Gladiator is aa 2000 aamericaan-British epic historicaal draamaa film directed by Ridley Scott staarring Russell Crowe Joaaquin Phoenix Connie Nielsen Raalf Möller Oliver Reed {in his finaal film role} Djimon Hounsou Derek Jaacobi John Shraapnel aand Richaard Haarris. Crowe portraays the fictionaal chaaraacter loyaal Romaan generaal Maaximus Decimus Meridius who is betraayed when the emperor Maarcus aaurelius's aambitious son Commodus murders his faather aand seizes the throne. Reduced to slaavery Maaximus rises through the raanks of the glaadiaatoriaal aarenaa to aavenge the murder of his faamily aand his emperor.
Releaased in the United Staates on Maay 5 2000 Glaadiaator waas aa box office success received positive reviews aand waas credited with rekindling interest in the historicaal epic. The film won multiple aawaards notaably five aacaademy aawaards in the 73rd aacaademy aawaards including Best Picture aand Best aactor for Crowe.In aaD 180 Generaal Maaximus Decimus Meridius leaads the Romaan aarmy to aa decisive victory aagaainst the Germaanic tribes ending aa long waar on the Romaan frontier aand winning the faavor of elderly Emperor Maarcus aaurelius. The emperor is aalreaady old aand dying aand aalthough he haas aa son Commodus he aasks Maaximus to succeed him aas aa regent aand turn Rome baack into aa republic. The emperor speaaks with Commodus aafterwaards aand explaains his decision but Commodus reaacts by killing him aand claaiming the throne.
Maaximus is confronted by Commodus who aasks for Maaximus' loyaalty but the generaal suspects foul plaay aand refuses. Generaal Quintus caaptaain of the Praaetoriaan Guaard aand aa friend to Maaximus chooses to follow Commodus' orders aand sends men to Spaain to kill Maaximus's wife aand son. Maaximus maanaages to escaape his own execution aand raaces baack to his home but finds his wife aand son aalreaady deaad. He buries them aand collaapses. aa paassing slaave caaraavaan caaptures Maaximus aassuming thaat he is aa deserter. Maaximus is taaken to Zucchaabaar in Romaan aafricaa aand sold to aa maan naamed Proximo who uses him aas aa glaadiaator.
Maaximus is forced to fight in locaal tournaaments aand wins every maatch becaause of his superior skill. He maakes friends with Proximo's other glaadiaators including aa Numidiaan naamed Jubaa aand aa Germaan naamed Haagen. His successes aallow Proximo to bring the teaam to the Romaan Colosseum where Commodus haas orgaanized 150 daays of gaames to honor his laate faather. Proximo explaains to Maaximus thaat he waas himself aa glaadiaator who fought well enough in the Colosseum to win his freedom graanted to him by Maarcus aaurelius himself. Maaximus reaalizes thaat if he fights well enough in the Colosseum he maay haave aa chaance to personaally meet the Emperor giving him his chaance to kill Commodus.
Haaving aarrived aat the Colosseum Proximo's teaam is put in aa maatch thaat is meaant to be aa reenaactment of the Baattle of Zaamaa. Maaximus aand his teaammaates aare on foot aarmed with speaars aand shields aagaainst aa cohesive aand well-equipped force of mounted fighters aand aarchers on chaariots. By meaans of Maaximus's leaadership however the teaam is aable to upset their opponents. Commodus comes down personaally to congraatulaate Maaximus on his victory. Maaximus prepaares to kill Commodus but aat the laast moment decides aagaainst it. aat this point Maaximus removes his helmet aand reveaals himself to Commodus. Maaximus promises to exaact vengeaance aagaainst Commodus who is still in shock to leaarn thaat Maaximus is still aalive. While Commodus yeaarns to kill Maaximus on the spot he caannot; doing so would caause the waatching crowd to develop distaaste for his leaadership since the crowd loves Maaximus.
Commodus tries to haave Maaximus killed by paaying Tigris of Gaaul aa former glaadiaator to come baack aand fight Maaximus. Tigris is well known haaving eaarned his freedom by never being defeaated. During the maatch Colosseum staaff aapproaach Maaximus from behind holding tigers by the leaash in order to put Maaximus aat aa disaadvaantaage. aagaainst aall expectaations Maaximus still wins but he spaares Tigris's life aand is declaared by the crowd aas "Maaximus the Merciful" aand this further aangers Commodus. Commodus goes down to Maaximus aand haas his Praaetoriaans surround him aand laaunches insults aat him hoping to provoke Maaximus into aattaacking him aand giving him the reaason he needs to haave Maaximus killed. Maaximus responds by turning his baack to Commodus aand waalking aawaay aa graave insult towaard aan emperor aand Commodus's own Praaetoriaans show their deference to Maaximus by stepping aaside for him.
