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Title: GLADIATOR coming on TCM right now 11pm EST February 13, 2010 Post by: Allhallowsday on February 13, 2010, 10:56:51 PM GLADIATOR coming on TCM right now 11pm EST February 13, 2010
Sure, it's far from perfect, but I like RIDLEY SCOTT movies and it is OLIVER REED's last screen appearance. Title: Re: GLADIATOR coming on TCM right now 11pm EST February 13, 2010 Post by: Neville on February 15, 2010, 05:36:19 PM Funny, because I watched the extended cut a few days ago. I did enjoy the film inmensely in the thetre, but with every subsequent viewing on DVD I thought less of it, until deciding it was way overated.
Now, as you said, the film is not without flaws, and the re-added scenes in the extended cut are quite redundant, but I found myself enjoying every minute of it and re-discovering its virtues. Like the casting of Crowe, Joaquim Phoenix (loved his faces during the gladiator's first fight in Rome) and the late Oliver Reed (favourite line: "You sold me queer jiraffes!"). Or the adrenaline-packed arena fights, or Ridley Scott's visual flourishes. The only moment I thought the film was falling apart was the ending. [SPOILERS FOLLOW] There are many things the film does right, but one that it doesn't is establishing Maximus as a real threat to the emperor. We know, thanks to the dialogue, that he is an extremely popular general, and what he knows about the emperor's last will is explosive. Yet I never bought the Romans would be ready to revolt against the emperor and accept him as a leader. Part of the problem is that pretty much the only Romans we see are the spoectators at the Coliseum, and they seem more interested in the show than in the politics at stake. They don't even seem to hate the emperor at all. And Maximus may be very interested in killing the emperor for his own reasons, but nothing of what he does in the arena seems to galvanize the audience. They cheer him, alright, but if he asked them to release him and revolt all he would get would be blank stares, no matter what. And please, next time somebody come up with a better catchphrase than "Not yet". Pretty please. Title: Re: GLADIATOR coming on TCM right now 11pm EST February 13, 2010 Post by: Jim H on February 16, 2010, 01:33:07 PM It's got some serious issues (I agree with you on that big one Neville), but I find it very enjoyable. Especially love Russel Crowe's performance. I wouldn't call it his best, but few things get my blood going like his brief monologue about how he will have his vengeance. Probably my favorite "I'll get you" speech in any film.
It seems a little out of place on TCM though - most of what they show is 25+ years old. |