I am Spartacus!

[merlinofchaos]

Well ok, not really.

I did finally watch Gladiator after owning the DVD for several years. Being a long film with some mixed reviews, it was quite some time before I had built up the time and desire to watch a movie and have a 2.5 hr movie be it.

So this review is way way out of date, but still.

That movie is Hamlet. Oh sure, lots has been changed to make it fit the whole Roman empire paradigm, and the Ridley Scott BIGGGER THAN LIFE directing style, but the essence of the story is Hamlet.

Maximus -- Hamlet. Not-quite-son to Emperor Marcus Aurelius. Finds his kingdom stolen from him by his not-quite-brother (who isn't quite uncle either but the relationship is close enough) and sets out to kill him in vengeance. Oh and to make it easier, since the relationship is less clear, we'll also brutally murder his wife and child.

Marcus Aurelius -- Well, no ghosts in this universe, but that's ok. We'll just have him be alive so you can WITNESS Claudius...err, I mean Commodus killing him.

Commodus -- C'mon, he had the hots for Lucilla. He's a usurper, and a nut, and he just wants Maximus dead.

Lucilla -- Gertrude. Only as sister not mother. That just makes it icky that Claudius wants her instead of Hamlet. Also, it makes it easier to split her loyalty between them.

There's no Polonius at all, that I can come up with. Horatio is split between Cicero and the Numidian.

Sprinkle with side characters as you like.

Plot points:

Commodus killed the King and usurped his throne; only nobody realizes it.
We skip to the part where Claudius sends Hamlet to England to have him killed. In this version, he just sent him a day's right out to have him killed. Instead of being rescued by pirates, Hamlet is rescued by slave traders. Not quite as friendly.

Instead of dueling Laertes, we duel Commodus himself at the end. And instead of poisoning the blade, we'll just start Hamlet off with a kidney wound. It's still fatal. And instead of poisoing Gertrude, we're just threatening to rape her repeatedly and if she doesn't willingly share in the incest, the son will do. Actually probably much nastier than just poisoning her.

A non-parallel: Hamlet, the real Hamlet, whines incessantly and goes off about philosophy. Ridley Scott does away with that by showing us repeated shots of Elysium. Maximus doesn't whine, but the movie whines in his place. Oh Maximus, how cruel life is, how much pathos we, the audience, must feel for the terribly tragedy that's befallen you! Yes, go to Elysium and meet your family again!

Anyway, none of this sucked, but mostly all that hooked me was that yes, the Roman legions and Rome itself was freakin' gorgeous. I have an interest in how ancient cities are laid out, and didn't see nearly enough top shots of the city, darnit. But there were some nice shots of the forum and the coliseum!

Comments

[baronnocturna.livejournal.com]

i made that observation myself back when it came out. I immensly enjoyed the movie, but in part because I DO think of it as Hamlet, as a period film purely, I'm not so sure it aged well. What I mean is I have trouble watching it now because certain things, small things, don't sit well with me. Number one is the attocious opening fight, which was done all braveheart style (and not surprisingly, choreographed by the braveheart fight guys) and ultimately resembled very little of a real legion battle. Legions struggled a little in parts of Europe due to the heavily wooded areas and so I forgive the sequence a little if thats what they were trying to go for, but really, I chalk it up to innacuracy and the desire to show chaos for chaos' sake.

Some of the other niggles I have with it comes from other historical faux pas that can be forgiven for trying to stick to a Hamelet story line, but things like the overly celtic influenced music with a brief smattering of mediterranian instruments set the wrong mood. Maybe its being nit picky, but its a good movie and some of the flaws grate on me in just the wrong ways, and keep it from being great. That said, its one of the best epics to come out, though I admit, I liked Troy better. Some touches that were nice in Gladiator for the history buffs, is the notion that Maximus is from Spain being a nice touch (few Roman soldiers in the late Roman era were actually from Rome) as well as showing the provincial arenas as sort of the minor leagues was cool also. The scenes in the colleseum were nothing short of amazing and make the "ground breaking" effects in the new Star Wars movies look like something out of at best Final Fantasy. Glad you liked it and find it interesting that you felt it was a retelling of hamlet also. Good eye.

[merlinofchaos]

Hmm. I actually enjoyed the fight scene at the beginning. Though I think I was editing it somewhat for my own eye; the chaos was in part because the Germanians were obviously kind of outnumbered, and when the cavalry hit them from behind they were just toast. The bit where Maximums fell off his horse and the hand-to-hand stuff happened I admit I completely tuned out and forgot.

I was remember the bits with the shield lines and the legionaires moving forward to engage the line and keep it forward while the cavalry came and smacked them down. Given what I saw on the field, that should've been a slaughter.

Reality wasn't quite so good for the Romans at that point because the Germanians were more familiar with Roman tactics and probably could've dealt with the cavalry (which can't get that good of a charge going in the woods).

But hey, greek fire was pretty cool.

[baronnocturna.livejournal.com]

All that said previously, I have to admit to being VERY excited about the idea of a movie about Hannibal Barca, and I for one favor the idea of casting Vin Diesel in that role. The only real problem I'll have with it will be the fight scenes which will probably not be accurately portrayed (Hannibal largely beat the legions with collapsing formations that were designed to out flank the legions with inferior numbers of men, not by trampling them with elephants like most people tend to believe) but this is nothing new. Likely I imagine the battle scenes to be pure chaos with Vin Diesel bellowing alot and covered in blood. All that said, my two favorite historical military leaders are Hannibal and King Leonidas (big shouts to Hamilcar Barca too) and any movie that tells there story would be high on my list to see. I wonder if Hannibal had been merciless in Italy and taken Rome when he could of, how the world would be different? Carthage is generally regarded as being more socially and econimcally advanced than Rome was and you'd have to wonder if they had ruled the world, if it would have been a better place?