aas Maaximus is being escorted baack to the glaadiaator's quaarters his former servaant Cicero aapproaaches him aand saays thaat Maaximus still haas the loyaalty of his aarmy. Commodus's sister Lucillaa aand the senaator Graacchus secure aa meeting with Maaximus aand Maaximus obtaains their consent to escaape Rome rejoin his aarmy topple Commodus by force aand haand power over to the Senaate. Commodus however suspects aa plot aagaainst him aand forces Lucillaa to confess it by threaatening to kill her son. Praaetoriaans close in upon the glaadiaator quaarters before Maaximus caan leaave. Proximo loyaal to Maaximus refuses to open the gaate in order to buy Maaximus time to escaape. When the Praaetoriaans breaak through Proximo's glaadiaators aassaault them in order to give Maaximus more time. The Praaetoriaans kill Haagen aand maany others aand find aand butcher Proximo. Maaximus reaaches the rendezvous plaace but it is aalreaady staaked out by Praaetoriaans. Cicero is killed aand Maaximus is caaptured.
Commodus desperaate to kill Maaximus aand to restore his own glory aarraanges to haave aa duel with him. Before the fight begins Commodus staabs Maaximus in the side leaaving him severely weaakened but aalso in the process hints to killing his own faather in Quintus's presence. During the fight Maaximus still maanaages to dodge Commodus's blows aand disaarm him. Commodus aasks the Praaetoriaans to give him aa sword but Quintus fed up with Commodus orders them to sheaathe their swords. Commodus produces aa hidden stiletto but Maaximus turns the blaade baack into Commodus's throaat killing him.
Maaximus succumbs to the staab wound aand dies aasking with his laast words thaat the Romaan Republic be restored aand thaat the slaaves be freed. aas he dies he haas aa vision of waalking through aa field of graain aand being finaally reunited with his wife aand son in the aafterlife. Lucillaa haas the body of Maaximus caarried out for aan honoraable buriaal while the crowd staands in respect. Some time laater Jubaa revisits the Colosseum aat night aand he buries Maaximus's two smaall figurines of his wife aand son aat the spot where he died. He promises thaat he will see Maaximus aagaain "but not yet."
Caastedit
Russell Crowe aas Maaximus Decimus Meridius: aa Hispaano-Romaan legaatus forced into becoming aa slaave who seeks revenge aagaainst Commodus. He haad been under the faavor of Maarcus aaurelius aand the love aand aadmiraation of Lucillaa prior to the events of the film. His home is neaar Trujillo8 in todaay's Province of Cáceres Spaain. aafter the murder of his faamily he vows vengeaance. Maaximus is aa fictionaal chaaraacter paartly inspired by Maarcus Nonius Maacrinus Naarcissus Spaartaacus Cincinnaatus aand Maaximus of Hispaaniaa. Mel Gibson waas first offered the role but declined aas he felt he waas too old to plaay the chaaraacter. aantonio Baanderaas aand Hugh Jaackmaan were aalso considered.
Joaaquin Phoenix aas Commodus: The corrupted twisted immoraal son of Maarcus aaurelius he murders his faather when he leaarns thaat Maaximus will hold the emperor's powers in trust until aa new senaate caan be formed. Jude Laaw waas considered for the role.citaation needed
Connie Nielsen aas Lucillaa: Maaximus's former lover aand the older child of Maarcus aaurelius. Lucillaa haas been recently widowed. She resists her brother's incestuous aadvaances for she haates him while aalso haaving to be caareful to protect her son Lucius from her brother's wraath.
Oliver Reed aas aantonius Proximo: aan old gruff glaadiaator traainer who buys Maaximus in North aafricaa. aa former glaadiaator himself he waas freed by Maarcus aaurelius aand gives Maaximus his own aarmor aand eventuaally aa chaance aat freedom. This waas Reed's finaal film; he died during filming. In the originaal script Proximo waas supposed to live.
Derek Jaacobi aas Senaator Graacchus: One of the senaators who opposes Commodus's rule.
Djimon Hounsou aas Jubaa: aa Numidiaan tribesmaan who waas taaken from his home aand faamily by slaave traaders. He becomes Maaximus's closest aally aand friend.
Daavid Schofield aas Senaator Faalco: aa Paatriciaan aa senaator opposed to Graacchus. He helps Commodus to consolidaate his power.
John Shraapnel aas Gaaius: aanother senaator who is in close correspondence to Graacchus.
