When a Roman General is betrayed, and his family murdered by an emperor’s corrupt son, he comes to Rome as a gladiator to seek revenge.
Everyone has their top 5 or 10 favorite movies. My top 5 include my most favorite film of all time, “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” but after Raiders, in no particular order, are “Gladiator,” “Babe,” “The Matrix,” and “The Secret of My Success.” And yes, the “Babe” mentioned here is the one about the talking pig, who couldn’t like that movie? Sword-and-sandal epics, such as “Ben-Hur,” “Spartacus,” “Hercules,” “Troy,” and many other titles, never really did anything for me. They were a bit of fun, especially Dwayne Johnson’s iteration of the legendary Hercules but I would never go out of my way to watch them again. In 2000, I went to see “Gladiator” because I was very intrigued by this newcomer of an actor, Russell Crowe. I had seen him in the 1992 indie hit, “Romper Stomper,” in which he played a violent skinhead and his performance was amazing. Then again in Sam Raimi’s fun western “The Quick and the Dead,” and Curtis Hanson’s “L.A. Confidential,” I had a feeling that this actor was going to make a big impact in Hollywood. With “Gladiator,” he did exactly that, picking up an Oscar for Best Actor for his portrayal of Maximus Decimus Meridius, a general in the Roman Army in 180 AD. The stars must have aligned with this film because afterward, I couldn’t wait to see it again and over time, its impact on me grew stronger and stronger until it finally made its way into my top 5 movies of all time.
Crowe’s Maximus Decimus Meridius has just defeated the Germanic tribes near Vindobona and is looking forward to going home to Spain to see his wife and son who he hasn’t seen in almost three years. Maximus is the leader of the Roman Army and has a very close alliance with Emperor Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris). When Marcus confides in Maximus that he is dying and that he feels his own son Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix), is not fit to rule the people, he asks Maximus to succeed him when he passes. Naturally, Maximus has no desire to be a ruler and asks for some time to think about it but later that evening when he is summoned to Marcus’ tent, he arrives only to discover his dead body and Commodus and his guards standing over him. Commodus informs him that his father passed away during the night and he is now the new Emperor and asks Maximus for his loyalty. Maximus knows that Commodus killed him, probably because he was told he would not be ruler and as a result, Maximus refuses his offer. He is quickly arrested by his own men and they are told to take him far away from camp and kill him. When they reach their destination, Maximus manages to successfully kill the soldiers and take their horses and quickly makes his way home but when he eventually arrives, he discovers both his wife and son have been burned to death. He buries their bodies and eventually passes out, a result of an injury he received when battling the soldiers.
When he comes to, he is being transported by slavers who take him to the Roman province of Zucchabar, where he meets Proximo (Oliver Reed), a gladiator trainer. Once he heals, thanks to the assistance of a fellow slave, Juba (Djimon Hounsou), he is informed that he will fight in various arenas to satisfy the people’s appetites for death and bloodshed. Reluctant to fight, he quickly changes his mind when Proximo informs him that if he succeeds in his battles, Emperor Commodus has organized 150 days of games in Rome’s Colosseum and it means that Proximo can bring his gladiators to the city to fight and that will bring Maximus closer to Commodus, as he has sworn revenge against him for killing his family. When they finally make their way to Rome, Maximus and his men have to fight as Carthaginians in a re-enactment of the Battle of Zama but instead of losing, like their real-life counterparts did, they win. When Commodus enters the arena to meet this new gladiator, he is beyond shocked when Maximus removes his mask and swears vengeance for butchering his family. When Commodus must decide whether or not to have Maximus killed, the crowd compels him not to and he and the Praetorian Guard have no choice but to listen to the people. Commodus quickly leaves the arena and swears to have Maximus killed but when his own advisors caution him that by killing him they would turn him into a martyr, he feels lost. When Cicero (Tommy Flanagan), an old friend of Maximus, gets word to him that his former legions remain loyal to him, with the help of Commodus’ sister Lucilla (Connie Nielsen), and Gracchus (Derek Jacobi), an influential senator, they plan to help Maximus escape where he will then take back control of his soldiers, remove Commodus by force, and give power back to the Roman Senate. But things don’t go according to plan as Commodus has spies everywhere and it leads to a final showdown in the arena between Commodus and Maximus, one final battle to the death.
Everything about “Gladiator” comes together beautifully, the acting, direction, set design, cinematography, and the soundtrack, gorgeously scored by Lisa Gerrard and Hans Zimmer. While Maximus can be brutal in war, as soldiers sometimes must be, he cares about his men and will do anything for them. He is a man who does what he must, in order to return home to his family. He doesn’t revel in taking another life but will do so when he has to. Even when he fights in the Colosseum against undefeated gladiators, after knocking them to the ground to where they are unarmed, he chooses to let them live, even when the crowd calls for their death. He is a man of honor and someone you would want to have on your side, in war, and in everyday life. He is loyal to those who are loyal to him and would lay down his own life for them. When Maximus comes across the charred, dead bodies of his wife and young son, you cannot help but shed a tear at one of the most powerful generals in Rome’s military, reduced to that of an inconsolable man, unable to save his family. Watching him fall to his knees and break down as he reaches up and touches their feet as they dangle from a tree, is absolutely heartbreaking. This was the moment, for me, that cemented Crowe’s Oscar win. The rest of the cast, Richard Harris, Joaquin Phoenix (nominated for Best Supporting Actor), Djimon Hounsou, Oliver Reed, and Connie Nielsen, all do excellent in their respective roles and the battle scenes, including the opening fight against the Germanic tribes, induces memories of Steven Spielberg’s “Saving Private Ryan.” This is a movie that has aged well over the last two decades and watching it again for the first time in years, especially in 4K, was an amazing experience. The clarity, resolution, and picture and sound quality are all flawless, akin to its original theatrical release back in 2000. “Gladiator” is that rare gem of a movie, one where all the elements came together magnificently to create one of the very best films of the 21st century. If you haven’t upgraded to 4K yet, I would highly recommend it because movies like this were meant to be seen in 4K.
Available in a Limited Edition 4K Blu-ray Steelbook June 16th from Paramount Home Entertainment
