History time: Gladiator's actually only had about a 20% (ish) death rate (some sources report as low as 10%). Training, feeding, housing, all costs money. That's an investment you're not going to just throw away in fights that are always to the death. They also ate high calorie food to build fat so they could be cut and bleed, but not have anything vital hit.
this makes sense. apparently Hollywood is also horrible for presenting historical battles as chaotic and scary when in reality they would have been kind of boring visually? like basically two sides with shield walls just kind of bumping into one another, not a bunch of dudes running across a field in heavy armour screaming and exhausting themselves before they even get to the enemy.
I've heard Gladiators described as being similar to professional wrestlers in that they would have certain moves rehearsed so that they could have a fight the crowd would love without them dying.
@@K.C-2049 Hollywood really doesn't get peoples innate desire to not get stabbed with something pointy and sharp at any cost. Battles were won by either outlasting your enemy in terms of stamina or outflanking them to make them run. And THAT'S when the actual slaughter began. 70-80% of all casualties in most ancient battles came from the losing side, and almost all of them once the line had been broken and the troops had begun fleeing. It's apparently easier to stab someone in the back when they're running than it is when they're facing you holding a shield.
Gladiator is like a fine wine. When I was young I didn't truly appreciate but every time I watch it a year older I fall in love with this masterpiece more and more
I agree, but I also feel like any of these movies coming out decades after the OG, just don't even rank as sequels for me. Like yes I get they want to capitalize on a popular IP because they can't have original thoughts anymore, but it takes nothing away from the mastery of the original. I love the casting for the new one and I'll probably end up seeing it either way, and if it's a stinker, oh well, I'll just watch Gladiator to feel better lol.
@@mikeskinner315 I know you're right and it's just for the IP name, but honestly historical Rome is so full of amazing stories and captivating set-pieces that I don't think it needed to piggy-back the first movie to have success. If anything it held it back somehow. Pick any legendary story of Romans and modify it just enough to fit a Hollywood script, you'll get a better movie than what they produced. My choice would have been to follow up legionarii from the Carrhae disaster all the way to their (potential, no archeological certitude here) heroic final stand in a Chinese civil war, finally reclaiming their honor after years of being slaves and mercenaries.
Remember when TBS used to play "Movies for Guys who like Movies" every weekend. They played Gladiator, Unforgiven, original Conan and Fight Club on rotation 😂😂😂
I saw it 14 times in theaters, the 14th time at an Oscar promotion screening with Russell Crowe himself in the audience. My ex-girlfriend had suggested it to me and the first 10 minutes of the movie was a way to deal with the grief and pain of our separation. The music has been a mainstay of mine even through to today.
Joaquin Phoenix deserved to win an Oscar for his work here, but the Academy finally made it up to him almost a decade later. Also, Russell Crowe deservedly scooped up a golden statue.
I didn't say I remembered from school CORRECTLY haha. I was so confident I didn't even look it up. But they did use it, right? Wikipedia says they did lol. Before Legion... You were just supposed to laugh at the turtle line!
@CinemaWins And pass up a chance to educate ya? No way! And let's be fair, this is hardly the worse slip up you've had. Such as forgetting to mention one of the greatest bad guy themes of all time, but who's keeping track /j Edit: And yes, Rome did use the phalanx but that was WAAAAAAAAAY before this point.
