Gladiator
IMDB Rating: 8.20, 147070 votes
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Taglines
- A general who became a slave. A slave who became a gladiator. A gladiator who defied an emperor.
- A Hero Will Rise.
- On my command - unleash hell
- Summer 2000 A.D.
- The Gladiator Who Defied An Empire
- What We Do In Life Echoes In Eternity.
Storyline
Maximus is a powerful Roman general, loved by the people and the aging Emperor, Marcus Aurelius. Before his death, the Emperor chooses Maximus to be his heir over his own son, Commodus, and a power struggle leaves Maximus and his family condemned to death. The powerful general is unable to save his family, and his loss of will allows him to get captured and put into the Gladiator games until he dies. The only desire that fuels him now is the chance to rise to the top so that he will be able to look into the eyes of the man who will feel his revenge.
Actors
| Maximus | Russell Crowe |
| Commodus | Joaquin Phoenix |
| Lucilla | Connie Nielsen |
| Proximo | Oliver Reed |
| Marcus Aurelius | Richard Harris |
| Gracchus | Derek Jacobi |
| Juba | Djimon Hounsou |
| Falco | David Schofield |
| Gaius | John Shrapnel |
| Quintus | Tomas Arana |
| Hagen | Ralf Moeller |
| Lucius | Spencer Treat Clark |
| Cassius | David Hemmings |
| Cicero | Tommy Flanagan |
| Tiger | Sven-Ole Thorsen |
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Posted in: 2000, Action, Adventure, Drama, High IMDB rating
Tagged: 2nd century, afterlife, ancient rome, animal attack, archery, arena, arrest, battle, battle scene, betrayal, blockbuster, blood splatter, bloody violence, botched execution, brother sister relationship, caesar, caravan, catapult, chariot, child murder, colosseum, corruption, crossbow, crotch grab, death during filming, death of hero, death of protagonist, decapitation, dismemberment, dog, dungeon, emperor, epic, escape, face slap, famous score, father son relationship, flaming arrow, flying debris, forest, freedom, gambling, general, germany, gladiator, gore, graphic violence, hanging, headless horseman, helmet, historical, honor, hyperrealism, impalement, incestuous desire, jealousy, leadership, loss of father, loss of son, loss of wife, martial arts, murder, murder of family, mutilation, nephew, no opening credits, north africa, parade, patricide, person on fire, political, profanity, redemption, regicide, revenge, roman empire, senate, senator, severed hand, severed head, shot in the chest, shot in the leg, single mother, skip motion, slave, slavery, sliced in two, snake, spain, Sport, stabbed in the arm, stabbed in the back, stabbed in the foot, stabbed in the leg, stabbed in the side, stabbed in the throat, stabbed to death, stabbing, strength, stylization, suffocation, sword, sword and sandal, sword fight, tiger, time lapse photography, title spoken by character, torso cut in half, tragedy, tragic ending, tragic hero, vengeance, violence, War, warrior, wetting pants, widow
50 Comments
Awsome
Like you don’t already know this is a good one…
The moral of the story is … Don’t mess with Maximus!!
Love the opening battle sequence.
Lots of fun on first viewing, pretty worthless on second
Worth seeing
Plot: 8
Originality: 5
Visuals: 8
Acting: 7
Overall: 7
I didn’t like the end!
enjoyable spectacle, but only rewatched for fight scenes
Epic
This movie starts out slow, but only to give the viewer crucial background information on the characters. My younger sister and my ex-girlfriend didn’t have the patience to sit through all two and a half hours, but I sure did… and what a reward. The film is impressive in more ways than one: action, suspense, romance, and a tearjerker ending (for me at least). It was one of my favorite films of 2000, but Best Picture deserved to go to "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon." Nonetheless, "Gladiator" is an outstanding film that is definitely recommended to all.
Yeah, it was good. But Best Picture??? I don’t know.
captivating story, well done all round.
real men don’t wear pants =)
Kick ass movie. Go see it.
historically inaccurate but very entertaining
Actually pretty good, but whether it lived up to the hype is questionable
Kind of long and drawn out…
Awesome
Awesome movie: the battles and the plot were both outstanding. This is very near a score of 10, but not quite there.
