Written by: David Franzoni (story), David Franzoni and John Logan and William Nicholson (screenplay)
Directed by: Ridley Scott
Starring: Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Connie Nielsen, Djimon Hounsou
Rated: R
Watch the trailer
Plot
A Roman general is betrayed and forced to fight for his freedom as a gladiator.
Verdict
Gladiator tells a sweeping, epic story and it has the production values to make ancient Rome real. We root for Maximus, but it's the villain, Commodus, that draws the audience's ire. The writing, acting, and directing combine to form an unforgettable adventure.
Watch It.
Review
This movie looks great. The production values are stunning, opening with an enormous battle led by the Roman general Maximus (Russell Crowe). After winning the battle, Maximus wants to return home to his family, but Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius wants to designate him a the new emperor. The emperor's son, Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix), is jealous of Maximus and paranoid of his power. Commodus is distraught when he discovers he will not be the next emperor.
The one thing Maximus wants, freedom, is the one thing he can't get when he's enslaved as a gladiator. Commodus is ruthless and blood thirsty. Everyone fears his wrath. The stakes in this Hollywood epic are high. Almost every scene is life or death. In his first gladiator battle, Maximus rebukes the crowd asking, "Are you not entertained?" The people miss the point and cheer him.
 |
| Russell Crowe plays Maximus |
The battles are a marvel with many warriors, chariots, and even tigers. They're brutal, bloody, and scary.
Commodus is a well written villain. He loves violence but is afraid of the battle field. He's a coward and unlikable but fancies himself as a well liked general. As great of a character as Maximus is, he's made better by Commodus. It's not that we want Maximus just to succeed, and we do, but we want Commodus to fall.
It's basically good triumphing over evil, overcoming many hardships. The setting of Rome makes this epic. It's a movie that does everything right.
No comments :
Post a Comment