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| Gladiator [Blu-ray] | ![Gladiator [Blu-ray]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51qyxYwPW8L._SL500_.jpg)
| Director: Ridley Scott
Actors: Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Connie Nielsen, Oliver Reed, Richard Harris
Category: DVD
This item is no longer available
Avg. Customer Rating:  (1634 reviews)
Rating: R (Restricted)
Media: Blu-ray
ASIN: B000NU2CY4
Theatrical Release Date: May 5, 2000
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Amazon.com essential video
A big-budget summer epic with money to burn and a scale worthy of its golden Hollywood predecessors, Ridley Scott's Gladiator is a rousing, grisly, action-packed epic that takes moviemaking back to the Roman Empire via computer-generated visual effects. While not as fluid as the computer work done for, say, Titanic, it's an impressive achievement that will leave you marveling at the glory that was Rome, when you're not marveling at the glory that is Russell Crowe. Starring as the heroic general Maximus, Crowe firmly cements his star status both in terms of screen presence and acting chops, carrying the film on his decidedly non-computer-generated shoulders as he goes from brave general to wounded fugitive to stoic slave to gladiator hero. Gladiator's plot is a whirlwind of faux-Shakespearean machinations of death, betrayal, power plays, and secret identities (with lots of faux-Shakespearean dialogue ladled on to keep the proceedings appropriately "classical"), but it's all briskly shot, edited, and paced with a contemporary sensibility. Even the action scenes, somewhat muted but graphic in terms of implied violence and liberal bloodletting, are shot with a veracity that brings to mind--believe it or not--Saving Private Ryan, even if everyone is wearing a toga. As Crowe's nemesis, the evil emperor Commodus, Joaquin Phoenix chews scenery with authority, whether he's damning Maximus's popularity with the Roman mobs or lusting after his sister Lucilla (beautiful but distant Connie Nielsen); Oliver Reed, in his last role, hits the perfect notes of camp and gravitas as the slave owner who rescues Maximus from death and turns him into a coliseum star. Director Scott's visual flair is abundantly in evidence, with breathtaking shots and beautiful (albeit digital) landscapes, but it's Crowe's star power that will keep you in thrall--he's a true gladiator, worthy of his legendary status. Hail the conquering hero! --Mark Englehart
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| Customer Reviews: Read 1629 more reviews...
 Well-made June 26, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
It took a lot of time and effort and talent to make this film. I think that's easy to appreciate.
**SPOILER**
I considered giving it 4 stars until I thought twice because I didn't want my interpretation of how it should have ended to get in the way. I just don't like to see the good guy die.
 Another Great Movie Ruined by Details June 23, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Great entertainment but hollow. There are so many holes and so many details that are wrong in this movie that detracts a lot from a great performance from Russel Crowe that is about the only thing worth saving in this movie. I want to be entertained but also want to learn something in the process and dislike very much when historical details in big budget movies are not taken into account.
First the story was a remake of Fall of the Roman Empire which was a movie from the sixties, I believe that movie is better done than the more modern Gladiator.
The quirks: first is highly doubtful that the Second in Command of the Roman Empire will fall all the way to gladiator in the social ladder no matter the circumstances. Great leaders as Maximus is depicted to be have partisans, friends, bankers, Senators and military men in their camp, these men will never allow their leader the shame of being sold as a slave. Even if Maximus kept his identity in hiding the minute it was known it would have generated such an uproar in Roman Society (which was very conservative and class concious) that the Emperor would have to liberate the great man on the spot.
Commodus was badly depicted, Roman annals usually depict him as a Hercules not as a wimp, he indeed fought in the arena as a gladiator to the astonishment and censure of the Roman Society and he indeed died in a coup but he didn't die in the arena as depicted in the movie but was assasinated by his mistress ( a gladiatrix and part of a well planned coup de etat) in his palace. Marcus Aurelius was indeed a philosopher and a man of reason but never tried to return the Roman Empire to the control of the Senate, he nominated Commodus as his heir and there is no mention in any historical record of a General of the Northern Legions that achieved an status of rival heir to the empire to Commodus. This is great historic license in a time where historical records abound.
The gladiators were not paired as the movie depicts and did not use the equipment depicted in the movie. There was a strict pairing of gladiator classes for example the Retiarius (net and trident) always fought the Secutor (short sword, shield, closed helmet); the Samnite (equiped as almost a roman legionnaire) fought the Tracian (heavy shield, short sword, hevily protected). The contest was usually ability and speed against superior weapons. The movie shows gladiators not having a class system, and the equipment depicted looks more like 10th century sarracen helmets and other anachronistic weapons. Since gladiators cost much to train and feed they were a huge investment for the owners making the fights to the death a rare ocurrence and not a norm such as the movie shows.
The battle in Germania shows some interesting details and I like the way the soldiers are portrayed and the heavy use of artillery which is the first time I see in the recreation of a Hollywood Roman battle, but then they mar the effect by showing an infantry charge in testudo formation which was not used for open battle but only to breach a fortified position. The Roman infantry relied on movility and their highly skilled use of weapons , first they approached the battle field at a convenient distance started the deluge of pilum as the legionnaires carried two javelins a light thrown at grater distance and a heavy thrown nearer to the enemy. The purpose of this evolution is disabling the first rank of the enemy by killing, maiming or disaibling the shields and creating breaches in the enemy formation to be exploited in the subsequent charge. After throwing the pilum javelins, the roman legion charged into the enemy at a run attacking with the gladius short stabbing swords, they did not use slashing techniques as portrayed in the movie but tried to stab the enemy at close quarters. The battle as shown in the movie was badly choreagraphed and the romans did not use the advantage of superior training but thay engage in a melee. The cavalry charge was probably well portrayed.
Again we had the possibility of getting a great movie but some directorial decisions especially concerning the details made it a rather mediocre production. This is hard to understand as there are many historians and consultants that could have been used to get the historical details right.
Are you not entertained??? June 23, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
For the most part, yes.
I still can't believe Crowe won best actor for this.
Oh well, he got screwed royally for A Beautiful Mind so I'm not going to complain to much.
Gladiator is brilliantly written, well acted and has a great story.
It has plenty of gore and blood so I don't recommend this one for kids.
It's probably the best swords and sandals epic to come from Hollyweird in recent years, and I can't believe Hollyweird tried to cash in with quite a few more movies like this.
Those movies tanked, big time.
Gladiator got lucky, it came out at the right time and had enough of a story to keep people coming into the theater.
I definitely recommend this one for adults.
 Gladiator May 26, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
Well I watched this at home after having seen it at the movies when it first came out and I enjoyed the second viewing. I'm not a fan of big block-buster type movies but Gladiator was shot to good effect and screened well on my low tech home system. Couldn't take advantage of the wide-screen feature but perhaps I'll upgrade systems in the future and enjoy the full effect. I must admit to having the flu when I watched it and got a bit teary over the 'family scenes' which I wasn't expecting. Nice to not have the Hollywood ending but to have the full cinematic adventure.
Cool May 25, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
Pretty good movie I am a sucker for special features so getting this over the regular version was a no brainier to me.
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