Effects aren’t so hot, and Joaquin was just plain annoying.
Mr. Crowe is pretty good, but that Phoenix dude just grossed me out for the whole flick. He’s slobbering and whining for about an hour straight and I just couldn’t stand it.
Some of the fight scenes were pretty good, even if the FX were dull and fake-looking. I liked Crowe’s interaction with his army buddies and the leading lady.
And the whole Gladiator thing was interesting. It’s kind of like the redeeming value Roger Ebert found in "Showgirls"– he liked seeing how stuff worked backstage. Now, he happens to have been completely wrong in that case, but watching Gladiator and seeing how everything worked in the gladiator school and the arenas and the battles was kind of interesting.
Am I Entertained? Indeed.
The word epic is thrown around too often these days, and I consider myself to also be a culprit of this. But if anyone is looking for a defining epic of our time, do not look to Titanic, or even Forrest Gump. Gladiator now holds that position.
Ridley Scott’s sweeping film follows a Roman general who goes from emperor-to-be, to a slave, to a gladiator, to a legend, all while set in the greatest empire of all time. You cannot get more "epic" than that.
The film, starring the now larger than life Russell Crowe, is a grand tale of redemption and family. Despite those underlying lessons of the film, it is still an action flick, something that is prevelant throughout the film. Crowe’s Maximus does go for the revenge he so desperately seeks, and you can bet there are plenty of blood and guts along the way.
Gladiator is a beautiful film to watch, but even better is the tension and war that goes on between Commodus and Maximus, even though they never go to battle until the bitter end. Commodus, an Oscar-worthy performance by Joaquin Phoenix, is a weak character. But instead of showing this through corny dialogue or whiny actions, Ridley Scott employs another technique: makeup. Just looking at Commodus, you can tell what sort of character he is. And Phoenix goes the extra yard by playing what we see. He is pale as a ghost, with bags under his eyes. He embodies the face of a villain who will go to any lengths, a characteristic we see early and often in the film.
Russell Crowe dominates the film, in a performance that should also contend for an Oscar. He was great in The Insider, but Gladiator shows that he can pull off a role that is very simple despite the grand environment surrounding him.
Gladiator tells the story of Maximus, a Roman general. The Roman Emperor, Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris), is dying. After Maximus leads a victory in battle, Marcus tells Maximus that he wants him to be the next emperor. When Commodus, Marcus’s son, finds out, he kills his father in order to take the throne. Commodus then has Maximus arrested, and supposedly killed. Maximus, however, gets away from this, but becomes a slave trying to get back home. Maximus finds out that his family was crucified and burned, which sets out his mission to kill Commodus for revenge.
Gladiator is an excellent film, but one accomplished through stark cinematography and wonderful performances. From the moment the film began, I knew what would happen. It has a slight touch of MacBeth, and while it doesn’t ruin the film, it is the one little nitpick that kept me from proclaiming it as the greatest film this year before anything else came out. The fact that I considered it this early, however, is a testament to the film.
Crowe’s Maximus leads the way, but an outstanding support cast rounds out his performance. The most notable performances come from Oliver Reed, as slave owner Proximo, and Djimon Hounsou, as Juba, a slave who befriends Maximus. Reed, who passed away during the shooting of Gladiator, could not have picked a better way to end his legacy. Reed’s character is essential to the development of and belief in Maximus’s assent, and Reed pulls it off and then some. Hounsou has an understated performance, but one that adds dimension to Maximus, despite his ruthless fighting.
Ridley Scott helmed Gladiator, and I do not think anyone else could have done a better job. The film is a mixture of pure color, filters and special effects, yet they all blend in so well that you do not notice the pure beauty of Gladiator until the credits are rolling. This is both a tribute to Scott’s ability to keep the story at the forefront, and the subtle beauty imposed by cinematographer John Mathieson.
