The movie moves in the realm of depression and just stays there. Gladiator shows the things that pushed an innocent hero to the point where death seemed like a relief from all that the world had taken from him. Maximus, the main protagonist of the movie, was portrayed by Russell Crowe in such a talented yet distinctive fashion that you can’t help but bow to the way Maximus handled his trials and tests to come out victorious in the end.
The movie plot
is about a loyal Roman general, Maximus (Russell Crowe), who is betrayed when
the Emperor's son, Commodus, murders his father to become Emperor of Rome
himself, burning down and killing Maximus' family. After everything is lost,
Maximus is reduced to slavery, and with one determination—revenge—he rises
through the ranks of the gladiatorial arena, all in the hope of getting back at
the man who killed his family and the Emperor.
As amazing this movie was, its story is the same old conventional revenge tale, leaning on familiar historical epic tropes, wronged hero vs ruler. Another issue I had with this movie are the characters, other than Maximus and Commodus, every other character lacked depth. Since it is the familiar trope we know, Maximus survival of things and events are not surprising, although the movie tried to make up for some of these flaws in the end.
The movie can be
said to have drawn plot elements from two older films, The Fall of the Roman
Empire and Spartacus, both of which were made in the 60s. A lot of the plot
foundation, like the murder of the emperor by his son who wanted to marry his
sister (who was in love with a general), can be said to be taken from The Fall
of the Roman Empire. The gladiator aspect of this movie can be said to have
been inspired by Spartacus.
Based squarely on a pitch by David Franzoni, who worked with Spielberg on Amistad, Ridley Scott was approached to make a movie from Franzoni’s original final draft. He then had the entire script re-written by John Logan, who added the death of Maximus' family to create a lonely soldier with nothing to lose.
Franzoni was brought back when problems arose during the re-writes.
Gladiator was a
critical and financial success, winning 5 Academy Awards at the 73rd Academy
Awards: Best Picture, Best Actor (Russell Crowe), Best Visual Effects, Best
Costume Design, and Best Sound.
Gladiator is a classic movie that gives you a fun look at the Roman Empire as some believe it was—rough and full of politics. Here’s another shelf nominee.
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