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Gladiator (2000)

Posted By: isabeau

Date: 20 Jan 2008 11:00:00

Gladiator is the kind of movie upon which Hollywood once built its reputation but rarely produces anymore: the spectacle. Filled with larger-than-life characters, gorgeous scenery, impressive set design, and epic storytelling, Gladiator is designed not just to entertain, but to enthrall. It draws audiences in and immerses them in a reality that is not their own. A boisterous reaction is expected every time the protagonist defies the odds and wins a conflict, or changes the tide of battle in his favor. This is filmmaking on a grand scale…

Gladiator is set in 180 AD, and uses actual historical personages and events for background. The events that transpire in the film are largely fictional, but they blend in well with the known facts. The Roman Empire is in full blossom, having survived the excesses of one corrupt emperor after the next. The latest Caesar, Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris), is a scholar who has taken to the battlefield to repel a barbarian threat from Germania. To that end, he has invaded, relying upon the leadership and valor of his best general, Maximus (Russell Crowe), to win the day. Maximus does not disappoint, and the Emperor privately decides to name him as his successor - a decision that does not sit well with Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix), Marcus' son. In a fit of rage and grief, he kills his father, then has Maximus taken away to be executed. The general, however, escapes death, slaying his would-be killers, then races home to protect his wife and son. But he is too late - by the time he arrives, they are both dead, and he is soon taken prisoner by slave-traders. Along with his new friend Juba (Djimon Hounsou), he is bought by Proximo (Oliver Reed), an owner and trainer of Gladiators. Recognizing Maximus' potential, Proximo grooms him for a trip to Rome's Coliseum.

Gladiator weds the heroic scope of movies like Ben-Hur , Spartacus , Braveheart , and Rob Roy with the serpentine political treachery of I, Claudius . (A connection that is italicized by the presence of Claudius lead, Derek Jacobi, in the supporting role of a Roman Senator.) The film never fails to be involving and entertaining, and there are plenty of moments designed to stir the adrenaline. Additionally, the screenplay manages to avoid the trap of predictability. The villains are at least as smart as the heroes, and far more ruthless.– © 2000 James Berardinelli
(source)

Director: Ridley Scott
Writers (story): David Franzoni
Writers (screenplay): David Franzoni, John Logan, William Nicholson
Russell Crowe … Maximus
Joaquin Phoenix… Commodus
Connie Nielsen… Lucilla
Oliver Reed… Proximo
Richard Harris… Marcus Aurelius
Derek Jacobi… Gracchus
Djimon Hounsou… Juba
David Schofield… Falco
John Shrapnel… Gaius
Tomas Arana… Quintus
Ralf Moeller… Hagen
Spencer Treat Clark… Lucius
David Hemmings… Cassius
Tommy Flanagan… Cicero

More info - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0172495/

Awards for this movie: Won ... wins & 79 nominations

Maximus Decimus Meridius, commander of the armies of the north, general of the Felix Legions, loyal servant to the Emperor Marcus Aurelius.

Maximus with Marcus Aurelius, Emperor of Rome, and his son Commodus.

Marcus Aurelius asks Maximus to be Protector of Rome after his death, thereby disinheriting Commodus.

Lucilla, daughter of Marcus Aurelius and sister of Commodus, greets Maximus, her old lover.

After escaping an attempt on his life, Maximus returns home to Spain to find that his wife and child have been murdered on Commodus's orders.

Having been captured by slave traders, Maximus is bought by Proximo (above) for his gladiator school from an Arab slave market.

Commodus, now Emperor after murdering his father, desires his sister Lucilla and regards her as his consort.

Training in the provinces, Maximus and Juba emerge as champions destined for the Colosseum.

Commodus presides over a spectacular season of games in order to win popularity with the Roman people.

Using his skills as a commander, Maximus leads his gladiators to a popular triumph in the arena.

After Maximus has publicly revealed his true identity and defied Commodus, Lucilla attempts to persuade him to kill Commodus so that the Republic can be restored.