Gladiator [Blu-ray]
Starring: Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Connie Nielsen, Oliver Reed, Richard HarrisDirector: Ridley Scott
Studio: Paramount
MPAA Rating: R (Restricted)
Format: AC-3, Color, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, Dubbed, Special Edition, Subtitled, Widescreen
Running Time: 155 minutes
DVD Release: September 1st 2009
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DVD Review
Director Ridley Scott?s triumphant Gladiator is an unparalleled combination of vivid action and extraordinary storytelling that earned five Oscars® including Best Picture. The Blu-ray presentation will include both the original theatrical version of the film as well as the extended version in 1080p High Definition with English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, French 5.1 Dolby Digital and Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital, as well as English, English SDH, French, Spanish and Korean subtitles. The two-disc set also will feature over four hours of bonus material including, but not limited to, the following:
? Audio Commentary?Two separate commentaries accompany the original theatrical version and extended version of the film.
? The Scrolls of Knowledge?The original trivia track has been newly enhanced with focus points allowing viewers to access a series of new behind-the-scenes featurettes exploring key scenes and how they relate to the historical accuracy depicted in the film. The extended version of the film also includes a deleted scene marker.
? Visions From Elysium: Topic Marker?Viewers can tag moments of interest throughout either version of the film, allowing them to create ?shopping lists? of topics to learn more about. Thanks to the Blu-ray player?s memory, the topics will automatically be loaded when Disc 2 is inserted, giving viewers immediate access to featurettes and galleries of interest.
? Strength And Honor: Creating The World of Gladiator?The definitive documentary on the origin, production and impact of the Oscar®-winning classic. The documentary includes an all-new Enhanced Viewing Mode allowing viewers access to additional interviews and behind-the-scenes material.
? The Making of Gladiator?HBO First Look special.
? Gladiator Games: The Roman Bloodsport?Learning Channel special.
? Hans Zimmer: Scoring Gladiator?An exploration of the rousing soundtrack.
? My Gladiator Journal?Personal diary of the young actor who played Lucius.
? Image & Design?Featurettes and galleries covering the production design, storyboards, costumes and more.
? Abandoned Sequences & Deleted Scenes
? VFX Explorations: Germania & Rome?Shot deconstruction with the visual effects artists.
User Reviews
Compare the Facts with this Fiction: History had a MUCH better script... - Rating: 3/5
This movie is a great action movie of the toga-sandal genre, it is NOT a historical movie, though it is set in Ancient Rome.The true history of Commodus is much more exciting, imaginative and colorful than the trite story line we are given in this film.
Here are the most important facts on which the movie differs from history:
1-Commodus was never disowned by his father, on the contrary from a very young age Marcus Aurelius wanted him to be his heir and gave him all the necessary titles and honors to go along with the job. All evidence points to exactly the opposite, he loved his son too much rather than too little. It is hard to believe such an intelligent man picked such a poor successor since at 19, which was his age at his father's death, (and roughly our equivalent of 30) Commodus must have demonstrated his character faults plenty of times. He was co-ruler with his father from 176 onwards and his father died in 180. He did not have to kill him to become the ruler as he already was.
2-Commodus had a sister Lucilla, ( he also had several others, none of which appear in the film) who had been married to Lucius Verus, co-ruler with his father, when he started his reign, and therefore had the title since then of 'Augusta'. She conspired against him in 182, according to the sources the cause was friction with the Empress Crispina, Commodus' wife. This was just two years after he became sole emperor, with two of her lovers, Marcus Ummidius Quadratus (the consul of 167, who was also her first cousin) and Appius Claudius Quintianus, both were executed, she was exiled to Capri and then conveniently murdered. She was married at the time but her husband was not implicated in the conspiracy.This is a much better script than the movie's and I can not comprehend why it was not used instead of the convoluted absurd scenario that was concocted.
Furthermore this Lucilla looks like she just graduated from Vassar. When will American audiences comprehend that the Romans were overwhelmely dark-haired and that only the Barbarians at that time were fair?? Such a persistent racist perspective, which is present since the beginning of Hollywood by British actors playing the roles of Romans, is really incomprehensible today, particularly in the case of Lucilla's child that looks ready for kindergarten in Switzerland or the senators we see, all of which could be having a drink at the Harvard Club and none of which could have possibly been a Roman aristocrat.
3-Commodus did fight both animals and gladiators in public, however he did not die in the arena, but was strangled by his professional trainer, the wrestler Narcissus, who conspired with Commodus mistress, Marcia to get into his bedroom and strangle him after Marcia had made Commodus drunk. There are discrepancies in the sources as to whether it happened in the bathroom or the bed, either one of which would have been better than the silly circus fight that we knew before he started it he was going to 'lose'.
4-Maximus as a character did not exist at that period, it is a complete fabrication with a little bit of Spartacus, Richard Burton's Anthony and a lot of Steve Reeve's Hercules thrown in a blender.
5-The emperor Commodus was heavily muscled and bearded and considered a model of male beauty at that time. Numerous statues show him in Hercules' regalia. Joaquin Phoenix is terribly miscast in the role, he looks like a Roman bureaucrat, at best, and at worst like just a jackass. His costumes are particularly wrong, much more suited for the Opera stage of Venice during the 18th Century. His makeup would have been great in a silent film and is strangely out of place here, verging on the comical.
6-The depiction of the gladiators, like all American productions relating to this period of history completely and purposefully distorts the facts of their daily life and exercise by censoring, hiding and refusing to allocate nudity and the strong presence of sexuality, both heterosexual and homoerotic that was part of that world. When will we see that our present day ideas on the topic had NOTHING to do with the way these people lived?? What we see here is a varsity team that can kill in the field, not the super stars of the Roman arena that had huge fame and wealth along with all the perks that came with their violent, brutal profession.
All of the above taken into consideration, the movie is an entertaining, fast-action fantasy that has escapist value. Russell Crowe never looked better and he does do an extremely convincing characterization of a provincial, country-loving, old fashioned virtuous and somewhat brutish Roman general of the type the Romans themselves always liked to praise with great respect.
A must in your collection! - Rating: 5/5
This is an awesome movie and the DVDs (along with the bonus DVD)are of very high picture quality.
Gladiator DVD - Rating: 5/5
I was completely satisfied with this transaction. I guess the only thing I would like to have known is the condition of the disk. When the seller said it was in 'good' condition it was because of the case and not the DVD itself. This was a relief because I was under the impression it would be the actual disk. Either way it shipped faster than expected, I received it earlier and the transaction was as smooth as the come. I thank the seller for the excellent service and wish other sellers would emulate these good traits. No complaints here, extraordinary service.
Love this movie - Rating: 5/5
My family loves this movie. It has it all; love, action, betrayal and in the end, redemption.
Rip-off - Rating: 1/5
Why not issue the extended edition (177 minutes) in a set with the theatrical release? A rip-off, as is so common.
