GLADIATOR [DVD] 2000

Drawing its inspiration from Anthony Mann's 'The Fall of the Roman Empire' (1964) and Stanley Kubrick's 'Spartacus' (1960), Ridley Scott's Oscar-winning take on the Roman epic lavishes the genre with the very latest in computer-generated effects technology. After the death of Emperor Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris), Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix) betrays the Emperor's beloved General Maximus (Russell Crowe) and takes the throne for himself. Maximus is sold as a slave and then trained as a gladiator, keeping himself strong with thoughts of revenge. Eventually he is taken to the Colosseum, where he prepares to fight in a contest presided over by the corrupt Commodus. Will he suffer the ultimate humiliation and die for the entertainment of his enemy or will he survive the rigors of the arena and find a way of exacting his revenge? A Spirited, Blood-and-Sand Epic That Still Roars It’s hard to believe that Gladiator is now a quarter-century old, because Ridley Scott’s swords-and-sandals saga still feels ferociously alive. From its opening battle in the misty forests of Germania to the sand-strewn roar of the Colosseum, the film grabs you by the cuirass and never loosens its grip. Story & ThemesAt its core, Gladiator is a revenge tragedy. General Maximus Decimus Meridius (Russell Crowe, in the role that vaulted him to superstardom) is betrayed by the emperor’s scheming son Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix) and sold into slavery—only to rise again as Rome’s most electrifying gladiator. On paper it’s classic melodrama, but Scott elevates it with operatic flair: questions of duty, corruption, the price of power, and the ache for a home that may never be regained. When Maximus murmurs, “Strength and honor,” you believe every word. PerformancesCrowe is all steely resolve and wounded nobility, swinging a sword with the conviction of a born soldier yet speaking to his fellow gladiators with unexpected tenderness. Phoenix’s Commodus, meanwhile, remains one of modern cinema’s great cowards—petulant, needy, and chillingly dangerous. They’re backed by a stacked supporting cast (Connie Nielsen, Oliver Reed, Richard Harris) who lend gravitas to every marble-lined corridor.