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So this review is way way out of date, but still.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