 Tagline: A general who became a slave. A slave who became a gladiator. A gladiator who defied an emperor. Featuring both the theatrical and extended versions in the perfect picture and sound, Gladiator now sparkles like never before. The stunning historical epic follows Maximus Meridas, the brave general who was forced into slavery, emerged as a gladiator, and defied an empire. Winner of five Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor, Gladiator is a magnificent combination of vivid action and extraordinary storytelling. Masterfully directed by Ridley Scott, and featuring a riveting performance from Russell Crowe, it is truly "a colossus of rousing action" (Peter Travers, Rolling Stone). 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. Written by Chris "Morphy" Terry Reviewer's Note: Reviewed by Martin Liebman on September 3, 2010 -- Unleash hell. It was a time unparalleled in human history. One of the great Empires of modern civilization ruled much of the globe, and despite a landscape littered with primitive technology and a knowledge base far less impressive than that of today, the same ideas, emotions, deceptions, loves, and hates influenced every decision, every waking hour, every breath, every moment of life and, ultimately, death. With such lesser knowledge and lesser understanding came heightened dangers for those less fortunate than others; it was a place where the well-to-do preyed on the weak and saw fit to buy and sell them not only for labor but for pleasure. Assembled from all corners of the Empire came the Gladiators -- often those of a "lesser" heritage, the poor, or even fallen heros -- men tasked with fighting to the death not for God, country, honor, or love, but for the enjoyment of others and the hope of seeing another day. It was a time when sport took on a life-and-death importance for the competitors. A time before contracts, memorabilia, product endorsements, and statistics on the back of trading cards, these athletes were bought and sold and fought and died unceremoniously, painfully, and with no remorse from those that would profit from their demise either financially or emotionally through the rush of the sport and the excitement of the kill. As witnessed in Ridley Scott's Oscar-winning epic Gladiator, it was brutal, bloody, unforgiving -- and the stuff of legend. In the year 180 A.D., the Roman Empire is winding down a war with the stubborn Barbarian Tribes of Germania. Leading the final assault and capping another victory for the Empire was General Maximus Decimus Meridius (Russell Crowe, State of Play). He's proven his valor in battle yet again and is hailed as the Rome's finest general. His prowess on the battlefield and his humbleness off of it has earned him the respect of Rome's Emperor, Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris). In fact, an ailing Aurelius, who loves Maximus as a son, begs of him one final assignment before the hero returns home to live the simple life with his wife and son he so craves: to serve the Empire as the protector of Rome, rid her of the corruption that has begun even influencing his son, Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix, Signs), and prevent the Empire's inevitable decay. Maximus declines, his humble rejection sited by Aurelius as the reason why the General is exactly what the Empire needs to not only survive, but once again thrive. Commodus receives word of his father's decision to turn the Empire over to Maximus. In a jealous rage, the power-hungry Commodus murders his father and, before his father's wishes can be known, he declares himself heir to the throne and orders the execution of not only Maximus, but of his innocent wife and son. Sent to die a dishonorable death, Maximus barely escapes with his life but returns home to find his wife and son murdered. Giving up on life, Maximus collapses but later awakens as part of a slave caravan. He's sold to a former Gladiator named Proximo (Oliver Reed), and despite Maximus' initial refusal to demonstrate his skills as a fighter, his abilities become well-known once he's forced to defend himself from sharpened blades in the hands of determined foes inside the ring. Winning match after match, Maximus becomes a folk hero known as "The Spaniard," vanquishing his every foe with ease. When Commodus expresses a desire to meet the people's champion, he becomes visibly shaken as he learns the Gladiator's true identity and his ravenous thirst for revenge. Gladiator is a good old-fashioned tale of revenge framed in a hard-hitting and grisly Action picture that took the 2001 Academy Awards by storm, ending the evening with five wins, one each for Best Costume Design, Best Visual Effects, Best Sound, Best Actor (Russell Crowe), and Best Picture of the year. Certainly a worthy nominee, Gladiator found itself at the top of the heap in a year with minimal competition; certainly there was no movie in the same class as The Godfather or No Country for Old Men for it to contend with, though Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon did make for a formidable and deserving-of-the-award entrant. Gladiator hearkens back to several other sword-and-sandal pictures, chief among them Stanley Kubrick's Spartacus. Of course, the two films vary widely in style. Though both epics in terms of scope and runtime, Gladiator plays out with a frenetic visual pace that's more akin to Scott's Oscar-worthy follow-up Black Hawk Down than it is the masterpieces that defined the earlier part of his career, namely the slow and deliberate but nevertheless extremely effective Alien and Blade Runner. Gladiator's frenzied style sometimes hinders the film's innate beauty and storytelling abilities, and it often feels like the strong thematic elements are in competition with, rather than expertly integrated into, the action. Nevertheless, Gladiator works on several levels, chief among them as an epic Action piece with memorable characters and several top-notch performances that overcome the visual style and solidify the emotional core. Indeed, Gladiator's best attribute is Russell Crowe. Coming off a pair of strong performances in L.A. Confidential and The Insider (for which he earned his first of three Best Actor nominations), he shows another gear here, himself splendidly mixing action with emotion, even if the film as a whole seems to have a bit of trouble in doing so. His effort is sincere; the sense of loss is palpable, his humbleness at his accomplishments on the battlefield genuine, and his thirst for revenge driven by good intentions and a sense of honor that makes him easy to cheer for. Also delivering outstanding performances are actors Richard Harris and the late Oliver Reed, who passed away during the shoot. Harris' effort as Aurelius nearly matches Crowe's for depth and the palpable sense of honesty and goodwill that his character emotes with every line. The few scenes the two share together easily represent the best dramatic elements to be found in the picture, and there's a chemistry that's brought on by the well-scripted love for country and deeply-rooted respect for one another that the actors embrace wholeheartedly and capture effortlessly. Reed's effort, too, impresses, and his character represents perhaps the most interesting throughout the picture, providing him the opportunity to channel a broad range of emotion as he comes to be involved in Maximus' life. Also delivering solid efforts are Joaquin Phoenix, Connie Nielsen as Commodus' sister Lucilla, and Djimon Hounsou (Blood Diamond) as Maximus' fellow Gladiator, Juba. Director Ridley Scott certainly gets the most out of his actors, and while Gladiator's script isn't quite as deep, meaningful, and emotional as Braveheart's, it withstands the test of time and provides to its characters and, by extension, the actors that portray them, the opportunity to show some depth and range across a broad spectrum that proves to be the film's main attraction. Gladiator presents a rather simply story -- one man's quest for revenge -- but adds plenty of combat, several intriguing political layers, and a romantic subtext along the way. Revenge is a tale as old as time, a staple of fiction -- and history -- that seems to bring with it an everlasting allure that, in the right hands, and with the right script, and the right backdrop, makes for some of the best movies out there. Gladiator is no exception. A Best Picture winner and a good watch on several levels, it overcomes a hyperkinetic style that sometimes distracts from the action thanks to a good story and better performances that make it a fan favorite now and, no doubt, for decades to come. Paramount' remastered Sapphire Series Blu-ray release of Gladiator still features the same awe-inspiring lossless soundtrack and wealth of extra content as its predecessor, but it now also delivers on the format's capabilities with a stunning 1080p transfer that's easily one of the best out there. Cast Notes: Russell Crowe (Maximus), Joaquin Phoenix (Commodus), Connie Nielsen (Lucilla), Oliver Reed (Proximo), Richard Harris (Marcus Aurelius), Derek Jacobi (Gracchus), Djimon Hounsou (Juba), David Schofield (Falco), John Shrapnel (Gaius), Tomas Arana (Quintus), Ralf Moeller (Hagen), Spencer Treat Clark (Lucius), David Hemmings (Cassius), Tommy Flanagan (Cicero), Sven-Ole Thorsen (Tigris). IMDb Rating (07/10/13): 8.5/10 from 557,613 users Top 250: #61
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