Well I saw "Galdiator" -- and it's going to be a MONSTER hit. Russell Crowe is of now a Major Star. It's a heroic role, and he goes about it without any fuss. No pose-striking, no cheap tricks.
Visually it's a mixed bag. The production design is awesome. But the frequent use of speeded-up footage for the actions scenes is problematic. Moreover, we never get any real subjective POV stuff. Rather a loss as it's all presentational and a bit distant. A lot of this, I imagine, has to do with the fact that Scott refuses to dwell on gore in the Gladiator contests. People are dispatched relatively clealy.
Oliver Reed goes out in glory as the Gladiator-owner. Connie Nielsen (about whom I know nothing) is quite good as Lucilla, who doesn't appear to be able to make up her mind as to how much of an "enfants terrible" relationship she's having with ther bother Commodus -- Joaquin Phoenix. He's really good here. hard to remember him in his pudgy days as "Leaf." But the part has been curiously written. In Old Hollywod he would have been played as an Evil Fag. Here, he's a mixed-up kid who Only Wants To Be Loved but doesn't have a clue as to what love really means.
There's an implication, not as underscored as much as I wouldlike, that the arena contests are closer-to-Rome versions of the wars the people hear about but never see.
At the same time they play like Friday Night Nitro for modern audiences, with David Hemmings in the Vince MacMahon.
Though in the red fright wig he's given he looks more like Marie Dressler.
And I'm SO tired of oversaturated color.
Especially Browns and Blues.
