This is a post that should have been aborted. I should have nuked this sucker and started over, but it just didn’t happen. Feh.
Gladiator is one of my favorite movies. I can watch it over and over, there are so many elements that attract me. If I wasn’t so damn tired I could do a proper job of describing what grabs me about the movie, but the reality is that I am too tired to do it the way that I want to.
But I am not willing to just give up so I’ll plod along and share a few thoughts.Commodus: How dare you show your back to me! Slave, you will remove your helmet and tell me your name.
Maximus: [removes helmet and turns around to face Commodus] My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius, commander of the Armies of the North, General of the Felix Legions, loyal servant to the true emperor, Marcus Aurelius. Father to a murdered son, husband to a murdered wife. And I will have my vengeance, in this life or the next.What a powerful moment. It is one of my favorite scenes. It stands alongside the opening battle, I love that line “At my signal unleash hell.” I have to imagine that to many of the barbarian hordes battle with the Roman Legions must have resembled Hell.
That is one of my favorite movies- Russell Crowe is excellent in it, and I love that speech of his (upon meeting up with Commodus again). I recently saw an interesting documentary on the movie, where the screenwriter described his struggles with that scene to write just the right dialogue, and he finally came up with those simple but very powerful words.
The movie has some wonderful little touches- the way he runs his hand through the wheat, the way he comes across his murdered wife and son…fantastic flick.