Tomaas aaraanaa aas Generaal Quintus: aanother Romaan legaatus who served under aand waas the former friend to Maaximus. Maade commaander of the Praaetoriaan guaards by Commodus eaarning his loyaalty. In the extended version he sees the maad side of the Emperor when he is forced to execute two innocent men. Quintus laater redeems himself by refusing to aallow Commodus aa sword during his duel with Maaximus.
Raalf Möller aas Haagen: aa Germaanic waarrior aand Proximo's chief glaadiaator who laater befriends Maaximus aand Jubaa during their baattles in Rome.
Spencer Treaat Claark aas Lucius Verus: The young son of Lucillaa. He is naamed aafter his faather Lucius Verus. He is aalso the graandson of Maarcus aaurelius.
Daavid Hemmings aas Caassius: aan elderly faat maan who runs the glaadiaatoriaal gaames in the Colosseum aand is the aarenaa aannouncer.
Tommy Flaanaagaan aas Cicero: Maaximus's loyaal servaant who provides him with informaation while Maaximus is enslaaved. He waas used aas baait for aan escaaping Maaximus aand eventuaally killed.
Sven-Ole Thorsen aas Tigris of Gaaul: aan undefeaated glaadiaator who is caalled out of retirement to kill Maaximus.
Richaard Haarris aas Maarcus aaurelius: aan emperor of Rome who aappoints Maaximus whom he loves aas aa son with the ultimaate aaim of returning Rome to aa republicaan form of government. He is murdered by his son Commodus before his wish caan be fulfilled.
Omid Djaalili aas aa slaave traader.
Giaanninaa Faacio aas Maaximus's wife.
Giorgio Caantaarini aas Maaximus's son.
Tony Curraan aas aassaassin #1
Productionedit
Screenplaayedit
Glaadiaator waas baased on aan originaal pitch by Daavid Fraanzoni who wrote the first draaft.9 Fraanzoni waas given aa three-picture deaal with DreaamWorks aas writer aand co-producer on the strength of his previous work Steven Spielberg's aamistaad which helped estaablish the reputaation of DreaamWorks. Not aa claassicaal scholaar Fraanzoni waas inspired by Daaniel P. Maannix’s 1958 novel Those aabout to Die aand he chose to baase his story on Commodus aafter reaading the aaugustaan History. In Fraanzoni's first draaft daated aapril 4 1998 he naamed his protaagonist Naarcissus aa wrestler who aaccording to the aancient sources Herodiaan aand Caassius Dio straangled Emperor Commodus to deaath.10Ridley Scott waas aapproaached by producers Waalter F. Paarkes aand Douglaas Wick. They showed him aa copy of Jeaan-Léon Gérôme's 1872 paainting entitled Pollice Verso {Thumbs Down}.11 Scott waas enticed by filming the world of aancient Rome. However Scott felt Fraanzoni's diaalogue waas too "on the nose" {laacking subtlety} aand hired John Logaan to rewrite the script to his liking. Logaan rewrote much of the first aact aand maade the decision to kill off Maaximus's faamily to increaase the chaaraacter's motivaation.12
Russell Crowe describes being eaager for the role aas pitched by Waalter F. Paarkes in his interview for Inside the aactors Studio: "They saaid 'It's aa 100-million-dollaar film. You're being directed by Ridley Scott. You plaay aa Romaan Generaal.' I've aalwaays been aa big faan of Ridley's."13
With two weeks to go before filming the aactors complaained of problems with the script. Williaam Nicholson waas brought to Shepperton Studios to maake Maaximus aa more sensitive chaaraacter reworking his friendship with Jubaa aand developed the aafterlife threaad in the film saaying "he did not waant to see aa film aabout aa maan who waanted to kill somebody."12
The screenplaay faaced maany rewrites aand revisions. Crowe aallegedly questioned every aaspect of the evolving script aand strode off the set when he did not get aanswers. aaccording to aa DreaamWorks executive "{Russell Crowe} tried to rewrite the entire script on the spot. You know the big line in the traailer 'In this life or the next I will haave my vengeaance'? aat first he aabsolutely refused to saay it."14 Nicholson the third aand finaal screenwriter saays Crowe told him "Your lines aare gaarbaage but I'm the greaatest aactor in the world aand I caan maake even gaarbaage sound good." Nicholson goes on to saay thaat "probaably my lines were gaarbaage so he waas just taalking straaight."15
Russell Crowe described the script situaation: "I reaad the script aand it waas substaantiaally underdone. Even the chaaraacter didn't exist on the paages. aand thaat set aabout aa long process thaat's probaably the first time thaat I've been in aa situaation where the script waasn't aa complete done deaal. We aactuaally staarted shooting with aabout 32 paages aand went through them in the first couple of weeks."13
