Gladiator DVD Review

"GLADIATOR (EXTENDED EDITION)" reviews

DVD

GLADIATOR (EXTENDED EDITION)

Author

anonymous

Date reviewed

2005-09-09 15:32:31

Provider

DVD Review

It's not often in modern cinema that the word epic can be used to describe a film but Ridley Scott's Oscar-winning tale of honour, betrayal and revenge in ancient Rome falls firmly into that category.

Maximus Meridius (Russell Crowe) is Rome's most respected General. Loved by his men and admired by all those who meet him, the humble servant of the Emperor Marcus Aurelius is stunned when the old ruler asks him to look after the Empire after his death. However, Maximus doesn't count on Marcus's devious son, Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix), who murders his father, has the General's family slaughtered and sells him into a life of slavery, in order to keep him away from the city. Bought by Proximo (Oliver Reed in his final, and one of his best, roles), the strapping soldier is soon fighting to stay alive, albeit, this time, in the gladiatorial battles which pit man against man in the empire's public coliseums.

Driven by his feelings of vengeance and hatred toward Commodus, can Maximus conquer the arena and, in turn, the new Emperor himself. Gladiator is a true epic in every sense of the word, with effects that have to be seen to be believed.

The three-disc package contains a vast array of extras giving fans much insight into the epic's background. These include: Introduction by director Ridley Scott, audio commentary by Russell Crowe and Ridley Scott, Are You Not Entertained? trivia track; Tale of the Scribes: Story Development; The Tools of War: Weapons; Attire of the Realm: Costume Design; The Heat of Battle: Production Journals; The Glory of Rome: Visual Effects; Arthur Max; Production Design Gallery; Storyboard Demonstration; Storyboard-To-Film Comparisons; Abandoned Sequences & Deleted Scenes and, would you believe, several more!