MovieChat Forums > Gladiator (2000) Discussion > Still great, but much less so than befor...

Still great, but much less so than before...


I loved this film two decades back, and still do, but it almost seems tame now? It's still a spectacle to behold, the acting great and the lavish cinematography etc.

Maybe I've been de-sensitised by 20yrs of TV news, more violent or quick-edit movies/TV shows etc (I'm not into Marvel or any ''teen'' films) but the film seems less shocking or gory.

At the risk of wanting it trashy (I don't), I found myself wishing there were more fight scenes and quicker pace at times.

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I guess it depends on what you're into now. Maybe your taste has changed? I remember watching 300 when it came out and hating it compared to Gladiator, especially the slow motion/stylish fight choreography and crazy blood splatter effects. I then came to learn more about the comic and the actual history of the battle of Thermopylae and came to appreciate it much more.

In turns of pure battle scenes I still prefer Gladiator as it still "feels" more realistic and gritty (it isn't - the Romans didn't fight like that). For example I personally really felt the pain of Commodus' slow death by his own dagger (what with the gurgling sound and him dropping to the ground like a ragdoll).

Ridley Scott is also no stranger to horrific violence. Alien, being so old still horrifies me with the crazy chestburster scene and Black Hawk Down is still one of the most realistic depictions modern warfare I've scene. I think he just toned it down in this one for the sake of narrative over style.

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Were you not entertained?

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Gladiator still stands up to this day as Ridley Scott's best ever work.

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Imho Black Hawk Down is his best work! That film still holds up. Thelma og Louise is also good, dated, but good.

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Just saw it few weeks ago on television and it felt better than ever.

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I like that about it, that it feels like a cinematic experience and isn't aiming for that more intimate and realistic tv setting. It wants to be lavish and spectacular and kind of mimics that Charlton Heston grandiose period storytelling style in a way to give it that feeling of richness.

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Yea this movie is timeless. Just watched it last night on cable before bed & it never gets old. The acting by Crowe & Phoenix carries it all the way through.

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I know not everyone loves it, but I certainly do. And don't forget about Connie Nielsen, who's great in this as well.

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I know after watching Spartacus Blood & Sand series, Gladiator does seem quite tame in comparison. Still a gem though, and the music is absolutely fantastic.

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