Gladiator

I ignored Gladiator during its premiere and successfully for another 12 years, but during one of its reruns on TV, I couldn't resist and subsequently found out that my contempt for Gladiator should have persisted and my instinct did not disappoint as usual. The film simply has nothing to offer me, because it is a typical summer blockbuster with pompous production design, but it's stupid as hell. The story and dialogue are trivial and I don't hesitate to say idiotic. Of course, Connie Nielsen looks good, both the male stars are very solid actors and they keep the film afloat in parts, but other than that, I can only mention the generous set design, and then I'm out of positives. Even the often-mentioned opening battle didn't impress me much, and I maybe appreciate only the gladiators' fights in the arena. I dare to sacrilegiously declare that recently made movies Centurion and The Eagle, with the absence of movie stars, a fraction of the budget, and incomparably smaller ambitions suited me much better, although I don't consider them to be the pinnacle of cinema and I know they have numerous flaws. Overall impression: 40%. (27/08/2012)

A narratively and emotionally artistic spectacle that cleverly adapts the classic needs of historical cinema to the insatiable Hollywood mainstream, whose greatest asset, the overblown and expensive audiovisuals, is so phenomenal that it almost overshadows its great weakness, namely the script. I don’t give a shit about historical accuracy, but with more viewings I'm mostly annoyed by the superficial, half-baked message, served on a disproportionately stretched plot. I love this film, and the coliseum scenes are iconic, but Scott was more of a craftsman over the details than a builder of riveting heroic destinies, which was sorely needed. (15/07/2011)

Here we go again - the director's cut of the film has turned an already perfect film into an incredible, dimensional epic gem! To hell with all those who are picking at historical inaccuracies - it's not about them at all! Gladiator has a different message than a history book! This film is one of my greatest movie theater experiences ever (which the DVD version reminded me of), thanks to the almost holy trinity of Scott - Crowe - Zimmer. (22/05/2010)

Without exaggeration, the best historical movie ever made. Under Scott's direction, the film has the right pace and keeps growing incredibly over time. The script isn't anything special, a great fall and a subsequent rise, but I just can't help myself. When I factor in Crowe’s brilliant performance, Zimmer's excellent soundtrack as usual, and great visual effects, it goes straight to my list of favorites. (25/07/2012)

“Hold the line, stay with me” – Roman general Maximus leads his army into battle, accompanied by Hans Zimmer’s powerful score, which I consider to be one of the best in the history of cinema. Ridley Scott once again serves us a visual feast, at the expense of weaker content. But it must be noted that the content wasn't really that bad, after all, the story also has its historical roots, which makes it closer to the audience. Sometimes the dialogues seemed a bit silly, but I won't dwell on it. The main thing in this well-made film is to enjoy Scott's typical style, the fantastic cinematography, which is incredibly dynamic and detailed, especially in the action scenes, the exceptional editing, and even the sound design deserves praise. (07/05/2005)