GLADIATOR
SYNOPSIS:
Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris) is old and frail, close to death. His son,
Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix) is a disappointment to him and not a worthy successor, although
his ambition is endless. Marcus asks his victorious General Maximus (Russell Crowe) to
take over the reins as Protector of Rome and return power to the people, but before this
wish can become reality, Commodus senses something amiss and intervenes, triggering a
chain of events that changes the future of the Roman Empire. Maximus has to survive
Commodus' jealous fury, the assassination of his own family and the ignominy of being a
slave. But it is as a slave-gladiator that Maximus finds the way to serve Rome once again,
and help deliver on his promise to the late Emperor Marcus.
"Epic cinema is back - and two Australians make enormous contributions to its
welcome return: Russell Crowe is a glorious gladiator, a combination of brains and brawn,
complete with a noble soul, that can stand proudly alongside the likes of Kirk Douglas in
Spartacus or Charlton Heston in Ben Hur. His Maximus is a genuinely heroic character,
something that is essential for the film to succeed at the top of our expectations. The
other Australian is musician (working with Hans Zimmer) Lisa Gerrard (who also worked on
Crowe's previous film, The Insider), whose inventive ideas and bravura vocals adorn this
score as well as they do The Insider's. But they are not alone: Ridley Scott's splendid
direction makes the most of a rousing script and a raft of technological tools that
(entirely hidden) work miracles in recreating ancient Rome, from the Colosseum to the
caves beneath it. But his tightest focus is on the characters and the emotional ebb and
flow of a story that, while not the most original in the world, captures the importance of
individuals' actions, explores character and sets it in the larger socio-political setting
so it has real context for us. The film succeeds in puffing life into its characters and
in taking us onto the battlefields, into the bloody arena and most importantly, into the
hearts and minds of its protagonists. Much of the latter is thanks to the impeccably
chosen cast of (largely) English actors, while the former relies on the crafts people in
stunts, production design and CGI applications. But the single most crucial element in
Gladiator's favour is its script, which is driven by the belief that positive human values
are worth living and dying for. It's also a thrilling, engrossing entertainment."
Andrew L. Urban
"Bringing back the excitement and spectacle of the epic in glorious style,
Gladiator is a magical movie event that will keep you on the edge of your seat from start
to finish. Just as epics like Ben Hur and Spartacus brought us the moving story of an
individual on a platform of hundreds and thousands, Ridley Scott has injected flair
supreme, achieving a superb balance of action and emotion. Reliving all the pomp and
ceremony of ancient Rome, we are dazzled by extraordinary battles and fight scenes, admire
stunning vistas in England, Malta, Italy and Morroco and are moved by the human story at
its core. But times have somewhat changed, and 33,000 of the spectators in the Colosseum's
arena are now computer generated and seamlessly blended into the mix. But there were no
short cuts for the extensive training of the actors, stuntmen and thousands of extras
whose required training for the sword fights was extensive. Russell Crowe – his rich,
deep voice never more appealing – is magnificent as the man who has to win his
freedom more than once. Crowe excels at both the physicality of the role and the subtlety
of characterisation, exposing the simple goodness of a virtuous man. The casting is
faultless with Joachim Phoenix compelling as the ambitious Commodus, whose resentment and
jealousy is almost visible. The production design is lush, costumes detailed, the
cinematography riveting. But it is Hans Zimmer & Lisa Gerrard's score that captures
our spirits and with their magnificent music, stirring our emotions. Escapism and gripping
entertainment all at once, Gladiator is a film about strength, honour and courage. An
inspirational film to admire and enjoy."
Louise Keller
"Forty years after Ben-Hur and Spartacus and twenty years after Caligula, it's
taken the awesome skill of director Ridley Scott to bring the Roman spectacle to life
again - and how. The two and a half hour running time has it all - a fabulous history
lesson, thousands of extras, massive battle scenes and best of all, a literate, well
crafted screenplay. Watching how cleverly Scott makes us love Maximus from the first frame
is the first sign we're in for something special. He looks at a bird, watches it fly away
and smiles. A simple, beautiful character sketch before the bloodletting begins. There's
so much to praise in this bold, eye-popping spectacle which made me think we were back in
Anthony Mann-land for a moment. Russell Crowe handling weaponry and emotional duties with
equal skill, Joaquin Phoenix born to the role of the snivelling hissable villain of the
piece and Richard Harris clocking in a best supporting actor worthy appearance as the
dying emperor. It's also a wonderful cinematic swan song for Oliver Reed who musters all
the talent he had previously wasted and throws it superbly into the role of gladiator
entrepreneur Proximus. I loved this film which demands to be seen on the biggest screen
possible and is a full blooded spectacular worthy of the title."
Richard Kuipers
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CRITICAL COUNT
Favourable: 3
Unfavourable: 0
Mixed: 0
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FEATURE
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SOUNDTRACK REVIEW
 TRAILER
GLADIATOR (M15+)
(US)
CAST: Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Connie Nielsen, Oliver Reed, Derek Jacobi, Djimon
Hounsou, Richard Harris, David Schofield, John Shrapnel
PRODUCERS: Douglas Wick, Branco Lustig, David Franzoni
DIRECTOR: Ridley Scott
SCRIPT: John Logan, William Nicholson, David Franzoni
CINEMATOGRAPHER: John Mathieson
EDITOR: Pietro Scalia
MUSIC: Hans Zimmer and Lisa Gerrard
PRODUCTION DESIGN: Arthur Max
RUNNING TIME: 152 minutes
AUSTRALIAN DISTRIBUTOR: UIP
AUSTRALIAN RELEASE: May 4, 2000
VIDEO DISTRIBUTOR: Universal Pictures Video
VIDEO RELEASE: December 6, 2000
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