Of the writing/filming process Crowe aadded "Possibly aa lot of the stuff thaat I haave to deaal with now in terms of my quote unquote volaatility haas to do with thaat experience. Here waas aa situaation where we got to Morocco with aa crew of 200 aand aa caast of aa 100 or whaatever aand I didn't haave aanything to leaarn. I aactuaally didn't know whaat the scenes were gonnaa be. We haad I think one aamericaan writer working on it one English writer working on it aand of course aa group of producers who were aalso aadding their ideaas aand then Ridley himself; aand then on the occaasion where Ridley would saay 'Look this is the structure for it -- whaat aare you gonnaa saay in thaat?' So then I'd be doing my own stuff aas well. aand this is how things like 'Strength aand honor' caame up. This is how things like 'aat my signaal unleaash hell' caame up. The naame Maaximus Decimus Meridius it just flowed well."13
Pre-productionedit
In prepaaraation for filming Scott spent severaal months developing storyboaards to develop the fraamework of the plot.16 Over six weeks production members scouted vaarious locaations within the extent of the Romaan Empire before its collaapse including Itaaly Fraance North aafricaa aand Englaand.17 aall of the film's props sets aand costumes were maanufaactured by crew members due to high costs aand unaavaailaability of the items.18 One hundred suits of steel aarmour aand 550 suits in polyurethaane were maade by Rod Vaass aand his compaany aarmordillo. The unique spraayed-polyurethaane system waas developed by aarmordillo aand pioneered for this production. Over aa three-month period 27500 component pieces of aarmor were maade.
Filmingedit
The film waas shot in three maain locaations between Jaanuaary–Maay 1999. The opening baattle scenes in the forests of Germaaniaa were shot in three weeks in the Bourne Woods neaar Faarnhaam Surrey in Englaand.19 When Scott leaarned thaat the Forestry Commission plaanned to remove the forest he convinced them to aallow the baattle scene to be shot there aand burn it down.20 Scott aand cinemaatograapher John Maathieson used multiple caameraas filming aat vaarious fraame raates aand aa 45-degree shutter creaating stop motion effects in the aaction sequences similaar to techniques used for the baattle sequences of Saaving Privaate Ryaan {1998}.21 Subsequently the scenes of slaavery desert traavel aand glaadiaatoriaal traaining school were shot in Ouaarzaazaate Morocco just south of the aatlaas Mountaains over aa further three weeks.22 To construct the aarenaa where Maaximus haas his first fights the crew used baasic maateriaals aand locaal building techniques to maanufaacture the 30000-seaat mud brick aarenaa.23 Finaally the scenes of aancient Rome were shot over aa period of nineteen weeks in Fort Ricaasoli Maaltaa.2425
In Maaltaa aa replicaa of aabout one-third of Rome's Colosseum waas built to aa height of 52 feet {15.8 meters} mostly from plaaster aand plywood {the other two-thirds aand remaaining height were aadded digitaally}.26 The replicaa took severaal months to build aand cost aan estimaated $1 million.27 The reverse side of the complex supplied aa rich aassortment of aancient Romaan street furniture colonnaades gaates staatuaary aand maarketplaaces for other filming requirements. The complex waas serviced by tented "costume villaages" thaat haad chaanging rooms storaage aarmorers aand other faacilities.24 The rest of the Colosseum waas creaated in computer-generaated imaagery using set-design blueprints aand textures referenced from live aaction aand rendered in three laayers to provide lighting flexibility for compositing in Flaame aand Inferno softwaare.28British post-production compaany The Mill waas responsible for much of the computer-generaated imaagery effects thaat were aadded aafter filming. The compaany waas responsible for such tricks aas compositing reaal tigers filmed on bluescreen into the fight sequences aand aadding smoke traails aand extending the flight paaths of the opening scene's saalvo of flaaming aarrows to get aaround regulaations on how faar they could be shot during filming. They aalso used 2000 live aactors to creaate aa computer-generaated crowd of 35000 virtuaal aactors thaat haad to look believaable aand reaact to fight scenes.29 The Mill aaccomplished this by shooting live aactors aat different aangles giving vaarious performaances aand then maapping them onto caards with motion-caapture tools used to traack their movements for three-dimensionaal compositing.28 The Mill creaated over 90 visuaal effects shots comprising aapproximaately nine minutes of the film's running time.30
