Gladiator (Extended Special Edition) (DVD)

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Gladiator is my all time favourite film so I thought id do a review would be a good idea.
I first saw the film when my mum rented it when it came out at the video shops. As I was only 12 nearly 13 when the film was released in the cinemas I couldn't go as it is a 15. I think I have seen the film about 20 times now as I have it on DVD and I never get bored of watching it. It is a very long film but this doesn't put me off ...
...who became a Gladiator, a Gladiator who defined an Emperor-




* CAST *


> Russell Crowe- Maximus Decimus Meridius

Maximus- A successful general who became a Slave and then a Gladiator. Maximus is a loving husband and father and has total respect from, his men.
He seeks revenge for his murdered family and is a very religious and faithful man.

Russel ... more

~ What We Do In Life Echoes In Eternity ~

Gladiator is my all time favourite film so I thought id do a review would be a good idea.
I first saw the film when my mum rented it when it came out at the video shops. As I was only 12 nearly 13 when the film was released in the cinemas I couldn't go as it is a 15. I think I have seen the film about 20 times now as I have it on DVD and I never get bored of watching it. It is a very long film but this doesn't put me off watching it all the time.
The film appealed to me because I was interested in the Romans and it was backed up a well respected Director and a rich and successful distribution company. I liked the Alien films that Ridley Scott had done so was eager to see his work through a different genre. I remember the trailers when the film was first released. Fast action, coliseum fights and bloody deaths. I really like historical epic films and even though this genre had gone a little out of fashion in the nineties, it surprised everyone.

This special edition DVD is what I brought from HMV after owning the film on VHS. The edition comes with 3 DVDs and has a lot of extra features. First here is some info on the film itself-

* INFO *

Director- Ridley Scott
Writer- David Franzoni
Produced- Douglas Wick, David Franzoni and Branko Lustig.
Distributed- DreamWorks and Universal Studios.
Release Date- 12th May 2000.
Runtime- 155 Mins
Certificate- 15

Director- Ridley Scott

Ridley Scott is a very well known and respected director. He has made some excellent films including the 'Alien' trilogy. I enjoy a lot of his films and this gave me an expectation of Gladiator.

* PLOT *

Maximus Decimus Meridius is a general of the Roman Army and is very highly respected by his soldiers and by the Emperor. He leads his men into battle, 180AD with Germanic Barbarians with success and his respect grows amongst everyone. The emperor Marcus Aurelius loves Maximus as a son. As Marcus knows he is on the verge on dying he wants to give Maximus the position to lead and become the new emperor and discards his untrustworthy blood son Commodus.

Maximus is then hated by Commodus. When Marcus is killed off by his real son Maximus's life is turned up side down. Commodus has Maximus's wife and son hanged and Maximus is picked up by slave traders who sell him off to a rugged province in North Africa. Struggling to stay alive he is used for fighting and entertaining royals. Maximus succeeds through many of fights and even as the battles get harder and more dangerous kills the champion of the coliseum. Commodus is emperor at this point and as he opens the Olympic Games he comes across this amazing Spaniard fighter and is shocked when he reveals himself. Commodus makes each game harder for him to try finishing him off.

As Maximus carries on with his success in the Coliseum he grows respect from the crowd which frustrates Commodus into challenging Maximus to a duel.

- The General who became a Slave, a Slave who became a Gladiator, a Gladiator who defined an Emperor-

* CAST *

> Russell Crowe- Maximus Decimus Meridius

Maximus- A successful general who became a Slave and then a Gladiator. Maximus is a loving husband and father and has total respect from, his men.
He seeks revenge for his murdered family and is a very religious and faithful man.

Russel Crowe is a well known actor and it is said that Mel Gibson was asked orginally to play the role but he refused it, which was properly a mistake as the film did extremley well at the box office. He is a very skilled actor and fits this role well.

- Joaquin Phoenix- Commodus

Commodus- A determined man in leading as an Emperor. Commodus is a very young and inexperienced man. He is not a very trust worthy person and even his father Marcus the Emperor chooses another man to give his crown too. Commodus is very unpredictable and is not a good ruler. He also desires for his own sister Lucilla.

- Connie Nielsen- Lucilla

Lucilla- is a confident and independent woman. She is recently widowed and has a son Lucius. There is a past between her and Maximus and there is a lot of sexual tension when they are together. She resents her brother Commodus and wants to protect her son from her brother's ways.

- Djimon Hounsou- Juba

Juba- is befriended by Maximus when he is sold as a slave. He is a Numidian tribesman who was taken from his village and family by the tradesman. He and Maximus become close friends in fighting for their freedom.

Other Characters

Oliver Reed- Proximo
Derek Jacobi- Senator Gracchus
Ralf Moeller- Haken
Spencer Treat Clark- Lucius Verus
Tomas Flanagan- Cicero

* MEDIA LANGUAGE *

Gladiator was the first historic epic film since the late 80's and as success as it was started a new trend for the genre. The film was based slightly on real events during the Roman era set. There was a lot of historical research that went into the making of the film to get everything close to the era this included costumes, sets and events. The film was also influenced by the films 'Spartacus' and 'fall of the Roman Empire' which was made in the 60's when the genre was last at its prime. The Romans portrayed in the film are close to the characters in the era but certain aspects were not as easy to keep such as the ages of the actors lining with the real characters.

