Review of Gladiator (2 Disc Set)

Introduction

A bloodied man stands in the middle of a vast arena, hovering over his half-dead opponent. The Emperor rises from his seat, looks down at the forlorn figures, and raises his hand. With a slow movement, the thumb of the ruler moves until it points towards the ground. And with this, the half-dead man becomes dead, after the triumphant gladiator standing over him makes easy work of him with his sword. The thumb has spoken. The bloodied man is the victor. Another day in the life of a Roman gladiator...

When Ridley Scott saw the painting "Pollice Verso" which depicted a scene similar to that of the above, he immediately imagined making a film about the savage Roman Empire, where human brutality was a normal way of life. No doubt he had plans of making a 21st century Spartacus - a swords and sandals epic that would prove to audiences that a way of life long since gone could still entertain.

However, merely having scenes of battle amidst the Colosseum would not be enough: there had to be a story driving the action, so the audience could cheer for one of the fighters, knowing their background and modus operandi. So, the story of Gladiator was born:

After Roman general Maximus (Russell Crowe) is forced into slavery and his family slaughtered, and subsequently becomes a gladiator, by the new evil Emperor, he must fight for his freedom, and when his freedom is granted, he must follow up his personal vendetta...

Video

It is presented in 2.35:1 Anamorphic Widescreen and the visuals are stunning. Wonderful colour definition, crisp and clear print throughout, no dust nor grain - this is one of the best transfers out there. Period.

The fight sequences are jaw-dropping: the film opens in Germania, amidst a brewing battle between the Roman Army and rebel forces. The battle is a visceral work of art - vast, chaotic and savage, something that is a credit to modern day film-making. The gladiatorial combat is equally as good...the Colosseum has never looked so good, and the choreography is very well done, and Ridley Scott and cinematographer John Mathieson have captured the mêlée excellently.

Audio

A choice of DTS or DD 5.1 tracks are on offer, and this was the first DVD to have the distinction of coming with Digital Theatre System: argubably a better audio experience than Dolby Digital. And yes, the DTS is truly stunning. The sound envelopes you like no other track before it, and the surrounds spring to life frequently to offer some really boombastic contributions, with the subwoofer given one hell of a workout. The main audio stream is crisp and clear, with dialogue reproduced excellently, and the ambience levels are spot on.

The script by David Franzoni, John Logan and William Nicholson is well written - full of subtle genius and heightened emotion and suspense. Just who is Maximus? Is he a cold hearted general of the Roman Army, or a family man with morals and ethics? Is the new Emperor the man to make the Empire stretch to all four corners of the Earth or is he instead a quiet psychopath? All questions will be answered, with style to boot.

Features

This is a Columbia two-disc DVD, so expect a lot of extras...

The first disc contains one extra - but an important one at that: an audio commentary with director Ridley Scott, cinematographer John Mathieson and editor Pietro Scalia. It is very insightful and anecdotal, and is entertaining when the trio engage in some amusing and interesting banter! One of the best bits is Scott`s reply to historians who moan "They didn`t do it that way..." - he basically says f**k `em, this is how I do it.

The second disc kicks off with "HBO First Look: The Making of Gladiator" - a 25 minute insight into the production, featuring behind-the-scenes footage and soundbites from cast and crew.

A selection of deleted scenes are next (entitled "From The Cutting Room Floor"), more than a dozen sequences that didn`t make the film, all with optional commentary from the director. They are all good, add something to the plot, and were only cut (mainly) due to time restrictions. The highlight? The sequence where Maximus visits the `hospital` and sees his injured soldiers, and then the sequence where Commodus orders the execution of two men...Roman style.

Continuing the documentary theme, there is a 50 minute feature on the real thing - called "Gladiator Games - Roman Blood Sport" provided by those kind folk over at the Learning Channel. Containing `gladiatorial` sequences and interviews with classic scholars, it is insightful and enjoyable at the same time, and boosts the self-proclaimed `realism` tag that Gladiator has.

The last documentary is a profile of composer Hans Zimmer, called "The Making of The Music for Gladiator". It is really an extended (20 minute) interview with Zimmer, and is amusing and worth listening to, even if you`re not the most musical person ever. His comment that "When the Academy give you the Oscar they should also give you the first four bars of your next project" is not only hinting on cynicism it is also funny. Well, to me at least...!

The actor who plays Lucius, Spencer Treat Clark, due to his parents` way, kept a journal throughout the production: and is nice and comprehensive, covering ground that the other features didn`t tread. It is interesting and it seems Clark is beyond his years, from the way he writes, yet he is naïve in places!

There is a selection of storyboard comparisons - and each storyboard is great to look at, full of detail and clarity. Some of the best I`ve seen on a DVD.

A photo gallery is also provided - a massive selection of stills covering many different aspects of the production.

Now there are some static extras: production notes (which are reprinted on the 4-page booklet that comes with in the package) and cast & crew biographies.

To round off the package, there are some trailers (some pretty good ones at that) and TV spots.

The menus are animated well with Zimmer`s great score in the background and some animations compliment the easy to navigate screens.

Conclusion

What can I say? This film has received so much critical acclaim and awards, my recommendation seems dwarfed and a case of déja-vu. But, I am going to add my two cents: and my two cents being that Gladiator is an epic cinematic experience, one to watch for its sheer scale and ambition alone.

When you couple this with some strong performances from Russell Crowe as the traumatised Maximus (yes, he did win the Best Actor Oscar, but in truth his performance a year later in A Beautiful Mind was more worthy of the award...but due to that `incident` he was robbed of his second gong) and Joaquin Phoenix deserves some kudos as the silent, brooding and downright insane Commodus. The supporting actors, such as Connie Nielsen, the late Oliver Reed (wonderful in the film), the late Richard Harris (a short but sweet role) and even the young Spencer Treat Clark add stacks to the film, creating a world that seems so advanced for its time yet so savage and inhumane at the same time.

No, Gladiator is not a masterpiece. It is not the best film ever. But, it has to be one of the best films of the 21st century so far, a film that can be rewatched and rewatched, and complimented by the viewers` imagination of extended events. Ridley Scott has captured the essence of humanity and tragedy into 147 minutes of celluloid, and it is well worth the ride.

Columbia have put together a wonderful DVD for us - amazing presentation coupled with almost every extra a fan could possibly want: the highlight being the audio commentary and the three documentaries.

All in all, considering that the price on this is slowly dropping to the realm of the true bargain, there is no reason whatsoever why this shouldn`t sit proudly on your shelf.