Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix and Connie Nielsen in the Ridley Scott movie ‘Gladiator’

The historical drama Gladiator (2000) as directed by Ridley Scott turns 23 this year. The film centers on power, revenge and conflicts when those interests intersect with the will to choose the course of your life and the future of your own family. The power dynamics in this Roman period piece are to be reckoned with as well.

(From left, Richard Harris (prone) as Marcus Aurelius, Joaquin Phoenix as Commodus and Connie Nielsen as Lucilla in the Ridley Scott movie Gladiator).

The movie begins with a profound declaration of succession planning in leadership of the Roman empire. Marcus Aurelius, as portrayed by Richard Harris, confides to Maximus Decimus Meridius on the completion of a successful military conquest that he, Aurelius, would like to see the empire ruled by Maximus and the Roman senate upon his death.

(From left, Oliver Reed as Antonius Proximo and Russell Crowe as Maximus Decimus Meridius in the Ridley Scott movie Gladiator).

Learning of this fact, Commodus takes the news poorly, first hinting his profound disappointment to his recently widowed older sister, Lucilla. Acting rashly, amorally, cruelly and counter to the rationale of his father and emperor, Commodus murders Marcus Aurelius, kills the wife and child of Maximus at their home, and sets a trap to further end the life of Maximum Decimus Meridius. Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix and Connie Nielsen portrayed Maximus Decimus Meridius, Commodus and Lucilla, respectively.

(From left, Ralf Moeller as Hagen, Djimon Hounsou as Juba and Russell Crowe as Maximus Decimus Meridius in the Ridley Scott movie Gladiator).

Framed with the betrayal of his emperor, his country and his family, Maximus escapes death and rides home to find and bury his family. Stumbled upon by a slave traders, Maximus is captured and sold to gladiator trainer Antonius Proximo, as portrayed by Oliver Reed. It is in the throes of that training and competitions in local tournaments that Hagen and Juba, fellow gladiators, form a friendship with Maximus Decimus Meridius as three of the elite gladiators. Djimon Hounsou and Ralf Moeller portray Juba and Hagen, respectively.

(From left, Sven-Ole Thorsen as Tigris of Gaul, Tommy Flanagan as Cicero and Spencer Treat Clark as Lucius Verus in the Ridley Scott movie Gladiator).

With Commodus claiming the role of emperor following his killing of his father, a series of games for 150 days to commemorate his dead father brings the gladiators entrusted to Antonius Proximo to Rome. A fierce competition against Tigris of Gaul, as portrayed by Sven-Ole Thorsen, brings interesting conflict between not just these two, or a group of tigers, but further against Commodus, Maximus’ loyalty to Marcus Aurelius, and the opinion of the Roman people. The plot that follows including Lucius Verus, the nephew of Commodus through Lucilla, Cicero and the gladiators gives much depth to the gladiatorial games in addition to the larger meaning of family, loyalty and the degree of corruption people will accept in government. Spencer Treat Clark and Tommy Flanagan portrayed Lucius Verus and Cicero, respectively.

(From left, actor Russell Crowe and director Ridley Scott during a break in filming for the Ridley Scott movie Gladiator).

The tale presented in Gladiator includes a modern storytelling approach with an approach to sets, clothing and cinematography that were truly top notch. While the storyline itself appears to raise a storyline with fictional characters to drive an underlying truth of a time period for the present day, the conflict and framing of eternal questions of corruption versus honor struck a really strong bell on multiple levels. I recommend this movie, granting Gladiator as directed by Ridley Scott 4.0-stars on a scale of 1-to-5.

Matt – Saturday, January 21, 2023

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them movie review

Set upon arrival in the 1920’s New York City where witchcraft and sorcery are synonyms for Prohibition and poverty of the age, the hard times of 1920’s New York City are central to place for Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016). The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, that people recognize from the books and movies, are clearly presented and present in this movie.

Almost glancing references are made to Hogwarts and Albus Dumbledore in the Fantastic Beasts story, which is accurate to the backstory of Dumbledore (supposedly born in 1881). With Fantastic Beasts existing before the more contemporary stories of Harry, Hermione, their parents, or even Tom Riddle, the timeline is satisfying for ringing true. The glancing references to language between the sides of the Atlantic Ocean (the United Kingdom versus the United States) was for my part a cute touch.

Fantastic Beasts is a good family movie, which is the focus of this post. I liked the movie and enjoyed it.

The tone hits you as less intense / dark than the last three Harry Potter movies, which are based on the books Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

Scamander does a respectably British in mannerism protagonist through the movie, with mates, foils, and fantastic beasts in Kowalski the baker, Graves, Chastity, Modesty, and Credence Barebone, the Shaw family, and others. The Grindelwald mystery, which scores as a background story for our hero through much of Fantastic Beasts, does reward the clever viewer in search of a mystery.

Finally, remember that while Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is definitely of the Harry Potter universe, my strong recommendation is that this movie works in isolation. That is, the movie is an uplifting standalone experience. I’d be amiss for not mentioning that the movie does earn its PG-13 rating in the United States. Grade = B+.

Matt – Friday, December 30, 2016