Gladiator (US)
Click to read:
A hero will rise
Certificate: R
Running Time: 155 mins
Retail Price: $29.99
Release Date:
Content Type: Movie
Synopsis:
The story of a soldier of the Ancient Roman Empire who refuses to transfer his loyalty to the new emperor and pays for it by being made a gladiator, fighting in the Colosseum.
The great Roman General Maximus (Crowe) has once again led the legions to victory on the battlefield. The war won, Maximus dreams of home, wanting only to return to his wife and son; however, the dying Emperor Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris) has one more duty for the general - to assume the mantle of his power.
Jealous of Maximus` favour with the emperor, the heir to the throne, Commodus (Phoenix), orders his execution and that of his family. Barely escaping death, Maximus is forced into slavery and trained as a gladiator in the arena where his fame grows.
Now he has come to Rome, intent on avenging the murder of his wife and son by killing the new emperor Commodus. Incredible special effects, a superb cast and a moving story combine to make the year`s biggest movie, and the best gladiatorial movie since Spartacus!
Special Features:
Interactive Menus
Scene Access
Insightful Film Commentary From Award-Winning Director Ridley Scott
Deleted Scenes, Complete With Director`s Commentary
Treasure Chest: A Unique Montage Of Additional Footage Cut To The Powerful Score
Interview With Award-Winning Composer Hans Zimmer On Scoring The Film
2 Extraordinary Behind-The-Scenes Featurettes
One-Of-A-Kind Production Diary Written By Young Actor Spencer Treat Clark ("Lucius")
Special Slide Show Featuring Concept Art And Storyboards
Photo Gallery From Behind-The-Scenes Of The Gladiator Set
Theatrical Trailers And TV Spots
In-Depth Production Notes And Detailed Cast And Filmmaker Biographies
Video Tracks:
Widescreen Anamorphic 2.35:1
Audio Tracks:
Dolby Digital 5.1 English
Dolby Digital Surround 2.0 English
DTS ES 6.1 English
Subtitle Tracks:
English
CC: English
Directed By:
Ridley Scott
Written By:
William Nicholson
John Logan
David H. Franzoni
David H. Franzoni
Starring:
Djimon Hounsou
Derek Jacobi
Richard Harris
Oliver Reed
Connie Nielsen
Joaquin Phoenix
Russell Crowe
Casting By:
Louis DiGiaimo
Soundtrack By:
Hans Zimmer
Lisa Gerrard
Klaus Badelt
Director of Photography:
John Mathieson
Editor:
Pietro Scalia
Costume Designer:
Janty Yates
Production Designer:
Arthur Max
Producer:
Douglas Wick
Walter F. Parkes
Terry Needham
Branko Lustig
David H. Franzoni
Executive Producer:
Steven Spielberg
Laurie MacDonald
Distributor:
DreamWorks Pictures
Your Opinions and Comments
So then, this film should be flawless right? wrong!. It`s GOOD, but it fails to convince in a couple of areas. principally the ending, which initially seems bold (don`t want to spoil it, so won`t say what happens exactly), is undermined by a sickly sweet finale. This left a bad taste in my mouth and soured me on the rest of the film, as did the dream sequences which are typical of Scott and his overly fantastical approach.
The action scenes are impressive, especially the opening battle, but if you aim your film at a mainstream audience, then you lose the courage to show unsettling occurences. Such as Maximus` dog which appears in the opening scenes but vanishes without further mention - why?, what happened to him?. Are we unable to cope with the death of an animal?.
The acting is okay and basic storyline is solid (although predictable), the directing on the other hand is patchy. I know this will provoke people into saying "but Ridley Scott is a genius!" well, I disagree and consider him technically adequate but he can`t tell a story without embellishments. Check out the deleted scenes for proof of bad editorial decisions - he cut Reed telling Crowe to entertain the crowd and Phoenix attacking his father`s statue. Both those scenes would have helped the cohesion of the tale and yet he leaves in suggestive rubbish (like the dreamy visuals), get a grip man!. Who really cares about symbolism and arty shots when basic narrative is being neglected?.
The DVD however is nigh on perfect and continues the high quality values of the film itself.
Gladiator`s far from a disaster, I said it was good remember?, I just feel that they`ve squandered the opportunity to make the best film of this decade.
The film is presented in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen.The picture is pretty great,and the opening battle looks pretty good despite intentional desaturation.
The audio on this disc is nothing short of spectacular with your of Dolby 5.1 EX or DTS ES 6.1.The Dolby track is
remarkably aggresive and rarely lets up.Hans Zimmer`s music
sounds terrific.The only extra on disc 1 is a terrific audio
commentary with Director Ridley Scott,Editor Pietro Scalia,
and Cinematographer John Mathieson.
Disc 2 features deleted scenes with optional commentary,
a documentary on gladiators games,Zimmer`s music,and a the film`s making.A production diary from Spencer Treat Clark
is also availible as is more stuff.