Nobody but
Russell Crowe could possibly have played Maximus in this movie. Nobody but Joaquin Phillips could possibly
have oozed more delicious venom. Nobody
who sees this movie can possibly forget it.
Nobody.
Gladiator, released in 2000 and directed by
Ridley Scott, is a magnificent movie.
The story is absorbing - thrilling, actually, although perhaps a bit too
bloody for some. The supporting cast,
which contains quite a few names you will recognize, is great. The backdrop is superlative. The…. Do you get the idea that I like this
movie? Yeah, I do.
I’m not
going to waste time outlining the plot; you know it already. I am more interested in its historical antecedents. Marcus Aurelius, as you probably knew already,
is real. He reigned over the Roman
Empire during the second century A.D., and is known as the last of “the five
good emperors”, which group included such well known figures as Trajan and
Hadrian. He was said to be a stoic
philosopher. He was indeed succeeded by
Commodus, who was at least as bad as Phoenix has portrayed him. Apparently he did publically fight and wound
real gladiators, who of course were smart enough not to really fight back.
There,
however, the historicity breaks down.
The character Maximus may have been based on a contemporary Roman
general who led a brief revolt (against Commodus?). Additionally, Commodus was not succeeded by
Lucius as the movie implies, but by “the year of the five emperors”, only one
of which – Septimius Severus – I have ever heard of.
But, ‘nuff
history lesson. This grand, almost
overawing movie hereby rises past Lawrence
of Arabia and Casablanca to
become my favorite movie of all time!
For now. See it again and find
out if you agree. A+
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