Ridley Scott made incalculable contribution to science fiction cinema with his classics Alien and Blade Runner. But his most successful film, which represented the apex of his career, was made roughly two decades later and belonged to completely different genre. It was Gladiator, 2000 historical epic which is now considered one of the most popular films of its time, also responsible for resurrection of “swords and sandals” subgenre.
The plot begins in year 180 AD when the Roman Empire was at the zenith of its power while its subjects enjoyed long period of peace and prosperity due to the rule of capable and enlightened emperors. The last of them is philosopher Marcus Aurelius (played by Richard Harris) who has spent twelve years fighting wild Germanic tribes that are endangering the northern border of the Empire. After his loyal general Maximus Decimus Meridius (played by Russell Crowe) finally manages to defeat the enemy, an old and ailing emperor wants to make him his successor that would return Rome to republican form of government. Maximus is hesitant, because he only wants to return to his home, wife and son in Hispania. Marcus’ son Commodus (played by Joaquin Phoenix), on the other hand, isn’t happy with those plans and instead murders his father to take the imperial throne for himself. Seeing Maximus as potential rival, he accuses him for high treason and orders his execution. Maximus manages to escape but when he returns home, he sees that his wife and son were killed on Commodus’ orders. At the ruins of his farm he gets captured by slave hunters and ends up as property of Antonius Proximo (played by Oliver Reed), gladiator manager that runs second hand gladiator games at Roman provinces in North Africa. Thanks to his military experience, Maximus proves himself to be capable fighter and Proximo uses his growing fame to return to Rome where enlightened Marcus Aurelius had banned gladiatorial combat. Commodus, however, has different ideas. In order to consolidate his power and thwart opposition led by senator Gracchus (played by Derek Jacobi), he wants to win over Roman plebeian masses with unprecedented gladiatorial spectacle. Proximo sees this as an opportunity for profit, while Maximus sees it as an opportunity to come close to Commodus and has his vengeance. His plans are to be aided by Lucilla (played by Connie Nielsen), Commodus’ sister who as teenager used to be in love with the general and who now hates her tyrannical brother.
Production of Gladiator was rather risky project. It was the first major Hollywood “swords and sandals” film in three and half years. The subgenre had enjoyed the zenith of its popularity in 1950s and early 1960s, when it gave audience spectacle that couldn’t have been seen at tiny black-and-white television sets – widescreen picture format, bright colours, exotic and magnificent sets, tens of thousands of extras and subtle eroticism under the excuse of showing alleged decadence of pre-Christian world. Such “larger than life” films were popular, but also incredibly expensive, and more importantly, very risky, which became apparent with spectacular failure of Cleopatra and The Fall of the Roman Empire. For decades Hollywood studio executives were reluctant to take such risks again. Further risk was having Ridley Scott as director, since he had series of flops in 1990s, including another historic epic 1492: Conquest of Paradise. But those risks with more than 100 million US$ of budget ultimately paid off. Gladiator not only managed to win audience and became one of the most popular films of its time, but also won critics and, ultimately, become one of the increasingly rare blockbusters to be crowned with Oscar for Best Picture.
This success can be explained with Gladiator delivering to audience exactly what old “larger than life” historical epics used to have – bright colours, exotic sets (further helped with CGI), mass scenes (in which CGI again replaced thousands of extras). Another detail which makes Gladiator very much like old Hollywood sword and sandals epic can be found in script by David Franzoni, John Logan and William Nicholson. Just like The Fall of the Roman Empire, film which shares its setting and many elements of the plot with, Scott’s work takes rather cavalier approach towards historical facts. The script has strayed from actual history in such manner that even some of the historians hired as technical advisors left the set or wanted to be disassociated from the film. Gladiator, on the other hand, addresses some of history buffs’ complaints in an ingenious way by staging scene in which gladiators in arena recreate famous battle of Second Punnic War and also stray from actual history. Lack of historical accuracy can be forgiven if it results with clear, interesting and exciting story. Gladiator has the plot based on the simple revenge story, built around simple intrigue, yet that simplicity goes hand in hand with fascinating, complex characters and their interactions.
A lot of credits for that should go to a very good cast. Australian actor Russell Crowe, who was on his way to Hollywood stardom, shows that he can handle relatively simple roles with same talent and intensity as more complex characters like those played in Insider. He plays his character with less intensity but with calmness and stoicism than Mel Gibson showed as protagonist of his “Oscar”-winning historical epic Braveheart. Crowe quite deservingly won Oscar for Best Actor. Another impressive performance was given by Joaquin Phoenix, actor who until that time was known mostly as brother of River Phoenix. He took thankless role of a tyrant that tries to deal with his own emotional insecurity by being cruel towards his subjects. Phoenix played his role intensely, delivering lines with credible British accents and showing unpleasant incestuous lust towards his sister. Danish actress Connie Nielsen, on the other hand, didn’t have to work too much in the role of Lucilla. The most notable supporting role, however, belongs to Oliver Reed, formidable character actor who died of heart attack in the middle of production, forcing Scott and his team to use combination of CGI and body doubles which is, despite all the technological marvels two decades ago, is quite visible for experienced viewers and those who are aware of the fact.
Another reason for success of Gladiator can be found in Scott’s meticulous direction which displayed incredible eye for the detail in almost every scene. Each of those scenes look fascinating, although Scott still shows some weakness in displaying combat, especially during scenes that take place in the arena. On the other hand, the spectacular battle scene in the beginning is quite impressive and many critics were right to compare it with similar bloody opening of Saving Private Ryan. Although Scott adds images of bloodshed, mutilations, people wetting themselves from fear and other details that couldn’t have pass 1960s censorship, they never stand in the way of the story. Scott used opportunity for some stylistic experiments and the film, apart from impressive sets, also features interesting costume design. But Scott’s greatest achievement is in not allowing spectacle and grandeur to diminish generally melancholic atmosphere nor deprive him of opportunity to give some fan service to those who appreciate Blade Runner. The film also benefits from grand operatic musical score by Hans Zimmer and Lisa Gerard, which seamlessly fuses Wagner and Celtic motives.
Gladiator became the most memorable major film of its time and maintained such reputation through next two decades. Much of that was due to not being compromised, at least for now, with the pointless sequel. The time has even kinder to Gladiator due to its content being seen as prophetic allegory as everything that was going wrong with the world in 21st Century, with ancient Rome in Scott’s film resembling another superpower at the zenith of its hegemony, unaware that the process of inevitable decline due to corruption and decadence, has begun.
RATING: 7/10 (+++)
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