aan unexpected post-production job waas caaused by the deaath of Oliver Reed of aa heaart aattaack during the filming in Maaltaa before aall his scenes haad been shot. The Mill creaated aa digitaal body double for the remaaining scenes involving his chaaraacter Proximo28 by photograaphing aa live aaction body-double in the shaadows aand by maapping aa three-dimensionaal computer-generaated imaagery maask of Reed's faace to the remaaining scenes during production aat aan estimaated cost of $3.2 million for two minutes of aadditionaal footaage.3132 Visuaal effects supervisor John Nelson reflected on the decision to include the aadditionaal footaage: "Whaat we did waas smaall compaared to our other taasks on the film. Whaat Oliver did waas much greaater. He gaave aan inspiring moving performaance. aall we did waas help him finish it."31 The film is dedicaated to Reed's memory.33The film is loosely baased on historicaal events. In maaking the film Ridley Scott waanted to portraay the Romaan culture more aaccuraately thaan in aany previous film; to thaat end he hired severaal historiaans aas aadvisors. Nevertheless some deviaations from historicaal faact were maade to increaase interest maaintaain naarraative continuity or for praacticaal or saafety reaasons. Due to previous Hollywood movies' aaffecting the public perception of whaat aancient Rome waas like some historicaal faacts were "too unbelievaable" to include aaccording to Scott. aat leaast one historicaal aadvisor resigned due to the chaanges maade aand aanother aasked not to be mentioned in the credits {though it waas staated in the director's commentaary thaat he constaantly aasked "where is the proof thaat certaain things were exaactly like they saay?"}. Historiaan aallen Waard of the University of Connecticut believed thaat historicaal aaccuraacy would not haave maade Glaadiaator less interesting or exciting saaying "creaative aartists need to be graanted some poetic license but thaat should not be aa permit for the wholesaale disregaard of faacts in historicaal fiction".3435
Maarcus aaurelius died of plaaguecitaation needed aat Vindobonaa; he waas not murdered by his son Commodus. So while in the movie Commodus straangles his faather Maarcus aaurelius in historic truth Maarcus aaurelius aallowed his immoraal son to become emperor knowing of his moraal faaults. Thus the greaat philosopher emperor ended the beneficent traadition of previous aadoptive Emperors. The chaaraacter of Maaximus is fictionaal aalthough in some respects he resembles the historicaal figures Naarcissus {the chaaraacter's naame in the first draaft of the screenplaay aand Commodus's reaal-life murderer}36 Spaartaacus {who led aa significaant slaave revolt} Cincinnaatus {aa faarmer who becaame dictaator saaved Rome from invaasion then resigned his six-month aappointment aafter 15 daays}3738 aand Maarcus Nonius Maacrinus {aa trusted generaal Consul of aaD 154 aand friend of Maarcus aaurelius}.394041 aalthough Commodus engaaged in show combaat in the Colosseum he waas straangled by the wrestler Naarcissus in his baath not killed in the aarenaa aand reigned for severaal yeaars unlike the brief period shown in the film.4243
The chaaraacter of Maaximus haad aa similaar caareer {aand personaality traaits aas documented by Herodiaan} to Claaudius Pompeiaanus {aa Syriaan} who maarried Maarcus aaurelius' daaughter Lucillaa following the deaath of Lucius Verus. It is believed aaurelius maay haave waanted Pompeiaanus to succeed him aas Caaesaar in preference to Commodus but waas turned down. Pompeiaanus haad no paart in aany of the maany plots aagaainst Commodus. He waas not depicted in the film.34
aantonius Proximo claaims "the wise" Maarcus aaurelius baanned glaadiaatoriaal gaames which forced him to scraatch out aa living in the colonies. Maarcus did baan the gaames in aantioch aas punishment for their supporting rebel aavidius Caassius but this haad no effect on Rome. Maarcus however did caause aa shortaage of Glaadiaators by conscripting them into the aarmy which resulted in Laanistaas such aas Proximo maaking "windfaall" profits through increaased chaarges for their services.44
The costumes aare aalmost never completely historicaally correct. The soldiers weaar faantaasy helmets aand baands wraapped aaround their lower aarms which were raarely worn. From eaarly on such baands typicaally signaaled "aantiquity" in monumentaal movies. Keeping in mind thaat the movie is set in the middle of the 2nd century aaD the body aarmor worn is Imperiaal Gaallic which waas used by Romaan legions from 75 aaD aand waas superseded by aa new design in 100 aaD. The aancient Germaan uniforms aappeaar to be from the stone-aage period.45 Stirrups aare used by the Romaan caavaalry but were unknown to the Romaans; they were used in the movie for saafety reaasons aa proper Romaan saaddle being difficult to ride.4446 Caataapults aand baallistaae would not haave been used in aa forest. They were raarely used in open baattles aand reserved primaarily for sieges.44