Gladiator is more than just a sick bloody John Wick esc gladiator; it's a profoundly beautiful exploration of masculinity in its triumphs, complexities, and flaws. The film captures the essence of what it means to be a man in a world that values strength and power, while also delving into the emotional, vulnerable side of manhood that often goes unspoken. At its core, Maximus represents the archetype of the honorable man. He’s a warrior, a leader, and a protector-roles traditionally associated with masculinity. But what makes Maximus so compelling is not just his physical strength or combat prowess. It’s his unwavering loyalty, his deep love for his family, and his adherence to principles even when faced with unimaginable loss. These qualities remind us that true masculinity is not about dominance or violence, but about integrity, selflessness, and the ability to endure hardship with dignity. Yet, the movie doesn’t shy away from showcasing how masculinity, when corrupted, can become destructive. Commodus, in contrast to Maximus, represents the darker side of manhood: insecurity, obsession with power, and a fragile ego. His desperate need for validation and his inability to live up to his father’s expectations lead him down a path of cruelty and tyranny. Commodus is a stark reminder of what happens when masculinity is defined solely by external validation and unchecked ambition, rather than by internal strength and moral character. The gladiatorial arena itself is a powerful metaphor for this duality. It’s a stage where men are forced to prove their worth through violence, appealing to the basest instincts of the crowd. But for Maximus, it becomes a place of redemption and resistance. Even as he’s thrust into this brutal world, he refuses to lose sight of his humanity. His victories in the arena are not about glory or self-aggrandizement-they’re about survival, justice, and ultimately, finding a way to honor his family and his fallen emperor. What makes Gladiator truly beautiful is how it balances these themes with an emotional depth that transcends gender. Maximus’s grief, his longing for his wife and son, and his struggle to find meaning in a world that has taken everything from him resonate on a universal level. It’s a reminder that strength is not the absence of emotion, but the ability to face pain and still fight for what matters. In the end, Maximus’s journey is one of profound sacrifice and enduring legacy. His story challenges us to think about what it means to be a man in a world that often equates masculinity with dominance. Is it the ability to wield power, or is it the courage to act with honor and compassion, even in the face of overwhelming odds? Gladiator doesn’t provide easy answers, but it leaves us with a message of hope: that even in the harshest of circumstances, we have the power to choose the kind of legacy we leave behind. So yes, Gladiator is a stunningly beautiful film-not just because of its breathtaking visuals and unforgettable performances, but because it dares to explore the complexities of masculinity in a way that feels both timeless and deeply relevant. It’s a story of strength and vulnerability, of heroism and humanity, and ultimately, of what it means to live and die with honor. - Everything that the second film, Gladiator 2 decided to forget.
We also get to experience Luscilla's feminity as she battles for respect and individualsim in a society where strength is valued over intelligence. In the sequel, the director completely forgets to develop the protagonists as a character. Maximus is a good man because he initially refuses to become Ceasar and only concedes to protect the world from Commodus. Yet in the sequel, Hanno is not proven to be a good man or even allows him to define masculinity on his terms. He is so bland compared to each side character, which is appalling. We get insight on Denzel's Washington and the Twins character and their grotesque version of manhood but are afforded no other alternative
Amazing AI generated comment, giving ChatGPT a short prompt about his specific comment and asking it to elaborate about it is not good. I ran this through GPTZero, Smodin, and Winston AI, all of it came to 100% AI generated content. Don't be like this.
I used to like CinemaSins because of how he would poke fun at glaring issues in movies, or point out intriguing mistakes that the average viewer wouldn't catch, all with a healthy touch of genuine criticism underpinned by humour, but somewhere along the way he became an insufferable negger of all things cinematic, whining about all the same things in every video, grasping at straws when he's faced with a genuinely good movie, or going on nonsensical tirades just to ding a moment that didn't deserve dinging, even by his usual standards.
Same. They became a joke quite a long time ago indeed. They used to point our logical inconsistencies and drop the occasional zinger. Then for some reason, they turned their MO into complaining about any and every decision made by anyone involved in the movie. I tried to watch their Deadpool 3 review, because Deadpool 1 was kinda their rise to fame and I wanted to see if they changed a bit. Nope. They didn't.
Heeeeey, Tony Curan was also Van Gogh in one of the best episodes of Doctor Who. His acting is amazing. Always cry at the end. And Marcus reunites with Victor in this episode. I love Gladiator. Watching this and Braveheart back to back is 5 hours well spent
I don’t normally buy the fancy popcorn buckets at the theater but when I went the other night they had a black and gold metal bucket with a full size replica of Maximus’ helmet as the lid…… I bought one immediately.
