Gladiator
January 2001 Reviewed by: Jeff Fritz Format: DVD	(all ratings out of 5): Overall Enjoyment Picture Quality Packaged Extras Sound Quality

The opening scene of Gladiator sets the pace for an epic that certainly delivers all its promises. The Roman Army stands ready to draw to conclusion a twelve-year campaign to expand Rome’s empire. The barbarians of Germania are poised to defend their homeland against a force that is larger, better trained, better equipped, and most importantly, led by General Maximus Meridius. In this scene, Russell Crowe portrays the two elements that make Maximus appeal to both men and women alike. His compassion for the barbarians is clear when he acknowledges that if he were in their place, he would likely not concede even though the conclusion is forgone. Despite this compassion however, when he utters, "At my command, unleash hell," the audience knows he will annihilate the enemy with a forthright commitment. All bases are covered.

This battle is brutal, make no mistake about it. The Romans create a hell on earth for the barbarians, and this particular hell comes through the DTS soundtrack as if your very house is engulfed in raging arrows, fireballs, and horse huffs, but I am getting ahead of myself (more on the soundtrack later). The film’s plot examines the culmination of Maximus’ military career when he communicates to his king his desire to make the transition from warrior to committed family man. However, the Caesar wants Maximus to lead Rome in his place despite the fact that Maximus is not interested in the job. Before Maximus has the opportunity to return to the wife and son he so desperately misses, the Emperor Marcus Aurelius is murdered by his cowardly son Commodus, played by Joaquin Phoenix. This murderous act, coupled with the refusal of Maximus to swear allegiance to the usurper of the throne, draws a clear line of good versus evil that will effectively fuel the movie.

Commodus, jealous of his late father’s love of Maximus, has the General’s family murdered. Wounded and in exile, Maximus is captured by a slave trader and sold to an ex-gladiator who sacrifices unsuspecting vagabonds to the fighting arenas. Suffice to say Maximus battles his way to Rome and wins the hearts (heartless?) of the Roman people, which sets-up a showdown with the evil Commodus. Along the way a trivial relationship develops between Maximus and Lucilla, the other offspring of the murdered Caesar. This romance doesn’t really fit the movie in my estimation, but fortunately it is small enough to overlook.

The film works for a variety of reasons. First, Russell Crowe portrays the compassionate warrior without the veneered bravado seen in most action heroes. He delivers the goods in the battle scenes, and even has a few memorable lines. For example, when he is preparing his men for battle, he speaks in a tone reminiscent of the best motivational speakers: "Alas, what we do in life, echoes in eternity." Couple his performance with the excellent cinematography and a most exhilarating soundtrack, and you have all the elements that make this a must-own DVD. The soundtrack marries the Hans Zimmer musical score with excellent DTS (DD is included too) surround effects. The surround channels are not overused, but are crisp and purposeful when they do come into play. And they add immensely to the enjoyment of the movie, especially in the battle scenes. The low frequencies will have you wondering if you need that earthquake insurance afterall. Finally, although we normally don’t mention it in DVD reviews, the Gladiator CD [DECCA 289 467 094-2] is a must companion for the DVD. The musical score alone is truly awe-inspiring in its quality and musical content.

The picture quality doesn’t quite live up to the phenomenal soundtrack, but then again that would be very difficult indeed. Some scenes are a bit contrived, such as those with the lions in the Coliseum. The computer animation in this scene does not possess the realistic color transitions seen in other parts of the movie. Nevertheless, it works well enough. The packaged extras are expansive enough to require an extra disc: photo galleries, deleted scenes, commentary, interviews, and biographies combine for a complete package worth owning.

As you can no doubt tell, I like Gladiator a lot. Although a half-notch below it, like Braveheart (another one of my favorites), Gladiator is an epic tale of mans’ spirit and courage. The DVD lives up to the story. Strength and honor!

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