why he didn’t get it. Phoenix did a great job showing how flawed this character was. Let me ask you this? During the final fight, the dude looked so pale. You live in an area where there is sun all day. Sit outside and get that tan on fool.
Djimon Hounsou, as Juba, was a nice sidekick to Maximus. Just like slavery, dude was taken away from his home and put into slavery. He fights and convinces Maximus to fight and bring down his enemy. Oliver Reed, as Antonius Proximo, was also very entertaining. He was a cranky old man who was a former gladiator freed by Marcus Aurelius and became a Maximus mentor. The sad part about Reed is that he died during filming.
The beautiful Connie Nielsen, as Lucilla, was nice and pretty good. She was firm but annoying in the beginning. When her father was alive, she was whatever. Walked around like her butt didn’t stink, and she was also Maximus’s former lover. Nielsen showed great change in her character when her brother became in charge. Gone was the smile that was quickly replaced with fear.
Gladiator might not be the greatest Best Picture winner film, but it sure is entertaining. If you are looking for violence, this movie has it. If you looking for a very annoying villain that you want to see die, then this film has it. Even though this film isn’t historically accurate, it could increase your interest in reading about the Roman empire.