Yes the series Rome is another amazing one too. There's also a series that I almost forgot about that was acted quite well. It was "Roman Empire This Netflix docudrama series is an anthology, with each season telling a different story. 3 seasons that play out alot like Rome and features each season with Commodus Ceaser and Caligula. Quite a good watch if you're a fan of history and Rome
Imagine Troy but more accurate to the actual poem, with gods and Patroclus and Achilles actually being lovers, and maybe seeing how Agamemnon sacrifices his daughter ...
@@magnusbane420 Not to discredit the idea of Patroclus and Achilles being lovers, but the Illiad never explicitly talks about Patroclus and Achilles as actual lovers, just that they love each other dearly, with a term that doesn't rule out erotic love but is also used for love between friends, family and close comrades in arms. It's mostly during the Classical era, some 4 centuries later, where every writer, including people like Plato, interpreted the relationship as a purely erotic one. Funnily enough, Socrates seemed to have argued against that idea, but if you know anything about Socrates, it's that he LOVED to play devil's advocate to outsmart everyone in the room, so him having the controversial opinion for the time that Achilles and Patroclus were not gay makes perfect sense and basically confirms that this was a very popular opinion at the time. Personally I think that Patroclus and Achilles work just as well as just very close friends and comrades in arms, IF said love is shown clearly and is not handwaved away as cheap 'cousins' love. What matters is not per se the kind of love the two had, just how DEEP said love is, and that losing it triggers Achilles' wrath. I do think it's kinda sad that people look at deep love and automatically rule out that it could be anything other than erotic love, it feels like your parents joking about marriage when you bring an opposite gender friend from school over, but at the same time, I do totally get why Achilles and Patroclus were seen as gay by at least the Classical Greeks, because what well-respected erastes would NOT want to base his love on the hottest two boys this side of the Aegean Sea? Tl;dr: Achilles is unfortunately not confirmed gay in the Illiad, but he's also not confirmed not gay, so make of that what you want.
What’s funny is I was listening to a playlist of Hans Zimmer and I thought I was listening to Pirates of the Caribbean but it turned out to be parts of the “The Battle” from Gladiator. Crazy how they echo each other
Its the Battle music from Gladiator and the black Pearl Theme from PotC. They are actually quite simillar and i think its might be because Zimmer actually was working on Gladiator while he was offered Pirates. He the gave just some themes/motifs to the composer of the First Pirates Movie Klaus badelt, who composed the whole Score. Maybe the Motif of the black Pearl is based on the Battle sequence actually
I’ve seen this movie once probably about when it was released as I am 44 and cannot remember in which decade I watched it, but it was long ago. I’m gonna go watch again now. Purpose = fulfilled.
I watched this movie for the first time ever two days ago in preparation to watch Gladiator II tomorrow, and it indeed left me entertained. I'll be looking forward to Part 2 of your analysis.
Sine I only saw it on VHS back in the day (and of course, on DVD and BD since then), I was SUPER glad when our local theater showed this for one night before the sequel. It was like seeing this for the first time... again. My wife practically STATED that we're gonna go see it, 'cause she first saw it in the theater, and wanted me to experience it like that.
Thank you for giving this movie the attention to the wins it deserves. I feel like if you didn't hold back, you could do an entire episode of wins solely on the soundtrack.
Looking forward to part two. My partner, friends, and I watched Gladiator 2 recently, then immediately went back to rewatch #1. 2 Was fun, an interesting extension to the story with some amazing combat set-pieces etc, but Gladiator 1 still stands in a league of its own. I look forward at some point in the future of watching them back-to-back.
Oliver reed passed away during the production of this movie while absolutely butchering some sailors in a drinking contest. if you don't mention that, i will be very sad
When I got my first job and had income to spend as I pleased, I bought a DVD player and this movie when it came out. I love it so much and will watch it again almost yearly, if not more. It's such a great story and I'm so happy to see you doing a Wins of it.
I always interpreted the beginning transition from Wheat Field to Germania differently. The movie ends with the wheat field, after he dies... so to me, the 'snap back' is hom reliving the last fateful months(?) of his life leading to his showdown with Commodus
Just the first act of Gladiator alone is better than the majority of Gladiator 2. Nostalgia not withstanding, Gladiator is the better movie, ten times over. Maybe a director's cut can save 2 down the line.
