Bluemoon's Official Top 100 Films

[Mad Eyed Screamer]

10. Gladiator 9/118

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Gladiator is a 2000 British-American epic historical drama film directed by Ridley Scott and written by David Franzoni, John Logan, and William Nicholson. The film was co-produced and released by DreamWorks Pictures and Universal Pictures. It stars Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Connie Nielsen, Ralf Möller, Oliver Reed (in his final role), Djimon Hounsou, Derek Jacobi, John Shrapnel, and Richard Harris. Crowe portrays Roman general Maximus Decimus Meridius, who is betrayed when Commodus, the ambitious son of Emperor Marcus Aurelius, murders his father and seizes the throne. Reduced to slavery, Maximus becomes a gladiator and rises through the ranks of the arena to avenge the murders of his family and his emperor.

Inspired by Daniel P. Mannix's 1958 book Those About to Die (formerly titled The Way of the Gladiator), the film's script, initially written by Franzoni, was acquired by DreamWorks and Ridley Scott signed on to direct the film. Principal photography began in January 1999, before the script was completed, and wrapped up in May of that year, with the scenes of Ancient Rome shot over a period of nineteen weeks in Fort Ricasoli, Malta. The film's computer-generated imagery effects were created by British post-production company The Mill, who also created a digital body double for the remaining scenes involving Reed's character Proximo due to Reed dying of a heart attack during production.

Gladiator premiered in Los Angeles on May 1, 2000, and was released theatrically in the United States on May 5 and in the United Kingdom on May 11. The film received generally favorable reviews from critics, with praise for the acting (particularly Crowe's and Phoenix's performances), Scott's direction, visuals, screenplay, action sequences, musical score and the production values. It was a box office success, grossing $187.7 million in the United States and grossed $457 million worldwide, making it the second highest-grossing film of 2000.

The film won multiple awards, including five Academy Awards at the 73rd Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Actor for Crowe, Best Costume Design, Best Sound and Best Visual Effects. It also received four BAFTA Awards at the 54th British Academy Film Awards for Best Film, Best Cinematography, Best Production Design and Best Editing. Since its release, Gladiator has also been credited with reinventing the swords and sandals genre and rekindling interest in entertainment centered around ancient Greek and ancient Roman culture such as the TV series Rome.

FFS

 

[Blue_eyes]

Didnt have this myself, but did have a slave/gladiator film in "Spartacus" which I am pretty sure wont be involved here. I did prefer it though despite Gladiator being a highly enjoyable sword and sandal romp, and having appearances by two great British wildmen in Ollie Reed and Richard Harris. Many of the other side characters are good too, along with the set pieces such as the "Barbarian Horde." It has won its freedom.......and its place here.

 

[I'm With Stupid]

I love this film and still wouldn't have it anywhere near my top 20.

 

[urban genie]

Another of the films that made a big noise on it's relase because it was cinsidered fresh or not what was being made at the time (sword and sandals epic were considered an old genre), but with time and many times watched it is quite a plain film, much like shawshank and the usual suspects, thin plots that are living off their reputation of the time as fresh film making and ingenuity.

At this rate Robin Hood prince of thieves will be number one

 

[Cellarite]

Another of the films that made a big noise on it's relase because it was cinsidered fresh or not what was being made at the time (sword and sandals epic were considered an old genre), but with time and many times watched it is quite a plain film, much like shawshank and the usual suspects, thin plots that are living off their reputation of the time as fresh film making and ingenuity.

At this rate Robin Hood prince of thieves will be number one

Now you're talking. Quality film that either just slipped into my top 20 or just missed the cut.

I'll check my pm to Sparky.

Edit - 20th place in my final list.

 

[Saddleworth2]

Well, we've had a lot of good films so far, and some odd choices (I'm looking at you "Step Brothers"), but with 10 to go, I thought I'd take a punt at what the top 10 might be. This is based not on my personal choices (only two of these are in my top #20), but on a combination of classic films that usually pop up in these things. There's four in here that I haven't even seen.

1. Jaws
2. The Godfather
3. The Shawshank Redemption
4. The Godfather Part II
5. Goodfellas
6. Alien
7. Blade Runner
8. Pulp Fiction
9. Apocalypse Now
10. Gladiator

yeah. You might not have the correct order but you will be pretty close. 7 of those are in my top ten.

 

[Saddleworth2]

Nearly as much as The Sound Of Music for me, which is legion.

Whatever comes out of these gates we've a better chance of survival if we work together. Do you understand, if we stay together we survive!

I love it.
Like a total tube, when I was in the Colosseum for the first time, I turned to Mrs S and said in an extremely loud voice;

"My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius, commander of the Armies of the North, General of the Felix Legions and 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."

I looked round and several other rotund middle aged tubes were doing exactly the same.

 

[BlueHammer85]

I love it.
Like a total tube, when I was in the Colosseum for the first time, I turned to Mrs S and said in an extremely loud voice;

"My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius, commander of the Armies of the North, General of the Felix Legions and 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."

I looked round and several other rotund middle aged tubes were doing exactly the same.

I was tempted to make that the quote lol

 

[JULES]

This was my number one, there is so much I could say about it......the perfectly cast actors/the score/the fact that it made Eastwood a star and so on. True, its not everybodies cup of tea, but this and the other spaghetti westerns did open up the possibilities of the genre and led to many others in a similar vein. Even now. Tarantino is trying to emulate the directors style.

As a film it has drama, humour, excitement and made westerns "cool" again, and made Eastwood cool forever, although these things may have been forgotten over time, but were important back then. Basically its a story of three men, all different but all chasing the same thing, 200,000 dollars in gold buried in a grave in a war cemetary. Set against the backdrop of the American civil war and moving at a pace which befits a film that has so much to see.

The final 10 minutes just culminates into pure film entertainment for me, advertising the directors art of mixing drama, unforgettable music, anticipation and cinematography . There is little dialogue, but none is needed, you do sense Tucos desperation, you do sense Angel Eyes fear and you do sense Blondie thinks he has it all worked out. Each characters nervouseness and trying to gain an edge in the final three way shootout is brilliant, and all with that music(extacy of gold etc) in the background....my favourite scene ever.

I am a little dissapointed in its position here, but will there be a film as old thats above it? If not then that is testament to how forward thinking it actually was and how most who have watched it still cherish it.

I thought it was 200,000 in silver ? just sayin

 

[Phil1]

Now you're talking. Quality film that either just slipped into my top 20 or just missed the cut.

I'll check my pm to Sparky.

Edit - 20th place in my final list.

Corny as fuck but what an enjoyable romp of a movie. Deserves a place in the top 100.