Movie Review Essay, Research Paper

Movie Review

“Gladiator” is a movie about ancient Rome that released at May of this year. There are four major characters in this movie, which are Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Richard Harris and Djimon Hounsou. This movie is directed by Ridley Scott. Since it contains violent materials, it is rated R and is restricted to minor audience. The total running time of this movie is 150 minutes.

The great Roman general Maximus ( Russell Crowe ) has once again led the legions to victory on the battlefield. The war won, Maximus dreams of home, wanting only to return to his wife and son. However, the dying emperor Marcus Aurelius ( Richard Harris ) has one more duty for the general to assume the mantle of his power. Jealous of Maximusi favor with the emperor, the heir to the throne, Commodus ( Joaquin Phoenix ), orders his execution and that of his family. Barely escaping death, Maximus is forced into slavery and trained as a gladiator in the arena where his fame grows. Now he has came to Rome, intents on avenging the murder of his wife and son by killing the new emperor Commodus. Maximus has learned that the one power stronger than that of the emperor is the will of the people. He also knows that he can only attain his revenge by becoming the greatest hero in the empire.

Maximus ( Russell Crowe ) plays an important role in the movie. He shows his bravery and intelligence from the beginning to the end. After the new emperor finds out

Maximus real identity, he orders an execution to Maximus. However, Maximus’ fellows help him to escape from death by sacrificing themselves. It shows that there is a good relationship between Maximus and other gladiators. Even though they haven’t known each other for a long time, they respect Maximus and acknowledge his importance to Rome. Hence, they choose to save Maximus’s life even though they would be killed.

At the beginning of the movie, Maximus has once again wins the victory of the battle. It shows his great ability and bravery on a battlefield. After he becomes a gladiator, he establishes a good relationship with other gladiators. He teaches them the right way to fight and saves their lives over and over. He sees the difference between soldiers and gladiators. During the fights, he realizes a gladiator doesn’t deserve anything but to entertain people and to die. Even though he misses his wife and son, he notices he can’t die until he avenges. From these scenes, I can see the cruelty and horror of people. People are very selfish; they don’t care about others but themselves. Meanwhile, people rather sacrifice others to satisfy their desires.

Based on the historical background and scenarios, this movie is authentic to me. It teaches me a new lesson, which is to aware people that are around me. From now on, I wouldn’t judge people on their appearances; I would judge people on their personalities instead.

There are certain techniques in the movie that I especially admire. The jumbo-size epic, which called for 2,500 specially designed weapons, 500 gladiator tunics, 30,000 mud bricks, and the burning of an entire English forest. Besides these techniques, it takes

place in four different countries before the film is finished. Furthermore, the fights that appear in this movie are very authentic with the special affects.

Since I am a fan of ancient history, I think this is a great opportunity for me to visualize the Roman Empire. I can see the structure of Roman government, and the attraction of power within the loyalty. It also analyzes people’s personalities in different ways, which include kindness, intelligence, bravery, selfish and horror, etc. This movie is debuted at number one after it is released. It earns a thumbs-up estimated $32.7 million, filling seats at all arenas with an $11, 130 average on 2, 938 screens. Based on these numbers, it is unique compare to other films.