I struggled to get through Gladiator 2. It's the same story as the first Gladiator, but with far less interesting characters. Also, Maximus is not Lucius' father. One of Maximus' defining characteristics is his love for his wife. He didn't father Lucius. Fuck that.
Oh interesting. I never saw the hand in the wheat at the beginning as a wish/fantasy - more that he had already died. The movie is like a flashback and he is already in Elysium.
Great, now you've got me inserting "Yep, that's me. I'm dead. If you're wondering how I wound up dead, well, it all starts..." as a freezeframe moment before cutting back to the battle in Germany. I hate it.
I rewatched this last night and came to the channel straight afterwards cause I assumed this film had been covered so this is definitely one of the best subscriber notifications I’ve gotten
Saw this in middle school. I thought when he said "release hell" he was talking about the dog. I thought he named his dog Hell. I was and still am obsessed with dogs. Joined a jrotc like group in middle school because it was called Devil Dogs. Took me weeks to realize no dogs were involved. By then I had a uniform and was learning drills so I just stayed and got my sis and some other girls to join so I wouldn't be the only one.
I hate the opening battle Just because the tactics are... just so BAD Unleash the archers and balista, amazing, get them off their defence and towards you... Wh.. why are your guys advancing into the shooting? Why are the cavalry charging through a forest Why are they still shooting when they'e engaged!? It should be: Shoot them so they have to charge out of the forest, when they get close to the infantry, archers stop shooting, infantry launch Pila and Counter Charge After they're fully engaged, the cav charges OUT of the forest into the clearing to slam into the rear
All true, but also my understanding is that catapults are siege weapons for walls and castles and would be completely useless in the woods. So when I saw those it was just kinda like..."ohhhhh so we're just doing rule of cool here."
Fun fact the chanting you hear from the germanic tribes prior to the battle is actually a sample from the movie "Zulu" staring sir Michael Cane about the battle of Roarks Drift. The movie used men from the actual Zulu tribe to do the war chants in that movie. Ridley Scott is a big fan of the movie and so am I tbh.
When I saw this movie we were a tad late to the show - not so much that we missed anything - but late enough that the only available seats were far front far left. This was back in the day before we had assigned seats, and before theaters realized those far front seats were useless and just removed them. Nope - they were still there and ready to punish my tardiness. That opening battle was SO disorienting and absolutely epic from that perspective.
One more thing I don't watch CinemaSins but odds are they brought this up during their video there's a guy wearing jeans and a white t-shirt at 15:18 on the left of the crowd.
Ridley Scott, in American baseball vernacular, always swings for the fences. Sometimes-Alien, Blade Runner, Gladiator, The Martian-he hits home runs. Sometimes-1492-he strikes out. Occasionally he squibs a single (Someone to Watch Over Me; Black Rain) or even a double. But he _never_ doesn't take the big swing. And honestly, I really admire that. He was one of the very first directors whose movies I ever actively sought out. (Another was Peter Weir.) And yes, I'm sure others will argue about my rankings. Such is life.
People get mad about Empires making lands "civil" but do you really want to worry about a feudal/tribal society and not knowing if the Tainos just visited to trade peacefully or if it's Aztecs that picked your tribe to sacrifice to the Sun God???
Gladiator is a masterpiece and one of my favorite movies of all time, and I wont watch G2, I refuse! Some movies are better left alone and Gladiator def didnt need no sequel!
I'm German and I needed the closed captions to even make out the words "Ihr seid verfluchte Hunde!" The pronunciation is terrible 😅 Verflucht actually means cursed but in this context it's more like "damned dogs". Though the f word is probably even more accurate here
So keen for part two, and I really need to watch this movie again and find time to see the second one in cinemas. I love the way your deliver things, one thing from this movie that was ruined by my education was that the famous wheat scene is inaccurate to the time period. Only by selective breeding have we gotten wheat to be that short, iut used to be way taller. It's still an iconic scene but just time travel would be needed.
