The words “a
Ridley Scott film” can mean a lot of things: a science-fiction film, a
thriller, or a straight-up drama. One genre in which he seems to be quite at
ease is the swords and sandals epic, and his most successful entry in that
genre has been his Oscar-winning Gladiator
(2000) with his frequent collaborator Russell Crowe. The story is filled with
representations of corruption in politics, how entertainment can be used to
distract or win the masses, but mostly it is remembered for the fights on the sand
of the arena. This is best encompassed by the hero’s signature scream to the
audience: “Are you not entertained?”
Most people
watching this movie for the first time might probably link it to other similar
epics, but the first thing that popped into my mind and the mind of my parents
and brother when we first watched it was, “this sounds an awful lot like the
French comic book Astérix.” The opening describes how at this point in history
the Roman Empire has vanquished all of its enemies except for a rebellious
Germanic tribe. If you have read Astérix, you would understand why we half
expected a short moustachioed warrior and his big buddy Obélix to defeat the
entire Roman army with their fists. That would have been fun, but it is not
quite the tone Scott was going for.
Instead we get
Russell Crowe as General Maximus Meridius successfully defeating the Germanic
tribe thanks to skills, organizations, and a lot of arrows in a bloody and
muddy battlefield. Despite the exhaustive battle, Maximus has the respect and
loyalty of his soldiers, while Maximus gives his loyalty to the emperor Marcus
Aurelius (the late great Richard Harris). The emperor loves his general like a
son, which is a major slap in the face of his actual son Commodus (Joaquin
Phoenix) who of course has his eyes on the throne. The battlefield is one
thing, but politics is twice as dangerous because there your enemies hide in
the shadows
In a true
Shakespearean twist, Commodus decides to murder his father after he learns he
has offered Maximus the job of emperor in order to reign in the corruption in
Rome. The film is remembered for Russell Crowe’s performance, but Joaquin
Phoenix is equally great as Commodus and gives a much more nuanced performance.
In the scene when the emperor tells him he is not to inherit the throne he
seems genuinely hurt and sad, even when he proceeds to choke the life out of
his father. Connie Nielsen, who plays Commodus’ sister Lucilla, also has a
meaty role since from the moment of her father’s death she is stuck in a life
or death situation. She embraces her brother knowing full well what he is what
he has done, but only because she also knows what he would do to her son should
she get out of line.
Before all the
political backstabbing and plotting in Rome takes place, we get to see Maximus go
from respected general to slave after Commodus orders his death and that of his
family. Captured and sold to Proximo (Oliver Reed, who died during production)
a gladiator trainer, Maximus has lost his faith in his gods and his will to
live. That is until he learns a gladiator can win his freedom through fame and
by being the last man standing in the glorious coliseum in Rome, where the
emperor would meet him in person. Freedom sounds nice, but stabbing Commodus on
the sands of the arena sounds even better. Maximus’ advantage over the other
gladiators is his army training, which allows his to defeat the largest of
opponents while rich people are watching him over food and drinks. Now that’s
entertainment.
Like many
historical films, Gladiator has been
criticised for its inaccuracy, and I remember reading somewhere it holds some
sort of record for having the most movie mistakes, such as actors still wearing
their watches during production. That may be, but once when I see Russell Crowe
charging into battle while Hans Zimmer’s heroic theme is playing I am not
really thinking about history, I am just thinking this is pretty badass. I will
look for historical accuracy in the history books, in the movies I just want to
be entertained.
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