Gladiator

The year 2000 was a big year for movies. Personal animated favorites of mine were "The Road to El Dorado" and "The Emperor's New Groove". You also had "Cast Away", "X-Men" and "Mission: Impossible II" among many, many others. Even though my favorite movie of that year would have to be "Remember the Titans", I can't see it as the face of moviemaking for the year 2000 amidst all these other great shows. That honor goes to "Gladiator". It more than deserved its Best Picture Academy Award. Oscar-nominated director Ridley Scott has created many well-known and well-made films previous to this but I can't see any other work of his outshining this epic. There is genuine action, drama & eye candy. When you appeal to more than one kind of audience, you have something that will remain in pop culture for a long time to come. The performance of Russell Crowe is yet another reason why the movie stands out from others of that year.

"The general who became a slave. The slave who became a gladiator. The gladiator who defied an emperor. Striking story." After such films as "Braveheart" and "Titanic" in the 90's, one might say that classic Hollywood epics were making a comeback during the Blockbuster era. "Gladiator" would be more proof of that claim and the opening battle sequence in particular. I can see some references to "Saving Private Ryan" during the battle from a cinematographic standpoint. For me, Maximus can be most likened unto another revolutionary general: George Washington. Both men commanded huge armies to victory and had access to great power but did not want it. Reluctantly, they both continued to serve and lead their respective nations until the end of their lives but not as tyrants. Emperor Marcus Aurelius knows that Maximus is more of a servant than a ruler, which makes him perfect to be a regent that he might rid Rome of corruption. After Maximus finds himself a slave, he fights only when he needs to in order to stay alive. He has not forgotten the task that Marcus Aurelius gave him and by pursuing that charge, he will also have revenge against Commodus for killing his family. He will only go to his family in the afterlife in honor. His owner, Proximo, inadvertently gives him the advice that helps him achieve his goals faster. Maximus kills in the arena not to entertain but for lack of a better option. If he has no choice but to be a Gladiator then he might as well get the contest over with as quickly as possible in order to stay alive. Proximo informs Maximus that showmanship in addition to skill is also crucial to being a successful gladiator and this comes in very handy in Rome. By the time he arrives in the city, Maximus is already a celebrity under a different alias. Some of his fellow gladiators by this time however know who he really is. This allows for a great battle and Maximus finds himself face to face with his enemy after his victory. When he reveals his identity, it seems to me that Maximus expects to be killed on the spot. He won't kill Commodus as he had hoped because of Lucius' close presence. He forgets for a moment however that he has won the crowd and therefore the mob and by extension, the people. For those in the Coliseum after Maximus is allowed to live, they see someone who came from the lowest order change the Emperor's mind. If this was a Shakespearean tragedy and Commodus was the central character, this would be his first fatal mistake in Act 3 that would ultimately lead to his downfall. Commodus knows that he must have the love of the people in order to dissolve the senate and become all-powerful. If he had killed Maximus, there would have been backlash but I believe it would have nevertheless sent the strong message that Caesar will not tolerate defiance. In sparing Maximus's life, he has made himself the bad guy and Maximus into an even bigger hero than before. For the film audience, Commodus' immoral nature truly makes him a villain. Lucilla is unable to help Maximus fully understand his influence but his friends teach him something equally as powerful. Maximus doesn't yet understand how he can bring about change as a gladiator but Juba and Hagen help him realize that he won't be executed in secret. After Commodus spares his life, the only way Maximus can be killed without Commodus losing his power is in the arena and that is something Maximus has some control over. The poisonous food gag is a great moment that teaches this.

When Tigris of Gaul is defeated, Commodus is only too happy to give the people what they want. Maximus once again however will not acknowledge Caesar's power and the people see the good in Maximus when he spares Tigris. Also, I don't think the people really wanted Tigris, a beloved champion, to die. Maximus could kill Commodus in this moment but exercises self control for a number of reasons. Commodus challenges Maximus to take his revenge and Maximus knows that it is pointless with the guards nearby. Even though he is the former general, some of the guards may be loyal to Commodus. The Emperor wouldn't make such a dare unless it was in his favor. Also, Maximus would not be able to fulfill his other mission of making Rome a republic if he killed Commodus. Lucius may be absent this time but Maximus is beginning to understand how true victory is obtained politically. Commodus on the other hand has barely any control by this point. He can't have Maximus killed because it will be martyrdom and the longer Maximus is alive, the more power Commodus looses. I like Senator Gracchus. He is more republican-minded than Maximus it seems. At first, he doesn't like Maximus' plan because win or lose, it seems to end with an Emperor in power. Thankfully, Maximus persuades him in the name of Marcus Aurelius to trust his plan on creating a republic through revolution. When the plan fails, Quintus comes over to Maximus' side after Commodus stabs Maximus in an effort to cheat. Another reason why Quintus changes allegiances is Maximus' revelation that Commodus killed the previous Emperor. Because Commodus fails to openly deny this, Quintus will not help Commodus during the duel. Commodus may have temporarily stopped the overthrow of his crown but he continues to make mistakes that in due course make all the difference. The reason Quintus does not hand Maximus his sword in the arena is his constant fear. He may favor Maximus but at this point, it doesn't look like Maximus can win. He also fears that Maximus may kill him before the duel.

