Gladiator

As we approach a wild time in movie history where Gladiator II (title as of time of writing this) is actually on the horizon, I thought it wise to go back and watch Gladiator. 

Luckily, this was not a blemish on my moviegoing history. I've seen Gladiator a few times before, but I haven't seen it since starting Rath's Reviews, which means it has been a while and I have a much better idea of what I like/don't like.

Truthfully, it made this historic, landmark film all the more impressive. Gladiator is certainly a product of the year 2000, but never in a way that dates it. Much like The Godfather and The Godfather Part II are products of their time, yet timeless, so too is Gladiator. 

Rewatching it certified it as a classic - spoiler alert to the score - because it's really just a whole lot of movie. It has an A-list star in Russel Crowe, incredible filmmaking, visceral action, is thematically dense, an iconic original score, and more. It's no surprise that it has withstood time and can often be found in "best of" conversations. 

The aspect that grew on me the most in my last viewing was the overall story. It accomplishes a tremendous amount of heavy material and character building in the 2.5 hour runtime. There's satisfying character arcs, shocking betrayals, moments to cheer for, and moments to cry for. I generally remembered the story from previous viewings, but it stood out to me on this viewing as something that's potentially underpraised, or at least has been underappreciated by me in the past. This is dense material - with a lot happening - and there's very little that feels short changed. 

The screenplay is bolstered by a host of incredible performances, anchored by Russel Crowe and Joaquin Phoenix. Crowe is a certified movie star as Maximus, looking the role in size and appearance, having badass moments in the arena, while also providing emotional attachment to the character's tragedy. He is stoic and commanding. Meanwhile Phoenix is manipulative, slimy, and an even better villain that I remember. He's one that audiences love to hate and does equally as impressive work as Crowe. Everyone else lives in their shadow mostly because that's the way it's designed, but play their parts well regardless. An early Djimon Hounsou being a standout. 

"Are you NOT ENTERTAINED?" 
Iconic movie line ^^

Ridley Scott's direction is also some of the best of his career, if not the outright best. Much like the story, this is a deeply layered film with lots of success in all the big and small things. The ancient Roman setting is perfectly captured and feels historic, even if the tale is fiction, and there's very little CGI throughout. That means that chariots, horses, weapons, and more are largely practical and feel epic. The cinematography is consistently great and at times, jaw dropping while the editing is almost always perfect. And outside of Hans Zimmer's original score being almost identical to Pirates of the Caribbean - a movie that would come only a few years later - it remains one of the best of his storied career and is potentially the best overall when working with directors that aren't Christopher Nolan.

Of course, there's plenty of action too. More than I remember, which was an added enjoyment, and it's even more impressive than I remember it too. The choreography is realistic, but stylish (think Maximus twirling his sword in his wrist while he rides a horse) and it leaves no stone unturned. There're animals in the arena, massive "boss" fights, chariot battles, and good ol' fashioned melees. It's all R-rated and again, with the lack of CGI, feels classic. Upon this rewatch, Gladiator and the action it contains felt like an example of a great movie where I got my cake (story, quality of filmmaking, acting, etc.) and could eat it too (action set pieces).

Gladiator is a film I should revisit more often. It was perhaps my best experience with it on this 3rd (or 4th?) viewing as the sense of scale and timeless nature were abundantly clear. In nearly every way that counts, this is a very close to perfect film from story to performances to technical skill to the action...it melds together in an iconic capsule of cinematic history. One can only hope that Scott's sequel can even come close to this original. If so, we're in for a real treat.  

CONS

• Lucilla feels underdeveloped
• At times the action editing is too quick. But this is rare

PROS

• The story is captivating in multiple ways and perfectly executed. There's a lot of material and ground to cover, yet it feels like it breezes along nicely while hitting emotional beats
• Crowe and Phoenix's performances are iconic as near polar opposites
• The film is nearly flawless. One of Ridley Scott's best directed projects
• Set pieces, costumes, and props are all top notch and real
• Minimal use of CGI and it still holds up years later
• Memorable cinematography with a handful of truly classic moments
• Perfect editing
• Hans Zimmer's original score - though familiar with another franchise - is one of his bests
• F**king awesome action in many, many ways. It's brutal, well choreographed, and inventive. A standout in this space, even 24 years later
• A whole meal...one that's as delicious as it is nutritious. It's a key entry into cinema's history

Retro Rath's Review Score |

10/10 - Instant Classic