In Reply to: Gladiator-Getting good reviews? posted by Ears on May 5, 2000 at 13:12:16:
I saw it Saturday night and loved it. There is one really fascinating aspect to the movie that makes seeing it in the theatre worthwhile. And that's the audience's reaction to the contests. The 20th century audiences react in exactly the same way as do the 2nd century audiences depicted in the film. This works as a fascinating social commentary, since we tend to look at the Romans and their bloodsports as being so barbaric, nasty and "unenlightened". In our oh so much more enlightened culture we read accounts of the brutality of the Romans and ask how could any culture condone so brutual and violent contests just for entertainment? And then we lust for the same blood and violence and then react with the same emotions as did the Romans 1800 years before us. And then we justify it with, "Well, no one is really hurt in the making of movies." (The reviewers who pick up on this aspect of the movie give it much better reviews than the others.) If you see it at home, this effect may be lost somewhat due to the lack of a crowd effect.
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Follow Ups
- It is a good one. - Shane 19:58:06 05/08/00 (12)
- A piece of gladiator trivia - Victor Khomenko 08:02:11 05/12/00 (11)
- thought the Legion used brass swords, 30lbs of it, - late 13:11:53 05/12/00 (9)
- Re: thought the Legion used brass swords, 30lbs of it, - Victor Khomenko 13:54:03 05/12/00 (8)
- Re: thought the Legion used brass swords, 30lbs of it, - late 14:45:44 05/12/00 (7)
- Legionary Sword was made of Steel - Tom Brennan 17:32:51 05/12/00 (5)
- it would not surprise me if... - late 20:15:44 05/12/00 (3)
- According to the Encyclopedia of Swords... - Victor Khomenko 06:55:46 05/13/00 (1)
- Straight vs. Curved - KirkM 17:57:31 05/28/00 (0)
- Richard Burton - Victor Khomenko 06:33:45 05/13/00 (0)
- Behold the Gladius - Victor Khomenko 19:01:32 05/12/00 (0)
- btw, there is a new 'Inbox' in the Outside Asylum ***nt*** - late 14:50:29 05/12/00 (0)
- Not sure really. - Shane 12:55:59 05/12/00 (0)