Fun fact, the Germanic chanting at the beginning is actually lifted whole sale from the film Zulu. When the zulus chant and smash their shields with their short spears to scare the British at rorkes drift, the chanting was so lively, powerful, and war like, that the studio used it here, thinking “hey most of our audience won’t know German from Zulu, and they sure as shit won’t be paying enough attention with all the splendour going on, why not?”
There's a series that I almost forgot about that was acted quite well. It was called. "Roman Empire This Netflix docudrama series is an anthology, with each season telling a different story" 3 seasons that play out alot like Rome and features each season with Commodus Ceaser and Caligula. Quite excellent
The chanting at the beginning from the "Barbarians" is actually taken from Zulu. The bit where the Welsh soldiers and Zulu warriors have that "choir battle"
I died laughing at the "eighth Weasley" joke, took me completely off guard. But I love this movie, I watch it at least once a year. The soundtrack is part of my playlist when reading. Also man do I just love quoting the best lines in my life.
Since you looked at Blue Eyed Samurai, I feel like there is a precedent for looking at Arcane? Because I *just* finished season 2 and despite a few flaws with the pacing of the final episode loved it as a whole and feel like there is a lot you could talk about. Also hell yeah Gladiator!
One of my favorite things about the opening battle is Maximus ( Decimus Meridius, commander of the Armies of the North, General of the Felix Legions and loyal servant to the TRUE emperor, Marcus Aurelius. Father to a murdered son, husband to a murdered wife) walks through his troops and the utter loyalty they have to him, and he has to them. Roman Legions were not (often) loyal to Rome, they were loyal to their commanders and this is great nod to the history of it all.
This is one of those movies were I see the title card and respond "Everything. Every, single, thing. Is that why it's a two parter? to get everything?"
Cross-Movie Behind the Scenes Trivia Win for consideration: Gladiator was made at the same time as Galaxy Quest, another Dreamworks movie. Because of Gladiator being the bigger movie and production problems it suffered from, the Dreamworks executives had to focus on Gladiator, and thus didn't pay attention to Galaxy Quest, which meant that the Galaxy Quest creative team was pretty much left alone to do their thing. Because of how near perfect Galaxy Quest is, it's far more likely than not that had it not been for Gladiator, and had the Dreamworks executives paid much attention to Galaxy Quest and meddled in that production, it probably would have been to Galaxy Quest's detriment. In short, the production of Gladiator likely indirectly benefited Galaxy Quest, which is a big (if weird) win for both Gladiator AND Galaxy Quest.
Its so funny, i have been looking back into gladiator for first time in years only yesterday, and you blessed me with this video today, i was disappointed because i checked whether you had already done a video for this film and i was forced to look at the negatives with sins 😂
Watched this the other day, and I couldn't believe how similar the soundtrack was to later movies. It's probably just another one of its influences on cinema. Oh, and no one in the world does mildly perplexed patrician like Derek Jacobi. Always reminds me of his turn on Frasier. It's nice that Gracchus is back in the 2nd movie.
The Praetorian Guard were bodyguards and city guards. They didn't fight in thd field so it's highly likely seasoned legionaries who had been on the campaign trail for decades were much more elite. They probably had nice shiny outfits and cushy positions so it was probably a highly sought after role. Rome Total War certainly treats them as the elite units, but a pretty bodyguard would be no match for soldiers who had survived numerous battles.
For the ones that don’t know, at 15:18 you can see a crew member in a white shirt and jeans next to a camera on the top left of the shot in the crowd, it’s easy to miss do to the impact of the Maximus saying “ Are you not entertained “
History time: Gladiator's actually only had about a 20% (ish) death rate (some sources report as low as 10%). Training, feeding, housing, all costs money. That's an investment you're not going to just throw away in fights that are always to the death.
They also ate high calorie food to build fat so they could be cut and bleed, but not have anything vital hit.
this makes sense. apparently Hollywood is also horrible for presenting historical battles as chaotic and scary when in reality they would have been kind of boring visually? like basically two sides with shield walls just kind of bumping into one another, not a bunch of dudes running across a field in heavy armour screaming and exhausting themselves before they even get to the enemy.
