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k, so i'm bored as hell so i figured i'd pull up an old review I wrote for the Gladiator(which is a kick ass movie by the way) and share it with you guys. It was an essay written for my English comp 1 class. Heh, sorry to bring up such an old movie :-D
You are standing in a cramped, poorly lit hallway staring at two massive doors with a slight beam of light breaking through. The dust glows in what little light streams through the cracks, and the tension builds due to the unknown fate on the other side of the door. The fans are screaming and stomping their feet anxiously as they await the battle that is about to ensue. You see nothing, but you can sense the jitters of the lesser men around you. You can hear a screeching chain as a man, who to some would appear as if he was a giant, swings a flail over his head ready to bring your life to an end. The doors swing open and a blinding light bursts into the room and the gladiators run out into the arena met by the enemy as they exit. It’s kill or be killed now, and the audience loves it.
Gladiator, directed by Ridley Scott was released in November 2000. This compelling masterpiece has an amazing story that will please the tastes of movie fanatics, and the occasional movie viewer just the same. It is more than just non-stop action, and senseless violence. The story draws you through such emotions of joy, anger, despair, and grievance.
The creators of this movie did an outstanding job of portraying Rome, Italy in the time of the great Roman Empire at its peak. The depictions of the city of Rome are superb, to say the least, the buildings are truly dazzling. The art and graphics department was able to capture the impressively massive size of the Coliseum that is the centerpiece in the great city of Rome. The close attention to detail in recreating the late 100’s AD Rome was able to bring the beautiful architecture of this Italian city screaming back to life. You don’t have to be a fan of art to be touched by the magnificent scenes that can be viewed in this movie.
With a very well written script, and a long list of talented actors, this movie stands out from the crowd and sets a new standard of excellence that all movies should live up to. To call this movie “entertaining” would be an insult, because it is far more than that. Russell Crowe was simply amazing, playing the role of Maximus; he made us feel his pain for the loss of his loved ones. We felt his anger and frustrations as he tried to overcome the newly appointed and unfit emperor of Rome. Joaquin Phoenix played the role of Commodus, the villain we love to hate. After killing his father, Marcus Aurelius the emperor of Rome, played by Richard Harris; he appoints himself the new emperor of Rome, and his first act as emperor will be the one he regrets most. But I wont spoil the story for you, the movie Gladiator is a piece of art that must be experienced first hand in order to receive the full effect.
“Splendid”, one of the many words that comes to mind when speaking of the musical composition for this movie; who could forget the enlivening song that plays in background during the battle in the opening of the movie. It does a tremendous job of drawing you into the excitement of the battle. The sound effects are nothing to shake a stick at. If you are fortunate enough to be able to experience this masterpiece in surround sound, you will be able to enjoy the sounds of arrows whizzing past your head, and the cheers of the crowds all around you. You would feel as if you are inside the movie.
“The general who became a slave. The slave who became a gladiator. The gladiator who defied an empire.” Gladiator, an epic tale that, without a doubt in my mind, does indeed deserve to be preserved for the future generations to be able to enjoy and embrace this movie in all it’s glory. Truly a masterpiece for the masses; this movie will be remembered by all who have the chance to see it.
You are standing in a cramped, poorly lit hallway staring at two massive doors with a slight beam of light breaking through. The dust glows in what little light streams through the cracks, and the tension builds due to the unknown fate on the other side of the door. The fans are screaming and stomping their feet anxiously as they await the battle that is about to ensue. You see nothing, but you can sense the jitters of the lesser men around you. You can hear a screeching chain as a man, who to some would appear as if he was a giant, swings a flail over his head ready to bring your life to an end. The doors swing open and a blinding light bursts into the room and the gladiators run out into the arena met by the enemy as they exit. It’s kill or be killed now, and the audience loves it.
Gladiator, directed by Ridley Scott was released in November 2000. This compelling masterpiece has an amazing story that will please the tastes of movie fanatics, and the occasional movie viewer just the same. It is more than just non-stop action, and senseless violence. The story draws you through such emotions of joy, anger, despair, and grievance.
The creators of this movie did an outstanding job of portraying Rome, Italy in the time of the great Roman Empire at its peak. The depictions of the city of Rome are superb, to say the least, the buildings are truly dazzling. The art and graphics department was able to capture the impressively massive size of the Coliseum that is the centerpiece in the great city of Rome. The close attention to detail in recreating the late 100’s AD Rome was able to bring the beautiful architecture of this Italian city screaming back to life. You don’t have to be a fan of art to be touched by the magnificent scenes that can be viewed in this movie.
With a very well written script, and a long list of talented actors, this movie stands out from the crowd and sets a new standard of excellence that all movies should live up to. To call this movie “entertaining” would be an insult, because it is far more than that. Russell Crowe was simply amazing, playing the role of Maximus; he made us feel his pain for the loss of his loved ones. We felt his anger and frustrations as he tried to overcome the newly appointed and unfit emperor of Rome. Joaquin Phoenix played the role of Commodus, the villain we love to hate. After killing his father, Marcus Aurelius the emperor of Rome, played by Richard Harris; he appoints himself the new emperor of Rome, and his first act as emperor will be the one he regrets most. But I wont spoil the story for you, the movie Gladiator is a piece of art that must be experienced first hand in order to receive the full effect.
“Splendid”, one of the many words that comes to mind when speaking of the musical composition for this movie; who could forget the enlivening song that plays in background during the battle in the opening of the movie. It does a tremendous job of drawing you into the excitement of the battle. The sound effects are nothing to shake a stick at. If you are fortunate enough to be able to experience this masterpiece in surround sound, you will be able to enjoy the sounds of arrows whizzing past your head, and the cheers of the crowds all around you. You would feel as if you are inside the movie.
“The general who became a slave. The slave who became a gladiator. The gladiator who defied an empire.” Gladiator, an epic tale that, without a doubt in my mind, does indeed deserve to be preserved for the future generations to be able to enjoy and embrace this movie in all it’s glory. Truly a masterpiece for the masses; this movie will be remembered by all who have the chance to see it.
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