Gladiator - 20 year anniversary

Actually, it was pretty much a remake of an earlier movie with Alec Guinness as Marcus Aurelius and Sophia Loren as his daughter. I think that movie (titled the Fall of the Roman Empire) ended with the scene of the Empire being auctioned off to the highest bidder, a more accurate ending. I used to show clips of Gladiator to my high school students. When I tested them on it instead of saying "Good luck" on your quiz, I would say "Strength and Honor".

 

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I only saw Gladiator once. I distinctly remember seeing it in the theatre, but don’t remember a thing about the film. The reason being is I was on a date, and let’s just say the date went well...

Imperial Rome
Commodus, r. 177-192 A.D. (178 A.D.)
AR Denarius, 18.78 mm x 3.4 grams
Obv.: L AVREL COMMODVS AVG. Laureate Head of Commodus right
Rev.: TR P III IM(P) II COS P P. Salus seated left holding branch over snake rising from altar
Note: Letter P omitted by mistake by the celator

 

I had the same reaction as I saw The Fall of the Roman Empire on TV one Saturday afternoon as a teenager. The Stephen Boyd character plays a role similar to Maximus, e.g, respected general of Marcus Aurelius. But in the movie, Aurelius is killed by eating poisoned fruit (not accurate historically). If I recall the scene between Boyd and Commodus, played by Christopher Plummer, where they fight to the death in the arena, the battling duo is surrounded by soldiers who build a shield wall, just like in Gladiator. The only line I can remember was when Plummer said,"If you listen carefully, you can hear the gods laughing."

Anyway that was years and years ago and I only saw that movie once, whereas I saw Gladiator in the theatre four times.

 

Commodus Ar Denarius 191-192 A.D. Obv. Head right wearing lion skin headdress. Rv.Club flanked by bow and quiver. 3.50 grms 18 mm Photo by W. Hansen Kind of too bad they couldn't incorporate this get up in the movie.I would agree the first half hour or so was the best part of the film

 

Glad the date went well.... the movie is worthy of another look. Excellent entertainment.

 

I love Gladiator despite its inaccuracies, great film commodus Marcus Aurelius

 

Great movie, poor history. I can forgive it. I don't expect Hollywood to produce documentaries.

Even it's best scene, the opening battle sequence, is woefully inaccurate. The Germans are dressed as stoneage warriors and not as 2nd century Germanic warriors. The flaming arrows are fiction too. Yet, it's a terrific scene!

On the aesthetic front - the cinemaphotography is too washed out, imho. Ancient Rome would've been much more garishly colourful.

 

This is one of my favorite movies and one of the only ones I've ever purchased on DVD. It's also one of the only movies I've watched more than once (as an adult). Not for the historical context but for the drama, the great hollywood production, and the outstanding score.

 

Now, here we have a great movie and REAL History...

 

Won awards for cinematography ... the story/historical accuracy can easily be criticized - but the production was certainly top notch. The Best Picture Academy Award was well earned.

 

Back in a college art history class, an assignment was to watch a tv series or movie about Rome and do a presentation on what it got wrong.

I don't remember it all, but I do remember that they had the Augustus of Prima Porta portrayed as 2-3 times as tall as it should be.

Also, at one point Russel Crowe was praying to "holy father," which I don't think would have been reasonable. During the reign of Marcus Aurelius, I highly doubt a high-ranking Roman general would have been openly Christian (or even secretly Christian)

 

I do not believe he was portrayed as a christian...

 

It's a personal opinion. At least Roger Ebert agreed with me - 'The film looks muddy, fuzzy and indistinct. Its colors are mud tones at the drab end of the palette, and it seems to have been filmed on grim and overcast days.'

And like I said, I can forgive the many historical inaccuracies (the lack of colour being one of them) - it's a good film despite them all.

A fascinating article about how colourful ancient Rome really was.

https://hyperallergic.com/383776/why-we-need-to-start-seeing-the-classical-world-in-color/

 

I watched the movie several times and never failed to be entertained. My concern , however, is that it seems nowadays people (ie students) seem to rely totally on Hollywood for their history instruction. When history becomes so butchered,they incorporate that butchery into their reality.
I'm not sure what the solution is , if there is one.

here is a great thinker - Marcus Aurelius , followed by his mercurial, spectacle-loving son....

 

In the first second or two, he says "Blessed Father please watch over my wife and son."

Then in the same scene he refers to ancestors.

Is there another candidate for a Blessed Father (Jupiter?) or is this a goof by the screenwriters?

 

No Marcus Aurelius for me, but I do have this rather crummy Commodus denarius.

 

Gladiators were certainly very courageous...but not as much as the engraver who worked on this coin; making a joke about Commodus was in my opinion suicidal. Here is the coin with his "subliminal" message :



The joke is : if you only take the writings at the right side of the club, you will read this: the "hole" (ano) of his "bottom" (culi) has been "burnt" (usto). Now make the link with the object depicted on the reverse and try not to laugh...This is what I call courage, knowing that Commodus had already thrown his attendant into an oven after he found his bathwater to be lukewarm !

 

Anyone familiar with the Marcomanic dialect of Old German and know what that giant of barbarian yells at the Romans while waving the decapitated head of the Roman envoy? I think I heard the word Hunde or dogs. Anybody catch anything else?

 

I can make up ANYTHING you would like! And even use Hunde!

I remember that scene and them calling the Hunde! Very vivid.

LOL It is always amazing that if you step back from the foreign sounds, you can still understand the intention communicated. I find that when I do not know the language when I am traveling and doing business outside my mother tongue.

HUNDE:


Makedon Philip II 359-336 BC AE 19 Horse Hound



RR C Hosidius C F Geta 68 BCE Diana bow quiver Boar Hound spear Sear 346 Craw 407-2