Gladiator (2000)
In the year 180, the death of emperor Marcus Aurelius throws the Roman Empire into chaos. Maximus is one of the Roman army's most capable and trusted generals and a key advisor to the emperor. As Marcus' devious son Commodus ascends to the throne, Maximus is set to be executed. He escapes, but is captured by slave traders. Renamed Spaniard and forced to become a gladiator, Maximus must battle to the death with other men for the amusement of paying audiences.
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That was an excellent one.
A Brilliant Conflict
Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.
The film may be flawed, but its message is not.
This movie won Best Picture for 2000, which upset Roger Ebert. He thought the movie was murky looking, had bad special effects, mediocre acting from Russell Crowe, and he brought down his rating for historical inaccuracies. (Says the guy who praised Brave heart and The Last Temptation of Christ-both of which are great movies."Was he not entertained?") His co-host at the time disagreed and called it one of the best movies she had ever seen. So do I, but not very highly.(It's currently, as I write this, 62nd out of 67 spots.) I am not bothered by historical inaccuracies, only major biblical ones.(Speaking of which, this masterpiece is from the director of the awful Exodus Gods and Kings.) The action makes this fun and that's all that counts.If you enjoy Ben-Hur, which won Best Picture 41 years prior,you may like this too, because this has a similar plot. Both are about a person enslaved by a friend, and that person wanting revenge. While Crowe's character does not meet Jesus and does return for vengeance-unlike Ben-Hur, the movies share similar plot structures.Gladiator is fun, action packed, and thrilling. While I prefer Traffic, I do think was worthy of winning Best Picture. It's well worth seeing.
I believe one of the greatest lines: My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius, commander of the Armies of the North, General of the Felix Legions, loyal servant to the true emperor, Marcus Aurelius. Father to a murdered son, husband to a murdered wife. And I will have my vengeance, in this life or the next.
I'd heard so much about the Roman Empire from history class, but never got to watch many movies about it. I'd watched Ben-Hur but this was closer to the grandeur of a lost empire. Nail-biting action and suspense with a revenge plot make for a good story. A respected warrior goes to zero then back up again in order to find justice and peace. Will he succeed? Is he doomed to a premature death? Let those be your guiding questions as you watch the film. It may not be entirely accurate but it's good as a period piece. Plus we get some familiar faces.
Do you love action? Child endangerment? Love the Roman empire? Incest? This is the movie for you. A lot happens in it's long run time. Dont get me wrong though it's a fun ride throughout. With only a couple parts that drag. Otherwise decent pacing. Great acting by most of the cast. Phoenix is fun. One of the classics that you should definitely try and watch