From the opening moments of the film, when Maximus orders his men to "Unleash hell," to the end credits, Gladiator is a grandiose epic that will entrance fans of any genre. It has drama, action, romance, and beautiful scenery. No matter what you are looking for, Gladiator has it, which is not a terrible "vexing" problem to have.
Excellent
Blood, guts and Russell Crowe in a short skirt
Really liked this "sword and sandal" flick. Russell Crowe is really good as the brooding warrior.
Best movie of the year so far.
awesome…best of 2000
The best of 2000 so far. Amazing in every aspect. SEE IT!
Great movie! Russel was awesome, not to mention yummy too. I’d pay to see it again.
One of the best films of 2000 so far
Gladiator is a brillant film, the things done in this film such as the fighting and the violence is top class. Crowe is superb and the ending makes you feel good as well. But one thing should be known is that Oliver Reed goes out with a touch of glory of his life and film carrer (Reed died during filming)
The only problem with it is that it’s a bit long and some people could fall asleep in places. Anyway, everyone must see this.
Tear ‘em up, beat ‘em up, tear their heads off!
Good flick–reminds me of Saturday morning Hercules movies growing up…Ok so I’m dating myself! Pretty gory, but great underdog gets his back movie…
A movie that takes you back in time, and makes you feel the glory that was Rome.
Russell Crowe gives a totally outstanding performance in a fantastic film. As I walked out of the theater, everyone around had smiles & tears on their faces — they were hoping for a slightly different ending, but were obviously in love with Crowe’s character, Maximus. I have a sister that tends to find all the problems in a film, despite how good it was. She had nothing to say, but, "That was excellent’. I’ve been to the theater 3 times to see it!
Great action and story but inaccurate
The glads were like pro players today. They wre often hurt but rarely killed. The contracts were expensive and good ones were hard to find. So fight but try not to kill!
a mediocre version of Braveheart
Like Braveheart, the hero avenges the death of his love. But unlike in Braveheart, we never meet the love and can only make a feeble attempt at sympathizing his anguish. There are many other reasons that Braveheart stands strong in comparison.
But, of course, one might not want to compare the two and find Gladiator a winner in itself, based on the wonderful costumes and cinematography. The storyline is feeble. Typical Hollywood fare and quite predictable. Not much thought required here. If you like action movies with no real storyline because you think complicated plots require too much thought, Gladiator fills that space. The action sequences are many, and nicely choreographed. The Roman period is well portrayed by costumes and backdrops and sceneries.
_star wars: the phantom menace_ in 120ce rome
Very good action movie. The cinematography makes you feel like you’re there.
A masterpiece!
Gladiator (directed by Ridley Scott) is nothing short of a masterpiece. Combining digitally enhanced computer graphics, wonderful performances by veteran actors such as Richard Harris (Camelot) as the grief-stricken ruler, Marcus Arielius. Including Oliver Reed’s final (and best) performance as Proximo the gladiator trainer.
The movie begins with Maximus (played by Russell Crowe) who triumphs over the battle againsts the Barbarian rebels. After winning this battle, he is prepared to return home to his wife and son and let go of his military career.
However, things turn the other direction when Ceasar, Marcus Arelius, passes away and his son, Commodus wishes for Maximus to honor his political power and remain the General of the army.
Maximus turns his back on the king and is sentenced to his own execution. Just like in Braveheart, our hero escapes the clutches of the Roman emperor and seeks revenge against the corrupt ruler.
Throughout his journey, Maximus becomes a slave to Proximo (the Gladiator trainer) and learns the importance of strength and honor.
Gladiator is by far the best movie I’ve seen in a long time. A movie that entertains and leaves you with a sense of spiritual strength.
Ridley Scott - those who love this movie salute you!