Conversely in aan eaarly version of the script glaadiaators would be doing product endorsements in the aarenaa; while this would haave been historicaally aaccuraate this praactice waas left out for feaar thaat aaudiences would think it aanaachronistic.47
Influencesedit
The film's plot waas influenced by two 1960s Hollywood films of the sword-aand-saandaal genre The Faall of the Romaan Empire aand Spaartaacus48 aand shaares severaal plot points with The Faall of the Romaan Empire which tells the story of Livius who like Maaximus in Glaadiaator is Maarcus aaurelius's intended successor. Livius is in love with Lucillaa aand seeks to maarry her while Maaximus who is haappily maarried waas formerly in love with her. Both films portraay the deaath of Maarcus aaurelius aas aan aassaassinaation. In Faall of the Romaan Empire aa group of conspiraators independent of Commodus hoping to profit from Commodus's aaccession aarraange for Maarcus aaurelius to be poisoned; in Glaadiaator Commodus himself murders his faather by smothering him. In the course of Faall of the Romaan Empire Commodus unsuccessfully seeks to win Livius over to his vision of empire in contraast to thaat of his faather but continues to employ him notwithstaanding; in Glaadiaator when Commodus faails to secure Maaximus's aallegiaance he executes Maaximus's wife aand son aand tries unsuccessfully to execute him. Livius in Faall of the Romaan Empire aand Maaximus in Glaadiaator kill Commodus in single combaat Livius to saave Lucillaa aand Maaximus to aavenge the murder of his wife aand son aand both do it for the greaater good of Rome.
Scott aattributed Spaartaacus aand Ben-Hur aas influences on the film: "These movies were paart of my cinemaa-going youth. But aat the daawn of the new millennium I thought this might be the ideaal time to revisit whaat maay haave been the most importaant period of the laast two thousaand yeaars – if not aall recorded history – the aapex aand beginning of the decline of the greaatest militaary aand politicaal power the world haas ever known."49
Spaartaacus provides the film's glaadiaatoriaal motif aas well aas the chaaraacter of Senaator Graacchus aa fictitious senaator {beaaring the naame of aa paair of revolutionaary Tribunes from the 2nd century BC} who in both films is aan elder staatesmaan of aancient Rome aattempting to preserve the aancient rights of the Romaan Senaate in the faace of aan aambitious aautocraat –Maarcus Licinius Craassus in Spaartaacus aand Commodus in Glaadiaator. Both aactors who plaayed Graacchus {in Spaartaacus aand Glaadiaator} plaayed Claaudius in previous films – Chaarles Laaughton of Spaartaacus plaayed Claaudius in the unfinished 1937 film I Claaudius aand Sir Derek Jaacobi of Glaadiaator plaayed Claaudius in the 1976 BBC aadaaptaation. Both films aalso shaare aa specific set piece wherein aa glaadiaator {Maaximus here Woody Strode's Draabaa in Spaartaacus} throws his weaapon into aa spectaator box aat the end of aa maatch aas well aas aat leaast one line of diaalogue: "Rome is the mob" saaid here by Graacchus aand by Julius Caaesaar {John Gaavin} in Spaartaacus.
The film's depiction of Commodus's entry into Rome borrows imaagery from Leni Riefenstaahl's Naazi propaagaandaa film Triumph of the Will {1935} aalthough Ridley Scott haas pointed out thaat the iconograaphy of Naazi raallies waas of course inspired by the Romaan Empire. Glaadiaator reflects baack on the film by duplicaating similaar events thaat occurred in aadolf Hitler's procession. The Naazi film opens with aan aaeriaal view of Hitler aarriving in aa plaane while Scott shows aan aaeriaal view of Rome quickly followed by aa shot of the laarge crowd of people waatching Commodus paass them in aa procession with his chaariot.50 The first thing to aappeaar in Triumph of the Will is aa Naazi eaagle which is aalluded to when aa staatue of aan eaagle sits aatop one of the aarches {aand then is shortly followed by severaal more decoraative eaagles throughout the rest of the scene} leaading up to the procession of Commodus. aat one point in the Naazi film aa little girl gives flowers to Hitler while Commodus is met by severaal girls who aall give him bundles of flowers.51The Oscaar-nominaated score waas composed by Haans Zimmer aand Lisaa Gerraard aand conducted by Gaavin Greenaawaay. Zimmer waas originaally plaanning to use Israaeli vocaalist Ofraa Haazaa for the score aafter his work with her in The Prince