The general who became a slave. The slave that became a gladiator. The gladiator who defied an empire. After another victory on the battlefield, the great Roman General Maximus (Russell Crowe) is chosen by the dying Emperor Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris) to assume his mantle of power. Jealous of Maximus' favor, the original heir to the throne, Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix) orders the General's 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 throughout the empire. When he comes to Rome, the Gladiator is intent on avenging the murder of his family.
The big question was who would see a sword and sandle movie in 2000? And the answer was everybody. Now I know that not everyone in the world has seen this masterpiece but they should. It is, for those of you who remember, every bit as good as Spartacus. It is also a testament to good filmaking and the breakthroughs in special effects.
I have long been a fan of both the director and Russel Crowe for quite some time. I fisrt recognized Crowe in a Sci-Fi flick entitled Virtuosity in which he played a cyberized psychotic. I then saw him in some oh his then lesser known films, such as Proof and Romper Stomper. Since then he has become a star, and justifiably so. He is remarkable in this film!
This is a two disc set, the first disc contains the film, a breathtaking anamorphic transfer, with dolby and dts soundtracks, as well as a commentary by Scott. The second disc is packed with extras.
The specifications are as follows:
Features
"HBO First Look" Making Of
Additional Footage
Audio Commentary by Ridley Scott
Behind-the-Scenes Gallery of Stills From the Set
Cast and Filmmaker Bios
12 Deleted Scenes with Commentary
English: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
English: DTS 6.1 Surround ES
Enhanced for 16x9 TVs
Interview with Hans Zimmer
Production Diary
Production Notes
Slideshow of Concept Art and Storyboard Stills
The Learning Channel's The Bloodsport of a Gladiator
Theatrical Trailers
TV Spots
Breaking update.........This film has won 5 Academy Awards including Best Actor and Best Picture!
C's Final Word - DA BOMB
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