I've heard Gladiators described as being similar to professional wrestlers in that they would have certain moves rehearsed so that they could have a fight the crowd would love without them dying.
You must be super fun on a date
Cool, makes sense.
@@K.C-2049 Hollywood really doesn't get peoples innate desire to not get stabbed with something pointy and sharp at any cost.
Battles were won by either outlasting your enemy in terms of stamina or outflanking them to make them run.
And THAT'S when the actual slaughter began.
70-80% of all casualties in most ancient battles came from the losing side, and almost all of them once the line had been broken and the troops had begun fleeing.
It's apparently easier to stab someone in the back when they're running than it is when they're facing you holding a shield.
“Not yet” became two words where I could find something within me to continue forward.
“The Gambler”
Apparently, Jack Gleeson based his performance of Joffrey in "Games of Thrones" on Joaquin Phoenix's character in this film.
Good choice
Really that's neat? The tongue sticking out was such a creepy touch from Joaquin
Of course ! The false King 😂
I can see it, yeah.
Gladiator is like a fine wine. When I was young I didn't truly appreciate but every time I watch it a year older I fall in love with this masterpiece more and more
I'm so early that I'm still fighting Persians at Thermopylae
Wrong civilization. This is Tomans, not Greeks.
So early he’s Etruscan?
HOLD lol
Regardless of the statement's historical accuracy, it will go down in history as the only variation of "first!" to ever make me laugh out loud.
You're so wrong, clearly that was Númenor
This is one of the movies that did not need a sequel
Ridley Scott: hold my beer
@@starwarsprequelsandsequels7582 Hold his crack pipe more like
I agree, but I also feel like any of these movies coming out decades after the OG, just don't even rank as sequels for me. Like yes I get they want to capitalize on a popular IP because they can't have original thoughts anymore, but it takes nothing away from the mastery of the original. I love the casting for the new one and I'll probably end up seeing it either way, and if it's a stinker, oh well, I'll just watch Gladiator to feel better lol.
@@mikeskinner315 I know you're right and it's just for the IP name, but honestly historical Rome is so full of amazing stories and captivating set-pieces that I don't think it needed to piggy-back the first movie to have success. If anything it held it back somehow.
Pick any legendary story of Romans and modify it just enough to fit a Hollywood script, you'll get a better movie than what they produced. My choice would have been to follow up legionarii from the Carrhae disaster all the way to their (potential, no archeological certitude here) heroic final stand in a Chinese civil war, finally reclaiming their honor after years of being slaves and mercenaries.
Remember when TBS used to play "Movies for Guys who like Movies" every weekend. They played Gladiator, Unforgiven, original Conan and Fight Club on rotation 😂😂😂
That was our golden age
Watched this in a brand new theater with an upgraded sound system. That first battle we felt every catapult launch in our chests.
I saw it 14 times in theaters, the 14th time at an Oscar promotion screening with Russell Crowe himself in the audience. My ex-girlfriend had suggested it to me and the first 10 minutes of the movie was a way to deal with the grief and pain of our separation. The music has been a mainstay of mine even through to today.
Joaquin Phoenix deserved to win an Oscar for his work here, but the Academy finally made it up to him almost a decade later. Also, Russell Crowe deservedly scooped up a golden statue.
3:12 No, thats the LEGION using the Testudo. The Phalanx was a formation used primarily by Hoplites.
If we REALLY want to get technical it's a cohort, possibly even a century at this level.
im still suffering from a aneurysm from that comment he made
maybe he meant Vanguard ...
I didn't say I remembered from school CORRECTLY haha. I was so confident I didn't even look it up. But they did use it, right? Wikipedia says they did lol. Before Legion... You were just supposed to laugh at the turtle line!
@CinemaWins And pass up a chance to educate ya? No way! And let's be fair, this is hardly the worse slip up you've had. Such as forgetting to mention one of the greatest bad guy themes of all time, but who's keeping track /j
Edit: And yes, Rome did use the phalanx but that was WAAAAAAAAAY before this point.