Once in a blue moon, a movie comes along that you just don’t want to end. This is one of those movies. Yes - it’s violent - but not gratuitously so. It adds to the realism of gladiatorial brutality. Russell Crowe is perfect in the role of Maximus - strong, cool and played with a sensibility that is seldom seen from major hollywood stars. Oliver Reed ended his career on a high with one of his best performances ever. And Joachim Phoenix as Commodus manages to elicit an A-Z of feelings from the audience, starting with distrust, through to hatred, pity and… well, see for yourself. Gladiator is a masterpiece of modern cinema. They DO make ‘em like they used to. Only better…
GLADIATOR huffs and puffs and not much more…
"Gladiator" is the bloodiest, nauseating, dullest and most old-fashioned gladiator flick in ages - a big thud in director Ridley Scott’s career. It is beautifully shot and appropriately murky but also hopelessly, terminally monotonous.
The indefatigable Russell Crowe stars as the stoic Spanish-born Maximus, general of a Roman army, who in the film’s brutal opening sequence, lavishes an attack against multitudes of barbarians - his command is "Unleash hell." That phrase sums up the film in a nutshell.
Later, Maximus is praised by Emperor Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris - looking more haggard and drunk than ever) for vanquishing the enemy. The dying Emperor also wants Maximus to succeed him, which causes dissent from the Emperor’s devious son, Commodus (Joaquim Phoenix). It is no surprise that Commodus, a weakling who has never seen the gruesome reality of war, kills his father and almost has Maximus killed and guess who becomes the new Emperor?
After Maximus escapes, he is sold as a slave and prepared for death as a gladiator by Proximo (Oliver Reed), a supplier and instructor of gladiators who has seen all kinds of savagery in his heyday. Maximus survives several battles to the death, enough to go to the paramount level - the Colosseum where Commodus is often seen in attendance. Dispensing one of the few clever notions in the screenplay, the Colosseum recreates famous battles yet Maximus ends up beating the odds, to the enormous applause from the audiences who love this kind of spectacle.
"Gladiator" is at heart a revenge story since Maximus wants to kill Commodus for having killed his family and all his friends. But Maximus embodies lots of grunts and excessive moroseness - none of this merits much in the way of empathy or sympathy. His Maximus is a study in complete stoicism from beginning to end but there is not much beyond that - Crowe, an excellent actor, offers no hints of humanity, only vigor. I may be bold for saying this but even Schwarzeneger’s Conan had a sense of humor in between his vicious sword-wielding moments.
The action scenes are another problem. In this age of super MTV-split-second edits, the battle scenes in the Colosseum and in the opening sequence are cut so frantically and with such headache-inducing movement that it is difficult to tell what is happening on screen. I suppose director Ridley Scott considers this an experimental approach post-"Saving Private Ryan" but at least in "Ryan," you had some clue as to what was occuring from one shot to the next (both films are from the company Dreamworks). The similarly old-fashioned, silly "Spartacus" was also cohesively shot and edited so that you never lost sight of who was killing whom. Here it is all a jumbled collage of rapid movements causing headaches more than excitement.
"Gladiator" has some decent performances, the best of which is the intense presence of the late Oliver Reed, but the film meanders at such a languid pace that it is often to difficult to stay awake while watching it. Its joyless, somber tone and thin characters makes it a chore to sit through. This may be the first summer blockbuster for the year 2000 but the outlook is not too promising.
WOW, great story, awesome fights, and beautiful camera work.
You’ve already seen this movie….
when it was called Saving Private Ryan.
Don’t get me wrong, this movie is not bad. In fact, my wife flat-out liked it.
But here is my caution to you, if you have seen and loved Private Ryan more than once, you’re going to enjoy Gladiator less than you would otherwise.
Without ruining the plot (I promise), the following elements were lifted completely from one Dreamworks movie (Private Ryan) to the new Dreamworks movie (Gladiator):
(1) The main guy is really just a teacher who wants to get home — replace "teacher" with "farmer."
(2) Movie opens with huge gory battle that is shot with hand-held camera — same.
(3) As boat approaches the beach, we see one fellow puke from fear and sea sickness — replace "puke" with "pee his pants" and delete the "sea sickness."
(4) When door opens, one poor guy gets hit in the head instantly with a bullet, and there is nothing he could do — replace "bullet" with "mace."
(5) Slow dagger scene causes dramatic death — replace "dramatic" with "dull."
*There are more similarities, but those would ruin the plot.
