Maximus star power - Gladiator Reviews

When a dying Caesar (Richard Harris) dashes the imperial ambitions of his temperamental son (Joaquin Phoenix) by naming a popular general (Russell Crowe) as protector of the Republic, by-passing the would-be successor, the offended heir kills his own father and orders the general executed, in order to usurp the throne. Unbeknownst to all, the veteran warrior (Crowe) kills his executioners and escapes, only to be captured by slave traders who sell him to a ring of gladiators -- men whose lot in life is to fight to the death for the depraved entertainment of the masses. Early in the film, a seemingly unattainable carrot is dangled before the slaved gladiators: if they're really good and they catch the emperor in a good mood, he might reward them with their freedom. For Maximus (Crowe), the real incentive is a trip to Rome, and to the Colosseum, to confront the emperor who ordered his death. This provides the rough sketch of the movie, and also the most vibrant part of the pic. We know that the battle scenes and the spectacle of the digitally-created Colosseum are the raison d'?e of this film. But, the effect is diluted in the elaboration of the story, especially in the palace intrigue surrounding the emperor's conscientious sister (Connie Nielsen) and her son (Spencer Treat Clark), who threatens the emperor as a possible would-be contender to the throne. The self-professed action film also loses momentum through the artsy lens of aloof cinematography which could have borrowed a page from the playbook of Cecil B. DeMille. It's easy to show us a panorama of ancient Rome which looks like an Obsession commercial. But, for my money, it'd better look like CNN. But, action aficionados who can put these shortcomings aside are in for a treat in the gladiator battle scenes, especially the sequences that occur in an outlying Roman colony before the gladiators go to Rome. Here, Maximus first befriends Juba (Djimon Hounsou), an African slave who secretly shares Maximus' righteous indignation at their condition of slavery, but counsels a pragmatic approach, encouraging Maximus to fight in order to live on. Maximus and Juba also share a broad spirituality which helps them cope with their condition and with the loss of their loved ones, despite the fact that they come from widely differing cultures. To my surprise, GLADIATOR never mentions the plight of Christians in the Colosseum, which would have been a point of interest to modern audiences, and would have factored in the film's historical clock of 180 A.D. However, the film does make a running alusion to Roman Catholicism by way of the fervent devotion of Maximus to the Roman religion, and its pantheistic iconography. GLADIATOR is buoyed by a capable cast, led by the commanding Crowe, and also by Oliver Reed as the gladiator ring leader and Derek Jacobi as a reform-minded Senator. With a SPARTACUS-like fate, director Scott clearly intended Maximus to be more than your run of the mill sword-&-sandal Hollywood stud. But, the ALIEN (1979) director paints with a bleak and often dreamy brush that sometimes betrays the action on the arena floor. (Carlos Colorado)