Gladiator is more than just a sick bloody John Wick esc gladiator; it's a profoundly beautiful exploration of masculinity in its triumphs, complexities, and flaws. The film captures the essence of what it means to be a man in a world that values strength and power, while also delving into the emotional, vulnerable side of manhood that often goes unspoken.
At its core, Maximus represents the archetype of the honorable man. He’s a warrior, a leader, and a protector-roles traditionally associated with masculinity. But what makes Maximus so compelling is not just his physical strength or combat prowess. It’s his unwavering loyalty, his deep love for his family, and his adherence to principles even when faced with unimaginable loss. These qualities remind us that true masculinity is not about dominance or violence, but about integrity, selflessness, and the ability to endure hardship with dignity.
Yet, the movie doesn’t shy away from showcasing how masculinity, when corrupted, can become destructive. Commodus, in contrast to Maximus, represents the darker side of manhood: insecurity, obsession with power, and a fragile ego. His desperate need for validation and his inability to live up to his father’s expectations lead him down a path of cruelty and tyranny. Commodus is a stark reminder of what happens when masculinity is defined solely by external validation and unchecked ambition, rather than by internal strength and moral character.
The gladiatorial arena itself is a powerful metaphor for this duality. It’s a stage where men are forced to prove their worth through violence, appealing to the basest instincts of the crowd. But for Maximus, it becomes a place of redemption and resistance. Even as he’s thrust into this brutal world, he refuses to lose sight of his humanity. His victories in the arena are not about glory or self-aggrandizement-they’re about survival, justice, and ultimately, finding a way to honor his family and his fallen emperor.
What makes Gladiator truly beautiful is how it balances these themes with an emotional depth that transcends gender. Maximus’s grief, his longing for his wife and son, and his struggle to find meaning in a world that has taken everything from him resonate on a universal level. It’s a reminder that strength is not the absence of emotion, but the ability to face pain and still fight for what matters.
In the end, Maximus’s journey is one of profound sacrifice and enduring legacy. His story challenges us to think about what it means to be a man in a world that often equates masculinity with dominance. Is it the ability to wield power, or is it the courage to act with honor and compassion, even in the face of overwhelming odds? Gladiator doesn’t provide easy answers, but it leaves us with a message of hope: that even in the harshest of circumstances, we have the power to choose the kind of legacy we leave behind.
So yes, Gladiator is a stunningly beautiful film-not just because of its breathtaking visuals and unforgettable performances, but because it dares to explore the complexities of masculinity in a way that feels both timeless and deeply relevant. It’s a story of strength and vulnerability, of heroism and humanity, and ultimately, of what it means to live and die with honor. - Everything that the second film, Gladiator 2 decided to forget.
👏 Thanks for this
We also get to experience Luscilla's feminity as she battles for respect and individualsim in a society where strength is valued over intelligence.
In the sequel, the director completely forgets to develop the protagonists as a character. Maximus is a good man because he initially refuses to become Ceasar and only concedes to protect the world from Commodus. Yet in the sequel, Hanno is not proven to be a good man or even allows him to define masculinity on his terms. He is so bland compared to each side character, which is appalling. We get insight on Denzel's Washington and the Twins character and their grotesque version of manhood but are afforded no other alternative
Gotta wonder, OP, what field is your career in ?!?
Amazing AI generated comment, giving ChatGPT a short prompt about his specific comment and asking it to elaborate about it is not good. I ran this through GPTZero, Smodin, and Winston AI, all of it came to 100% AI generated content. Don't be like this.
@@EmperorGyani Holy crap you weren't kidding
3:57 that is the exact reason why I switched from him to you years ago. We should point out the good in movies, not the extreme critical bad of it
I used to like CinemaSins because of how he would poke fun at glaring issues in movies, or point out intriguing mistakes that the average viewer wouldn't catch, all with a healthy touch of genuine criticism underpinned by humour, but somewhere along the way he became an insufferable negger of all things cinematic, whining about all the same things in every video, grasping at straws when he's faced with a genuinely good movie, or going on nonsensical tirades just to ding a moment that didn't deserve dinging, even by his usual standards.