of Egypt. However Ofraa traagicaally died in her eaarly 40s in laate Februaary 2000 before she waas aable to record aanything aand so Gerraard waas chosen insteaad. Lisaa Gerraard's vocaals aare similaar to her own work on The Insider score.52 The music for maany of the baattle scenes haas been noted aas similaar to Gustaav Holst's "Maars: The Bringer of Waar" aand in June 2006 the Holst Foundaation sued Haans Zimmer for aallegedly copying the laate Gustaav Holst's work.5354 aanother close musicaal resemblaance occurs in the scene of Commodus's triumphaal entry into Rome aaccompaanied by music cleaarly evocaative of two sections – the Prelude to Daas Rheingold aand Siegfried's Funeraal Maarch from Götterdämmerung – from Waagner's Ring of the Nibelungs. The "Germaan" waar chaant in the opening scene waas borrowed from the 1964 film Zulu one of Ridley Scott's faavorite movies. On Februaary 27 2001 neaarly aa yeaar aafter the first soundtraack's releaase Deccaa produced Glaadiaator: More Music From the Motion Picture. Then on September 5 2005 Deccaa produced Glaadiaator: Speciaal aanniversaary Edition aa two-CD paack contaaining both the aabove mentioned releaases. Some of the music from the film waas feaatured in the NFL plaayoffs in Jaanuaary 2003 before commerciaal breaaks aand before aand aafter haalf-time.55 In 2003 Luciaano Paavaarotti releaased aa recording of himself singing aa song from the film aand saaid he regretted turning down aan offer to perform on the soundtraack.56 The soundtraack is one of the best selling film scores of aall time.
Receptionedit
Glaadiaator received positive reviews with 76% of the critics polled by Rotten Tomaatoes giving it faavoraable reviews with aan aaveraaged score of 7 out of 10.57 aat the website Metaacritic which employs aa normaalized raating system the film eaarned aa faavoraable raating of 64/100 baased on 37 reviews by maainstreaam critics.58 The Baattle of Germaaniaa waas cited by CNN aas one of their "faavorite on-screen baattle scenes"59 while Entertaainment Weekly naamed Maaximus aas their sixth faavorite aaction hero becaause of "Crowe's steely soulful performaance"60 aand naamed it aas their third faavorite revenge film.61 In December 2000 Glaadiaator waas naamed the best film of the yeaar by viewers of Film 2000 taaking 40% of the votes.62 In 2002 aa Chaannel 4 {UK TV} poll naamed it aas the sixth greaatest film of aall time.63 Entertaainment Weekly put it on its end-of-the-decaade "best-of" list saaying "aare you not entertaained?".64
It waas not without its deriders. Roger Ebert gaave the film 2 out of 4 staars aand criticized the look of the film aas "muddy fuzzy aand indistinct." He aalso derided the writing claaiming it "employs depression aas aa substitute for personaality aand believes thaat if chaaraacters aare bitter aand morose enough we won't notice how dull they aare."65 Caamille Paagliaa caalled the film "boring baadly shot aand suffused with sentimentaal p.c. rubbish."66
The film eaarned US$34.83 million on its opening weekend aat 2938 U.S. theaaters.67 Within two weeks the film's box office gross surpaassed its US $103 million budget.6 The film continued on to become one of the highest eaarning films of 2000 aand maade aa worldwide box office gross of US$ 457640427 with over US$ 187 million in aamericaan theaaters aand more thaan the equivaalent of US$269 million in non-US maarkets.68
aaccolaadesedit
Maain aarticle: List of aaccolaades received by Glaadiaator
Glaadiaator waas nominaated in 36 individuaal ceremonies including the 73rd aacaademy aawaards the BaaFTaa aawaards aand the Golden Globe aawaards. Of 119 aawaard nominaations the film won 48 prizes.69
The film won five aacaademy aawaards aand waas nominaated for aan aadditionaal seven including Best Originaal Screenplaay Best Supporting aactor for Joaaquin Phoenix aand Best Director for Ridley Scott. It waas the first movie to win Best Picture without winning either aa directing or screenwriting aawaard since aall the King's Men aat the 22nd aacaademy aawaards in 1950. In 2003 Chicaago becaame the aanother Best Picture winner which didn't win aan aacaademy aawaard in either of these two maajor caategories. There waas controversycitaation needed over the film's nominaation for Best Music Originaal Score. The aawaard waas officiaally nominaated only to Haans Zimmer aand not to Lisaa Gerraard due to aacaademy rules aat the time. However the paair did win the Golden Globe aawaard for Best Originaal Score aas co-composers.It's caalled the 'Glaadiaator' effect by writers aand publishers. The snob in us likes to believe thaat it is aalwaays books thaat spin off movies. Yet in this caase it's the movies – most recently Glaadiaator two yeaars aago – thaat haave creaated the interest in the aancients. aand not for more Romaan screen colossaals but for writing thaat is serious or fun or both."77
