"A former Roman General sets out to exact vengeance against the corrupt emperor who murdered his family and sent him into slavery." 

OUR REFLECTION:

Is this what it felt like to watch a Shakespeare play back in his heyday? A quiet revenge epic with stylized dialogue but, once you’re able to experience the art beneath the surface, also a story so raw and human it can only be told effectively by being so bloated and subtle?

Surprisingly, the production of this film seemed to be riddled with writing troubles. The film went into production while the second draft only had 32 pages done, there was constant improvisation from Russell Crowe and Joaquin Phoenix that actually made it to the final cut, and Crowe has been very outspoken on how much he doubted the script, downright calling the dialogue garbage and lacking character. I guess it goes to show how much a screenplay isn’t actually a movie on its own, just the foundation of one, because I absolutely adore the final product.

Ridley Scott is a very hit or miss director for me. On the one hand, I can’t get enough of Alien, on the other hand (and I know this is blasphemous of me to say as a self-proclaimed cinephile), I didn’t care for Blade Runner at all outside of its visuals. Love Black Hawk Down, still scratching my head on the decisions behind Prometheus. Gladiator feels like lightning in a bottle in the hands of Ridley Scott, especially given its production issues. The fact that each scene kept me glued, the performances perfectly capturing the dramatic tension of each scene despite the cast claiming not to understand what was going on, is a testament of the film’s quality to this day.

Further to this testament is the trailer for Gladiator II, with all its modern digital filmmaking glory not even holding a candle to the visual style of its predecessor. Gladiator, given it’s a 1999 production, was shot on film and lit in harsh fashion, being unafraid to show off the dirt and grime of ancient Rome and the harsh, ever-beating sun that casts down on its population. The only softness in its lighting is for scenes lit by fire, be it candles or a bonfire, as two characters open up to emotional vulnerability in a manner that feels primal, as some of us do now sitting around a fire pit. Gladiator II, at least to me, looks commercialized, sanitized, and robbing of immersion with how clean and soft it all looks. But hey, it’s got Paul Mescal in it, so how bad can it be?

Gladiator is a film I was too young to see when it was released, despite having a somewhat personal connection to it with my brother being named after the protagonist. Watching it now to ready myself for the legacy sequel, I wish it was mankind rounds in theaters. Ridley Scott managed to craft a larger-than-life spectacle that could, and probably has, make grown men cry.