Gladiator
Dir: Ridley Scott
2000
***
Gladiator marked the rebirth of the classic epic. For that I think we need to thank and also curse Ridley Scott. Visually its a treat. I loved the way the SFX people integrated various Roman style buildings, mostly from London, to create a mythical but believable ancient Rome. Looking good but falling flat on story is also a classic trait for epics and this is no exception. The acting is good, Crowe and Phoenix but deserved the praise they received. It was also great to see Richard Harris hand the baton as it were, to the next generation. Scott's handling and reworking of what would be Oliver Reed's final scenes was also touching and beautiful. I feel the film only fell flat with the drama aspect. It's so melodramatic. It's emotional manipulation is too obvious, a cheap trick to win awards, lazy writing in my honest opinion. A good film stands the test of time and I'm really not sure that Gladiator has done that as well as people would have thought back in 2000.