by Chris Marshall:
This isn’t necessarily a complaint, but I feel like I
watched Gladiator just a few days
ago, except back then it was called Braveheart.
That might seem like a strange statement, since they’re set over a millennium
apart, in different parts of Europe, and have very different storylines. I can’t
quite put my finger on it, but it just seemed like there was a sameness to
them.
Both films feature lots of extra bloody and gory
swordfights, and the main character in each is seeking, at least in part, to
avenge a loved one’s death. Yes, those are characteristics that a lot of
different movies have, but these in particular have a similar “feel” to them. Maybe
it’s because they both star a huge action star who’s not so well liked in real
life. Maybe I’m just crazy.
Nevertheless, taken on its own, I thought this was a highly
enjoyable film. Normally I don’t care too much about the brutal fight scenes,
but these were well crafted, and unlike, say, The Hunger Games, the edits and camera movements didn’t happen so
fast that I couldn’t keep up with what was going on. That’s a huge pet peeve of
mine in many modern action movies.
As with Braveheart,
I was one of the few people left in the country who had not yet seen Gladiator. I knew about a lot of scenes
because they had seeped into popular culture, such as “Are you not
entertained?!” and the battle against Creepy Mask Guy and the tigers, but I
really didn’t have a clear idea of what the movie was actually about.
Basically, Maximus Decimus Meridius, our titular gladiator,
is a great general in the Roman army, and the current emperor, Marcus Aurelius[1],
plans to pass down the throne to Maximus instead of his son, Commodus. Upon
hearing this plan, Commodus murders his father and assumes power himself—Marcus
never had a chance to tell anybody else about his desire to disinherit
Commodus. He orders that Maximus and his family be killed; Maximus escapes, but
his wife and son are slain.
After learning of his family’s fate, Maximus is taken by
slave traders and forced to become a gladiator. Because he is such a talented
killer of men, he becomes a fan favorite, and he realizes that this is his opportunity
to avenge his wife and son.
I’m at a point in The Oscar Project where I sort of feel
hesitant to spoil anything. I mean, this movie came out 12 years ago, and I
figure the vast majority of people who are interested in seeing it already
have, but you never know. Anyway, I won’t go any deeper into the plot than I
already have, except to say that a whole lot of people get killed in those
arenas.
 |
| That's an extraordinarily creepy mask. |
I’ve never been a huge fan of Russell Crowe, but I think he
was perfect for this role. He just emits the right vibe, and it’s easy to take
him seriously as this fearsome warrior. What interests me is why he has to
trade his Australian accent for a British one. I guess it wouldn’t make sense
for one dude to have an Aussie accent, but the real question is, why does
everybody have a British accent to start with? Shouldn’t they be speaking
Latin? And if you’re not going to do it in Latin, what difference does it make
what their accent is? It’s not going to be “accurate” anyway. In The Last Temptation of Christ, Judas
sounds like he’s from the Bronx. It’s a little jarring, but it makes just as
much sense as speaking English in any other way.
That was sort of a tangent. Back to the point. I was also
impressed by Joaquin Phoenix’s super creepy portrayal of Commodus, the unhinged
usurper of the throne. I’m starting to think it’s not too much of a stretch for
him to play this kind of weird, sinister role. On a sadder note, this was the
final film role for Oliver Reed, who died before filming was complete. 32 years
earlier he had also been in one of my least favorite winners to date, Oliver!, but I’m convinced he got that
role just because of his name. And because he was Carol Reed’s nephew,
probably. Probably more because of the latter reason.
Next year’s winner, A Beautiful Mind, is of note partially because it is the only time in the
history of the Oscars that two straight Best Picture winners have had the same
lead actor. A few others, including Walter Pidgeon and Meryl Streep, have
appeared in consecutive winners, but each was in a supporting role in one of
them. Russell Crowe is the top guy in both films, and he also garnered acting
nominations for both roles, though he only won for Gladiator. Not a bad couple of years, I’d say.
[1]
Who I quoted in my high school valedictory speech. The film was pretty new at
the time, so now I wonder how many people thought I drew inspiration from it. I
had no idea until I started watching it last night that Aurelius was even in
the movie.
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