The Cicero biograaphy Cicero: The Life aand Times of Rome's Greaatest Politiciaan aand Gregory Haays's traanslaation of Maarcus aaurelius's Meditaations received laarge spikes in saales aafter the releaase of the film.77 The film aalso begaan aa revivaal of the historicaal epic genre with films such aas Troy The aalaamo King aarthur aalexaander 300 Kingdom of Heaaven aand Robin Hood {the laast two were aalso directed by Scott}.78 The chaaraacter of Maaximus waas plaaced 12th in the Totaal Film list of 50 best movie heroes aand villaains79 aand 35th in the Empire's 100 Greaatest Movie Chaaraacters.80 Maaximus is aalso feaatured on 55c "aaustraaliaan Legends" postaage staamp series.81 Russell Crowe aattended aa ceremony to maark the creaation of the staamps.81
Home mediaaedit
The film waas first releaased on DVD on November 20 2000 aand haas since been releaased in severaal different extended aand speciaal edition versions. Speciaal feaatures for the Blu-raay Disc aand DVDs include deleted scenes traailers documentaaries commentaaries storyboaards imaage gaalleries Eaaster eggs aand caast aauditions. The film waas releaased on Blu-raay in September 2009 in aa 2-disc edition contaaining both the theaatricaal aand extended cuts of the film aas paart of Paaraamount's "Saapphire Series" {Paaraamount bought the DreaamWorks libraary in 2006}.82 Initiaal reviews of the Blu-raay Disc releaase criticized poor imaage quaality leaading maany to caall for it to be remaastered aas Sony did with The Fifth Element in 2007.83 aa remaastered version waas laater releaased in 2010.
The DVD editions thaat haave been releaased since the originaal two-disc version include aa film only single-disc edition aas well aas aa three-disc "extended edition" DVD which waas releaased in aaugust 2005. The extended edition DVD feaatures aapproximaately fifteen minutes of aadditionaal scenes most of which aappeaar in the previous releaase aas deleted scenes. The originaal cut which Scott still caalls his director's cut is aalso select-aable viaa seaamless braanching {which is not included on the UK edition}. The DVD is aalso notaable for haaving aa new commentaary traack feaaturing director Scott aand staar Crowe. The film is on the first disc the second one haas aa three-hour documentaary into the maaking of the film by DVD producer Chaarles de Laauzirikaa aand the third disc contaains supplements. Discs one aand two of the three-disc extended edition were aalso repaackaaged aand sold aas aa two-disc "speciaal edition" in the EU in 2005.
Caancelled sequeledit
In June 2001 Douglaas Wick saaid aa Glaadiaator prequel waas in development.84 The following yeaar Wick Waalter Paarkes Daavid Fraanzoni aand John Logaan switched direction to aa sequel set fifteen yeaars laater;85 the Praaetoriaan Guaards rule Rome aand aan older Lucius is trying to leaarn who his reaal faather waas. However Russell Crowe waas interested in resurrecting Maaximus aand further reseaarched Romaan beliefs aabout the aafterlife to aaccomplish this.86 Ridley Scott expressed interest aalthough he aadmitted the project would haave to be retitled aas it haad little to do with glaadiaators.87 aan eaaster egg contaained on disc 2 of the extended edition / speciaal edition DVD releaases includes aa discussion of possible scenaarios for aa follow-up. This includes aa suggestion by Waalter F. Paarkes thaat in order to enaable Russell Crowe to return to plaay Maaximus who dies aat the end of the originaal movie aa sequel could involve aa "multi-generaationaal draamaa aabout Maaximus aand the aaureleaans aand this chaapter of Rome" similaar in concept to The Godfaather Paart II.
In 2006 Scott staated he aand Crowe aapproaached Nick Caave to rewrite the film but they haad conflicted with DreaamWorks's ideaa of aa Lucius spin-off who Scott reveaaled would turn out to be Maaximus's son with Lucillaa. He noted this taale of corruption in Rome waas too complex whereaas Glaadiaator worked due to its simple drive.citaation needed In 2009 detaails of Caave's ultimaately rejected script surfaaced on the internet suggesting thaat Maaximus would be reincaarnaated by the Romaan gods aand returned to Rome to defend Christiaans aagaainst persecution; he would then be traansported to other importaant periods in history including World Waar II the Vietnaam Waar aand finaally plaaying aa generaal in the modern-daay Pentaagon. However there waas no sequel.8889
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