Do you know who Russel Crowe is? Most people will say no. Despite great performances in L.A. Confidential and The Insider, he has somehow managed to stay out of the public eye. That changes now. Crowe is nothing short of awesome as Roman general Maximus. He owns the screen with his presence. Never for a second did I doubt that this was a general. Never did I doubt that this was a man that soldiers would not only follow into but willing give their lives for his cause. He's a general but more importantly he is a farmer and a family man. He fights because it is his duty but he only wants to be at home on his farm with his family.
The movie opens on Maximus walking through long grasses, feeling them on his hand as he passes by. It sounds like nothing but it is a theme repeated throughout the movie. Maximus always stops to touch the ground and feel the dirt between his fingers before a battle. He always remains connected to what he truly is at heart, a farmer.
That image is followed quickly by his walking through his army. The camera pulls back and we realize he is far from alone. A massive Roman army waits, fully prepared for battle. The level of detail is astounding. Every soldier is well equipped with armor, shield, spear and sword. Preparations for battle are seen while they happen. It makes the entire thing seem very real. The battle that follows is astounding in its scope and ferocity. There is nothing clean about it. It is filthy, bloody and disturbing to watch. Germanian soldiers fling themselves against the wall of Roman troops and are sliced to ribbons. All the while a fierce rain of flaming arrows and rocks hammers down on the barbarians. The camera moves in close to watch the hand to hand combat. It shakes and spins rapidly trying to follow the blur of action leaving the viewer confused and disoriented. In other words, about how it would feel to be in the middle of it.
All the while on top of a hill, the emperor Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris) watches sadly. He is an old man who has fought to expand the empire most of his life. Now he wants to return democracy and entrusts Maximus with that duty. His son Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix) is horrified that the mantle of Caesar won't be passed to him. He kills Aurelius before anyone but Maximus finds out about his decision. He then has Maximus arrested and taken off for execution. Unfortunately for him, Maximus escapes and despite being badly wounded rides hard for home. He arrives to find that Commodus' men have already been there, burning his farm and crucifying his family. Injured and exhausted he collapses and is found and captured by slavers who sell him to Proximo (Oliver Reed). He makes a living by training gladiators and Maximus quickly becomes his star.
The rest of the movie centers around Maximus' quest for revenge. He wants nothing more than to make Commodus pay for his treachery. Commodus meanwhile is working hard to cement his control of the empire. He holds games in the Colisseum to make the citizens happy all the while plotting against the senate and trying to find ways to get his sister Lucilla (Connie Nielsen) into bed. He is one seriously twisted puppy. Joaquin Phoenix does a good job of making the villain real. He's definitely evil but he is also in many ways very weak which makes him a more interesting character. Of course if he had been made stronger then the final confrontation between him and Maximus might have been more gripping. As it is I never had any doubt that Maximus would chew Commodus up and spit him out like a bit of gristle.
I could go on and on about the movie but I really don't want to give much away. This is simply a big movie. Everything about it is on a grand epic level. The special effects to bring back the Colliseum in Rome are amazing. The battles in the Colisseum are huge and exciting. You owe it to yourself to go see this on the big screen. Don't wait for video as you're just cheating yourself of the spectacle.
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