Anyways, you will enjoy this movie, but PR lovers are not going to love it. And Dreamworks really did cheat us big time.
A lot of hype, but sorta ho hum.
It was like a 50s movie in many ways. The good guys were really good and the bad guys really bad. Lots of action, blood, gore etc., but in the end what do the critics see that I didn’t?
This is a great movie!! Great action, good story
Great special effects
The scenery was great, awesome fight scenes. A little long tho. Best viewed from a Lazy Boy.
it was good and all, but…
it didn’t really live up to what i wanted it to be. i wanted a 9 or better from this movie. there were just some little things that bugged me.
there were too many things that just happened just because. and the big one for me, too many people that seemed to be rather important, but you’re never told why they are important, they just are. what’s up with that?
maybe i just needed a nap first.
all the negative aside, it was one of the most beautiful movies i’ve ever seen. amazing. as a friend of mine would say, it was very shiny. that’s actually what got the 7 from me. it’s so damn pretty that you must see it on the big screen. anything less would just be wrong.
Close to perfect. A MUST SEE movie.
Billy, do you like movies about gladiators?
Lush, stylish, hip, and packed to the brim with over the top action, this movie is undoubtedly the blockbuster against which other summer blockbusters will be measured.
The in-Coloseum scenes were incredible. You could probably make some fall-of-Rome snitty comment and draw the obvious link between people applauding as gladiators kill each other, and people applauding while watching a movie about gladiators killing each other, but why would you? This is pure, undiluted action at its finest.
The one complaint I had was that the movie was a bit long — I didn’t think the behind-the-scenes story was super compelling, and it could have been compressed — maybe even compressed enough to make room for more combat. But overall the movie holds together pretty well. Definitely Ridley Scott’s best effort since Thelma & Louise.
Well, I’ve seen worse…
This movie was pretty good, but it definitely didn’t live up to the expectations it provided. It was a bit slow at points, but the fighting kicked ass. Good story, and a nice performance by Joaquin Phoenix made this one enjoyable. Worth seeing in a matinee, it won’t kill you to wait for this one to come out on video.
russellrussellrussellrussellrussell–YUM
ok, so i’m not just recommending this movie cause russell crowe is just hot damn sexy. the film had me at the edge of my seat, heart pounding. it made me cry, it made me yell. it was an excellent film–great cinematography and even better casting. go see it!
i rated this a 9 because "Definitely recommended" doesn’t due this film justice.
I wanted this to be a 4 hour movie….
Yes, epic best describes this movie. I would have liked it to have been longer, spending the extra time developing Russell Crowes character Maximus a bit more, but I’ll take what I can get.
Russell Crowe was excellent portraying a contemplative general, slave and gladiator with very simple desires. He holds the movie together and you want to cheer for him, cry for him and be led by him.
Once again, it couldn’t be coincidence could it? Lisa Gerrards hypnotic voice provides the somber atmospheric passages; as she did so well in Russel Crowe’s other excellent film The Insider.
Go see this movie.
Enter the Dark, Murky World of the Roman Empire
It is hard to put into words my emotions regarding this movie. On one hand, you have a strong story that is partly told
through the eyes of an even stronger lead character, Maximus (played by Russell Crowe). On the other hand,
you have my kick-down, knock-out, larger-than-life expectations for this movie after reading nothing less than
excellent reviews (with the exception of Roger Ebert’s critique). Which aspect wins out? Let’s talk this through.
We all know what happens when a movie gets too much hype and publicity? It goes the way of the Phantom
Menace, which is to say that it makes tons of money but some viewers can be left wanting - be it from the plot (or lack of one) or from characters who should never have had screen time (can you say Jar Jar Binks?). The Phantom Menace and its soon to be created prequels will thrive on the shoulders and in the heart of its loyal fans and may possibly continue to outshine all other movies at the box office. Gladiator will have to stand on its storyline and the performances of its cast, which it does to a great degree.