The Coliseum put together by CGI and a replica built in Malta and was precisely how it looked at this period of time. The editors did have to change some scenery of Italy surrounding this but I think this is all done extremely well to keep the grand appearance of the Coliseum.
The battle scenes where highly organised and were perfectly done. The opening sequence with Maximus leading his army into a battle with Barbarians is really outstanding. The atmosphere created in the first scene really sets the mood for the battle. It is dark, dingy and the layer of mist gives it an eerie feel. This is properly my favourite scene in the whole film. I like the way as Maximus makes his way to the frontline on horse the men separate for him following by nods and 'general'. This really shows you the respect Maximus has by his army. This battle supposing to be in Germany was shot over 3 weeks in Bourne Woods in Surrey. I was quite amazed at this as it is the perfect location but shockingly in the UK.

There are many values and meanings within the film which really give it a powerful edge. These include-

1- Leading a good life- This is the strongest value in the film as Maximus says- 'What happens in life echoes in eternity'. This meaning show that those who led a caring and loving life providing for his family will be rewarded later in heaven.

2- Male and Female Roles- Although Gladiator has definite male dominance throughout as this was the fact in this period of time the character of Lucilla is very different to other female’s roles. She is seen as independent, strong minded and determined which women were not in the Roman era. This is the sign of modern times, even though the film is set in roman times the film it has done this to attract a female audience and have a connection to her.

3- Strength and Honour- This is very evident in the film. Honour is always there amongst Maximus and his army then later Maximus and the other Gladiators and slaves. He continues the message that freedom is worth fighting for and if you have honour and are strong minded you will succeed.

> 'Father of a murdered son, husband to a murdered wife and I shall have my vengeance in this life or the next'.

* THE DVD *

I was very pleased with this version DVD. For £7 I got 3 discs with all the extra features and commentaries included which I love watching.

DISC FEATURES-

DISC 1-
> Introduction by Ridley Scott; Commentaries by Russell Crowe and Ridley Scott; are you not entertained?

DISC 2- The Creation of the film; Strength and Honour; creating the world of Gladiator.

Tale of the Scribes: story development; The tools of war: weapons: Attire of the Realm: Costume Design; The Heat of Battle: Production Journals; The Glory of Rome: Visual Effects; Shadows and Dust: Resurrecting Proximo; Echoes in Eternity: Release and Impact.

DISC 3- Image and Design

Production Design Primer- Design Gallery, Storyboards, Supplemental Archive.

*SOUNDTRACK *

The soundtrack was composed by Hans Zimmer and Lisa Gerrad winning an Oscar for the beautiful tracks throughout. The music was a reason for the success of the film; it helped with the emotional changes in the film. The soundtrack was so well received there was a second album released.
- Label- Decca Records
- Released- 27 Feb. 2001

1. "Progeny" - 2:13
2. "The Wheat" - 1:03
3. "The Battle" - 10:02
4. "Earth" - 3:01
5. "Sorrow" - 1:26
6. "To Zucchabar" - 3:16
7. "Patricide" - 4:08
8. "The Emperor Is Dead" - 1:21
9. "The Might of Rome" - 5:18
10. "Strength and Honor" - 2:09
11. "Reunion" - 1:14
12. "Slaves to Rome" - 1:00
13. "Barbarian Horde" - 10:33
14. "Am I Not Merciful?" - 6:33
15. "Elysium" - 2:41
16. "Honor Him" - 1:19
17. "Now We Are Free" - 4:14

* OPINIONS AND SUCCESS *

I really liked the film a lot and it is now one of my all time favourites. The way it was filmed, the actors used, costumes - everything was done pretty much to perfection not a surprise from a director like Ridley Scott though is it. The acting is outstanding especially from Russell Crowe which after this film has become a highly well known actor. The film has strong meanings and values in it which I love in films and the battle scenes are amazingly produced. The film was very well received with a rating of 77% rotten tomatoes.
The opening sequence which is my favourite part was voted as the favourite onscreen battle scene which I defiantly agree with. The scene has great special affects and a captivating atmosphere.
The emotions and action in the film really affects you as you watch it. All angles of emotion are captured sadness, excitement and redemption. I found myself feeling all of this in the appropriate scenes.
I would recommend this film to anyone who likes action and historical epics. It also has love story lines and strong female roles which is also good for females giving it a wide audience. The film is rated a 15 which I think is suitable as the film contains violence, gore and sexual references. I own the film on a 3 disc special DVD set which I brought from HMV for £7 but you can get a standard copy of the film now for £5 on Play.com. This special collector’s edition is nicely presented in a card box which folds out including pictures from the movie. I liked this version better than the normal case as it includes everything you need to know on the film and cast and the time it was set in. This version is worth the extra cost as its one of my favourite films is good to have a nice, decent copy.
The film is a long film with 2 and a half hours but you cannot really notice it when you are so involved in the action. Just as films like lord of the Rings where it is a long but once it was over I wanted to see more hence buying the DVD with all the extras.

* EXTRAS *

- The film grossed $34.82 million in the first opening weekend and it continued to become the highest earning films of 2000.
- The film won 5 Oscars in total and was nominated for 119 award nominations. Oscars won were- Best supporting Actor, Best Visual Effects, Best Original Music Score, Best Costume and Best Picture.
- There have been many editions of the DVD released because of its success including extended additions and many with added commentaries and documentaries.
- Filming Locations- Morocco, California, Atlas Corp Studios, Bourne Woods-Surrey, Italy, and Malta.

Thank you for reading * Blackmagicstar4* Edited- 09 Sept * Original review- Nov 2008 *

 

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