This was an interesting watch for me. I grew up with movies all around. My mom and I were frequent visitors of Hollywood Video. I grew up in roughly the final five years of VHS relevancy as a very young kid, then the world went full fledged into DVDs, Blue Rays and now nobody owns any movies anymore which is really pretty sad. All for the sake of 'convenience' or something. I swear sometimes the world moves so fast that, it almost regresses. Hmmm.
I remember seeing 'The Gladiator' among our earliest DVDs my family owned. I think my big brother owned it. I was too young that I wasn't that interested and I also sensed that it was perhaps too 'adult' for me or whatever.
Now, many years later, a lifetime later it feels, I have FINALLY seen the Gladiator. I'm glad I did.
Not going to lie, I actually had higher expectations for it, but overall it still almost met my expectations. I also thought it would be more violent in a way. It was violent for sure but it wasn't as intense like '300' for example.
'Gladiator' was a bit more dramatic, and sentimental and beautiful than I expected. The sceneries were pretty awesome. The story was simple but acted quite well, and that helped immensely. It was a simple but elegant story that seemed to entertain the meaning of life and love way more than I anticipated.
I thought the movie would be more war like, like battles. I knew it was heavily related to gladiators like in the collessiums and stuff, but I don't know I also assumed there would be more like, actual battles as well.
But yes, 'Gladiator' is way more thought provoking than I thought. Makes me think about what's important in life, and what type of legacy or not you should strive for. I suppose a lesson from this movie is the only legacy created that matters is the legacy you teach leave/teach your children/family. Any legacy greater, you should just be grateful for but not really strive for actively.
The characters really drove this film. Every character was immensely thought provoking. It was really cool to see OG Dumbledore Richard Harris again!!! Amazing!! It even crossed my mind that this was early HP movie era. It's so intriguing that this predates the HP movies. I can't even explain why.
But yeah, each character was unique and had some had very good character development. The character development felt natural, just executed cleanly. I actually though Lucilla was going to be awful initially but it turns out she was pretty awesome. Proximo looked like he was going to be just awful too, but he ALSO turned out to be pretty cool.
Maximus was always great, but even his character and determination seemed to increase and just the way he lived life was so inspiring. I nearly cried for this man on several occasions. He could have given up about eight times but he wanted righteous vengeance and I like to imagine that his determination and endurance will inspire the people of Rome. Even though his family was cruelly murdered, in the back of his mind wanted to do right by Rome.
I typically like an exciting, edgy villain, but even I couldn't find a way to like Commodus. But that is the exact reason why he kind of was a good villain, because he felt like a TRUE villain. Actually fully unlikable and hard to watch. So, I guess he was a well acted and portrayed villain. Joaquin kills it again, even 24 years ago.
I thought the romance or lack of romance between Maximus and Lucilla was truly awesome and pretty original. Wholesome and bittersweet at the same time. Maximus's sheer love and loyalty is off the charts. I feel like the kiss they shared was truly like, out of pure respect and admiration for one another. They were never meant to be, but in that sliver of time, sliver of a moment, that kiss mattered and felt real. In another universe or lifetime perhaps they would have been something.
The ending of Gladiator was 10/10. Maximus and company's epic plan getting foiled, the battle with Commodus's cheap tactics. Their 'fight' was incredible. Both of them dying was crazy.
Maximus's death was soooooooo emotional I could barely stand it. Him seeing his wife and child was so beautiful and pure just really well done film making.
I thought the movie would have been a bit more gritty. It was almost a bit too soft for my liking and it did feel a bit repetitive at times. There was a handful of boring parts as well. It does feel fairly rewatchable though, I could definitely put it on and just have it play in the background.
I will give Gladiator about a 8.63/10. I liked it a lot, but it just didn't feel TOP TOP tier. I can't put my finger on why exactly. Just a bit too cute at times I suppose.
Despite a few nit picky criticisms, this was a solid film. They don't make movies this good anymore.
Src
Gladiator is my favourite movie. I saw it in the cinema and then I had it on DVD. It reflects the hero's journey in a magnificent way, the actors play their roles masterfully and the setting is very successful. In it I discovered Joaquin Phoenix and his work already seemed sublime to me then, then he has continued to improve it. On the other hand, it is impossible not to fall in love with Maximus and his story. I'm sure I have some kind of cognitive bias by associating it with a good time in my life, but in my case I do have it in the top top tier, hehe. I really liked knowing your different perspective. The next time I see it I'll have a new look.
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Wow I am so glad you shared a bit of your perspective, this input means a lot, very cool! 😄 Absolutely agree, this is an unforgettable film that I won't forget. Ohhh yes Joaquin's career is consistent and top notch no doubt! Absolutely, Maximus is such an immovable force in this movie for sure, inspiring!! We all have some biases for our favorites but I think that type of perspective is just as valuable as any old casual opinion and usually much more interesting and even informative! Thank you for sharing! I also will have a new look the next time I watch, cheers to you! 🙏 😄
The beautiful thing about art is that we each get something different from it. Your review is of the style that I like because it focusses on the nuances of the characters and the development of the plot. To know specific data there are many consultation websites, what interests me is what moves within the viewer. 😊
That's a great way to look at it, awesome, thanks for your compliments 😃 I'll have to look into some of those websites. Thank you greatly!!!!
I think the power came from that era it was created. So, somehow even those that found it epic then, may not find it too amazing if they saw it now. There's something about seeing around that era it was created. Beautifully reviewed, however. Thanks for sharing!✨
Thank you for your compliment, it's massively appreciated! Yeah I agree, the era it was made does make this stand out, and take us back in time a bit. I still really enjoyed The Gladiator even if it's mildly older, Cheers!!!!
So it has happened to me lately, many movie classics that I have finally seen haha, in this case if I saw it as a child with my dad, powerful film which I want to see its second part, has a dynamic scenes that attracts between action and drama, that good you liked this classic with more than two decades of age 😃
Oh for sure, this movie is still visually great despite it's age. Very powerful indeed, powerful is the perfect word for Gladiator. Yes I must see part two soon, thank you for sharing your thoughts!
It's a classic and I'm glad that with the release of the sequel it's gaining so much relevance. I haven't seen it in many years but it's already on my watchlist list.
Yes I must see the sequel for sure! I definitely look forward to re-watching this sometime fairly soon. Definitely timeless! 😊💪
This is a movie I grew up with and I feel a lot of nostalgia for it now. The last time I saw it, it gave me a lot more emotions than when I was a kid. The story of the protagonist, everything he experienced, what he achieved and what he lost afterwards to then return as a Gladiator is fantastic. It is also excellent on the antagonist side, the references to customs and beliefs of those times, the political and social issues that are mentioned, etc. But what is most striking are the battles themselves, this film has everything to entertain and leave you fascinated.
Excellent review.
I'm so happy you got to experience some fun nostalgia! I had an odd form of nostalgia from this because the film always sat in my family's collection but I never saw it until the other day! I agree with everything you said, Gladiator is certainly well rounded! Thank you so much!!!