First up is Ridley Scott's 2000 epic 'Gladiator'. The first time I had even heard of this movie was seeing a poster for it was at Sea World. Apart from the dolphins and sting rays and the whale shows and Six Flags being located right next door, the poster for 'Gladiator' was another thing I remember. I don't remember anything on TV promoting it the year it came out but then again you don't see too many commercials for R-rated movies on TV channels that primarily show children's programming. And since I didn't really know what it was nor would I have been allowed to watch it since I was 9 years old in 2000, clearly I did not see it when it came to theaters. As I became more and more interested in movies I started to hear about it, but still had not seen it.
The first surprise reaction I remember getting when I admitted to having not seen 'Gladiator' was early sophomore year of high school. I was sitting in the library that was across the street from my high school, waiting on my parents to pick me up. As I worked on geometry homework with a classmate, somehow favorite movies was brought up. I don't remember what I said but she said 'Gladiator' and I replied how I hadn't seen Gladiator.
"You've never seen Gladiator??"
It's been seven years since that conversation took place so my memory might be a little hazy but I believe that was the response I got from her. Since then I had seen bits and pieces of 'Gladiator' on TV but never the whole thing. I knew the very basics of the story and I knew about the ending. It wasn't for a lack of not wanting to see the movie...I was just simply doing other things.
So flash forward to 2013. Black Friday I decided to go to Wal-Mart to do some window shopping and check out some of the deals. I didn't have the intention of buying anything, but I didn't completely rule out buying at least something. I go back to the entertainment section and I see a several tables with numerous DVDs, all on sale for Black Friday. So I end up buying all 8 'Harry Potter' movies and this movie for $1.96 a piece, and a 3-pack of Sean Connery's James Bond movies (including 'Thunderball', 'You Only Live Twice', and 'Diamonds Are Forever') for $4.96. At those prices it would be crazy to pass up on those. I'm sure I could've bought more but I need to be a little bit careful with my money.
I get back to school a few days later and I start to unpack everything and I grabbed 'Gladiator' and put it by my TV. A friend on my dorm floor pops by, notices I have 'Gladiator' sitting by my TV, and I comment how I've only seen bits and pieces of it but not the whole thing.
"You call yourself a movie person and you've never seen 'Gladiator?!?!?!'"
The response was something along those lines. So after unpacking, eating dinner and moving my car I finally popped it into my DVD player, skipped Sunday Night Football and sat down to watch 'Gladiator'.
All right. In case you're like me and either haven't seen it or you've under a rock since 2000, 'Gladiator' follows the story of successful Roman General Maximus (Russell Crowe) who after defeating the barbarians simply wants to go home to his wife and son and enjoy some peace and quiet. The dying Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris) chooses Maximus to be his successor, knowing full well that his own son Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix) is corrupt, twisted, and immoral and would not be fit to rule the empire. Enraged, Commodus kills his father and orders the soldiers to kill Maximus and kill his wife and child. Maximus escapes but after finding his way home he soon realizes the fate of the rest of his family. He is then picked up and sold as a slave to Proximo (Oliver Reed) who trains him to be a gladiator. Maximus soon becomes quite popular in the arena and soon has his eyes set on becoming a free man once again and exacting vengeance on Commodus.
When it was released on May 5, 2000 'Gladiator' received positive reviews and was a hit at the box office. The following March it would become the winner of 5 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Actor (Russell Crowe), Best Visual Effects, Best Costume Design and Best Sound Mixing. Also nominated for Best Supporting Actor (Joaquin Phoenix), Best Director (Ridley Scott), Best Original Screenplay (David Franzoni, John Logan, William Nicholson), Best Original Score (Hans Zimmer), Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography and Best Film Editing. For Best Picture it beat the likes of 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon', 'Erin Brockovich', 'Traffic', and 'Chocolat'...none of which I've seen.
So having finally seen the entirety of 'Gladiator' what did I think of it? Honestly I thought it was very good. The opening battle scene against the barbarians goes on a little longer than I would have liked but other than that the rest of the battle scenes in the various arenas were very thrilling and exciting. It's beautifully shot and the score is also really good. It looks and feels like you're in ancient Rome. The acting was very good for the most part. Another thing I liked about the movie was it's emotional punch that it gave me. The scenes where Maximus' wife and son are about to be killed, the scene where Maximus discovers their crucified bodies (you only see their feet, but that makes it even more effective seeing his reaction), and some scenes later on in the movie that I can't quite talk about since it would give away the ending. If you don't feel SOMETHING watching those scenes, you're either inhuman or you've been extremely desensitized. One extreme or the other. Would I recommend it? Of course I would! The battle sequences are a little bloody but they aren't as bloody as you might imagine that they are. Overall, 'Gladiator' is very well made, well acted for the most part, thrilling and packs quite an emotional punch.
So that's 'Gladiator' and the first installment of 'I Finally Watched...". I'm always asking for input. If you like this new series, let me know. If you dislike this, let me know. If you feel that I should quit this entirely and stick to my so far non-existent day job, let me know. If you have any suggestions for movies that I possibly haven't seen, let me know. Leave a comment on Facebook, reply on my Twitter account, leave a comment directly on my blog, talk to me, text me, send carrier pigeons or owls, smoke signals, Morse Code, sign language, email, etc.
As far as selecting these movies goes, I will probably make a list at some point and just randomly select from there. However the next movie I will be doing for the next installment of 'I Finally Watched...' I've already picked. The only hint is that I have a sinking feeling about this next movie...
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