The list of other actors who were considered to play Maximus is interesting. Mel Gibson felt too old to accept the part and I am somewhat glad he turned it down. If he had been Maximus, "Gladiator" would have felt like a sequel to "Braveheart". Antonio Banderas might have worked and it is worthy of noting that Hugh Jackman was considered as well. I guess Bryan Singer wasn't the only person in Hollywood who saw past Jackman's singing voice. Despite these talented alternatives, it is almost blasphemous to try and imagine anyone else in the role other than Russell Crowe (it is worth mentioning that Jackman and Crowe would later act and sing together in "Les Miserables"). When I first saw the movie, I didn't think that Crowe's performance was extremely special. Now I can see why he won the Oscar although I still wish Tom Hanks had won for "Cast Away". Crowe makes many of his lines his own such as "My name is Gladiator". The line "On my signal, unleash hell" was improvised by Crowe but my favorite line in the movie is "Father to a murdered son, husband to a murdered wife, and I will have my vengeance, in this life or the next." The music does wonders during that last line. When I first saw the movie, I mistook Joaquin Phoenix for Tony Goldwyn because both actors seem to have dark shadows around their eyes. This movie introduced me to many actors including Crowe, Phoenix, the great Richard Harris and Djimon Hounsou. I was so impressed as a teenager by Harris' performance and I am glad for that because it made for some great film experiences over the next few years with "Harry Potter" and "The Count of Monte Cristo". For over a decade after "Gladiator", I didn't see Hounsou in another movie and then in 2014, I saw two of his movies: "How to Train Your Dragon 2" and "Guardians of the Galaxy". The first time I ever took notice of Derek Jacobi was over a decade after this movie. I have seen and heard his performances in various roles since I was a child but it wasn't until another Best Picture-winning film, "The King's Speech", where I finally took notice of him. He was great as Senator Gracchus. The character of Proximo was supposed to live at the end of the movie but actor Oliver Reed died of a heart attack before the end of filming. Two minutes of his scenes in the film are accomplished with a body double and computer generated facial replacement. You can somewhat see this in the final scene between Proximo and Maximus. Proximo's death scene is staged the way it is in order to use the shot from earlier in the movie where Proximo says "Shadows and dust." The whole movie is full of amazing special effects that adds grandiose to many scenes such as Commodus' return to Rome as Emperor. That sequence was inspired by the Nazi documentary "Triumph of Will" from the 1930's with Ridley Scott borrowing quite a few images such as children with flowers and eagles. By the way, George Lucas also borrowed from that documentary for the final scene of his 1977 blockbuster. My favorite shot and the quintessential special effects shot in all of "Gladiator" is the 360-degree camera move from inside the Coliseum. Only a third of the Coliseum was built in real life and the rest was added with CGI. Still, that set cost a million dollars to build. Hans Zimmer and Lisa Gerrard's score is unique but you can hear some similarities to the music from "Mission: Impossible II" which was released the same year and featured both Zimmer and Gerrard. There are also some resemblances to Zimmer's music scores for "The Prince of Egypt" and "Pearl Harbor".

The character of Maximus Decimus Meridius barely made the American Film Institute's list for the greatest film heroes at #50. The movie itself however earned much greater honors. As mentioned, it won Best Picture at the Academy Awards as well as Best Actor (Russell Crowe), Visual Effects, Costume Design and Sound Mixing. I should also state the Oscar nominations for Best Supporting Actor (Joaquin Phoenix), Director (Ridley Scott), Musical Score, Editing, Cinematography, Original Screenplay and Art Direction. Actually, "Gladiator" was the first film since 1950 to win Best Picture without winning an Oscar for either directing or screenwriting. Scott currently now has three Oscar nominations and I hope he wins before retirement. Some might ask why I rate this film only 4 stars out of 5 instead of higher and the reason is a matter of preference. I prefer certain genres over others. The point I wish to make is that this movie acts as a bridge between big movies from the last century with those in the new century. You have an epic scale like unto "Ben Hur" as well as amazing digital effects that have become a staple for big Hollywood movies after the year 2000. I can give credit to "Gladiator" for effectively ushering in a new millennium of filmmaking.

4 Stars