Member review

I didn’t expect to enjoy “Gladiator.” Whilst I like “Thelma and Louise”, “Alien” and absolutely love “The Martian”, I find the filmography of Ridley Scott very hit-and-miss, with movies like “Robin Hood” failing to leave a positive impression on me. I was surprised therefore that I was riveted by “Gladiator”, the performances are powerful, the scope is staggering and the action set-pieces are enthralling. Due to the bloody violence, this definitely isn’t a film for the squeamish, but I’d highly recommend “Gladiator” (despite the fact that most people have probably seen it already!)

Russell Crowe is excellent as the protagonist, Maximus, the general who became a slave before rising up to become a gladiator and taking on the emperor. It’s a captivating narrative and Crowe sells every beat of it brilliantly, from the stoic determination to the grief and rage. As stirring as his monologues are and as believable as he is during the action sequences though, I’m surprised that Crowe won the Best Actor Oscar for his work here; this doesn’t seem like the sort of movie that Academy voters would usually give big awards to.

Joaquin Phoenix is suitably bizarre and detestable as the film’s antagonist Commodus, managing to be both a snivelling idiot and a frightening psychopath at the same time. Commodus is so pathetically unlikable that I jumped in the air and cheered when he finally got what he deserved (which is something I don’t do very often), so well done Phoenix, you did a good job at creating a vile monster!

The supporting cast are also tremendous, they bring gravitas to this epic story and flesh out their characters extremely well, so that you genuinely care what happens to them by the end of the film. Connie Nielsen, Oliver Reed (who died during the film’s production), Djimon “WHO?!” Hounsou and Richard “the first Dumbledore” Harris are all compelling and engaging to watch on screen.

Ridley Scott’s direction in “Gladiator” is immensely impressive, the action is stunningly shot, the camera captures the awe and spectacle of Ancient Rome very well (despite some dated CGI) and the cinematography is imaginative and operatic.

The action in “Gladiator” is superbly constructed, it’s gory, pulse-pounding and gargantuan in scope, but I felt it also brings a subtle level of moral ambiguity to the proceedings. We may be on the edge of our seat as audience members, egging on the heroes of the story and becoming wrapped up in the combat, but doesn’t that make us 21st Century viewers just like the spectators in Ancient Rome, being entertained by watching human beings get torn to pieces? Maybe I’m imagining this supposed level of complexity to an otherwise fairly straightforward film, but it’s still an interesting idea to think about.

Although I don’t have any real criticisms of “Gladiator”, there is one aspect of the movie that I found very distracting, that being Hans Zimmer’s musical score. Don’t get me wrong, Zimmer is one of my favourite film composers and the score in “Gladiator” is decent, but the fact of the matter is, it sounds exactly the same as the iconic music in the “Pirates of the Caribbean” franchise. Hearing the energetic and adventurous music that reminds me of Captain Jack Sparrow’s many adventures during battle sequences containing various decapitations, dismemberments and other unpleasant injuries sadly breaks the immersion of being in Ancient Rome. It’s not a game-breaking flaw, but as someone who has a lot of nostalgia for some of the “Pirates” films, I couldn’t help but be caught off guard by almost the exact same music appearing in such a wildly different movie.

In conclusion, “Gladiator” is a fantastic film. It’s both an exciting historical epic and a thrilling action extravaganza whilst also featuring poignant character drama and nuanced performances. I wouldn’t call it a masterpiece, but don’t worry Russell, I was entertained!