The story of Gladiator revolves around General Maximus (Crowe) who wants nothing more than to go home to his
wife, son and his farm after the war against the Barbarians has been fought and won; but the current Casear, Marcus Aurelius (played by Richard Harris), has called him to an even greater purpose. After Marcus Aurelius has ended his reign, he would like Maximus to turn Rome back in a Republic, meaning that the Senate is to be given more power to rule. This means that the Casear’s son would not get a chance to reign. The greatest opposition to this plan is Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix), Casear’s son and would be heir. (No, Commodus is not the creator of the toilet though the director, Ridley Scott, makes light of this by having the Senate’s first request to Commodus be better sewage facilities for the Greek subdivision of Rome). I do not want to give away any key plot points, but I will say that Maximus is forced into slavery under a former Gladitor, Proximo (played by Oliver Reed who died of a heart attack during production) and is forced to fight for his life while trying to fulfill the wishes of the Casear who has been a father to him.
Russell Crowe, who is no doubt a formidable actor that demands attention while on screen, brings a quiet yet exuding strength to Maximus. After seeing Crowe in this film (and aside from the fact that he kicks major ass), I can confirm the rumors that say this movie will propel him into true stardom. Joaquin Phoenix does not disappoint in his performance either as the dark and twisted soul who wants nothing more than to be loved by the people of Rome and by his sister, Lucilla (Connie Nielsen). The art direction deserves to be mentioned, as well. Though I am not a historian on the Roman Empire, I did believe that I was being taken back to the reign of the Casears.
I really did enjoy this movie, though I have to say that I was overly impacted by all the rave other critics were heaping on this film. This did marginally reduce my enjoyment of this film because I was expecting mindblowing action scenes and plots within plots, but without a doubt this film does stand on its own merits. I dare say that it is the summer’s first official blockbuster.
4.5 out of 5 stars.
Epic. Truly Epic.
If you’re expecting a simple bloody movie like, say, 13th Warrior, go away. But take all of that action and combine it with an epic story and you have the makings of a truly great movie.
Russell Crowe portrays the character Maximus, a beloved general in the Roman army going on one final conquest for his king. He does a very convincing job of appearing to be a veteran of war who has seen one too many battles and only desires to return home to his family.
Throw in a treacherous family member, a former lover, and a king who is maybe too late to do the right thing and you have the start of one heck of a movie.
There is blood and guts a’ plenty, but it’s not as gory as, say, Saving Private Ryan. There is certainly a lot more limb hacking though but they do cut away at the critical moments, giving you only a taste of what has happened. This keeps the movie from drowning in its own bloody pool and allows people to focus also on the strength of its story. Unlike an earlier picture I reviewed not too long ago, this movie had a very intelligible plot that was easy to follow without being too predictable.
Gripes… Hmm… None specifically. I know some people complained about the mishmash of accents spoken in the movie. To that, my response is think of the Ancient Roman Empire as a large melting pot of people. In one scene you will see what appears to be an Arabian marketplace that is part of the Roman Empire. With such a wide ranging empire you expect that people will come from different backgrounds, hence have different accents.
Seeing as how Latin isn’t exactly a commonly spoken language anymore, you can’t exactly ask someone to speak with a "latin" accent, now can you? So naturally the end result is a lot of british and irish accents.
Do yourself a favor and see this movie on the big screen. A movie like this deserves such a viewing.
Coulda been better
I was at a special screening for this movie on 2 MAY. I was a little disappointed in this movie as I expected it to be a ’spectacle’ - type movie. It is really long with many slow spots. There is no nudity, sex, or language except one ’s’ word, but there is much violence as you might expect. Maximus, the general, wins the last battle for Rome in a long and drawn out battle scene with many blurry shots and lots of carnage. Commodus kills his father the Emperor and tries to get Maximus to pledge him allegience, which he will not give. Commodus has Maximus hauled off to be killed, but he gets away and goes home where he finds his family murdered. His gladiator days begin when he is found by an ‘entertainer’ who collects people to fight in the arena. Maximus eventually ends up in Rome fighting and winning the people over. Commodus is truly evil and should get an Oscar for his devilish performance. This movie is very gory, but very long and boring in a lot of places. I don’t think it will do very well in the box office.