You mean 3:28 ? But anyways same with me
Same. They became a joke quite a long time ago indeed. They used to point our logical inconsistencies and drop the occasional zinger. Then for some reason, they turned their MO into complaining about any and every decision made by anyone involved in the movie. I tried to watch their Deadpool 3 review, because Deadpool 1 was kinda their rise to fame and I wanted to see if they changed a bit. Nope. They didn't.
If you want to enjoy CinemaSins videos again then watch th3Birdman
How did you NOT win the score during the cavalry charge??? When he shouts "stay with me". One of my favorite melody shifts of all time. Pure heroism
Heeeeey, Tony Curan was also Van Gogh in one of the best episodes of Doctor Who. His acting is amazing. Always cry at the end. And Marcus reunites with Victor in this episode.
I love Gladiator. Watching this and Braveheart back to back is 5 hours well spent
He's also been in two different versions of Beowulf: "Beowulf and Grendel" and "The 13th Warrior"
I don’t normally buy the fancy popcorn buckets at the theater but when I went the other night they had a black and gold metal bucket with a full size replica of Maximus’ helmet as the lid…… I bought one immediately.
I'd get that just to act out some MF Doom roleplay
I’m so happy with every Gladiator video coming out, we need a new renaissance of Rome movies.
Yes the series Rome is another amazing one too. There's also a series that I almost forgot about that was acted quite well. It was
"Roman Empire
This Netflix docudrama series is an anthology, with each season telling a different story. 3 seasons that play out alot like Rome and features each season with Commodus Ceaser and Caligula. Quite a good watch if you're a fan of history and Rome
Imagine Troy but more accurate to the actual poem, with gods and Patroclus and Achilles actually being lovers, and maybe seeing how Agamemnon sacrifices his daughter ...
@@HFFCANADA I'll never stop being sad that Rome was cancelled.
@@magnusbane420 Not to discredit the idea of Patroclus and Achilles being lovers, but the Illiad never explicitly talks about Patroclus and Achilles as actual lovers, just that they love each other dearly, with a term that doesn't rule out erotic love but is also used for love between friends, family and close comrades in arms. It's mostly during the Classical era, some 4 centuries later, where every writer, including people like Plato, interpreted the relationship as a purely erotic one. Funnily enough, Socrates seemed to have argued against that idea, but if you know anything about Socrates, it's that he LOVED to play devil's advocate to outsmart everyone in the room, so him having the controversial opinion for the time that Achilles and Patroclus were not gay makes perfect sense and basically confirms that this was a very popular opinion at the time.
Personally I think that Patroclus and Achilles work just as well as just very close friends and comrades in arms, IF said love is shown clearly and is not handwaved away as cheap 'cousins' love. What matters is not per se the kind of love the two had, just how DEEP said love is, and that losing it triggers Achilles' wrath. I do think it's kinda sad that people look at deep love and automatically rule out that it could be anything other than erotic love, it feels like your parents joking about marriage when you bring an opposite gender friend from school over, but at the same time, I do totally get why Achilles and Patroclus were seen as gay by at least the Classical Greeks, because what well-respected erastes would NOT want to base his love on the hottest two boys this side of the Aegean Sea?
Tl;dr: Achilles is unfortunately not confirmed gay in the Illiad, but he's also not confirmed not gay, so make of that what you want.
What’s funny is I was listening to a playlist of Hans Zimmer and I thought I was listening to Pirates of the Caribbean but it turned out to be parts of the “The Battle” from Gladiator. Crazy how they echo each other
Hans Zimmer
Its the Battle music from Gladiator and the black Pearl Theme from PotC. They are actually quite simillar and i think its might be because Zimmer actually was working on Gladiator while he was offered Pirates. He the gave just some themes/motifs to the composer of the First Pirates Movie Klaus badelt, who composed the whole Score. Maybe the Motif of the black Pearl is based on the Battle sequence actually
@ stupid autocorrect. Thanks
*Zimmer, not Zimmerman
What we score in cinema, echoes in eternity.
6:46 russell crowe immprovise his speach about his home. he was describing his real home in sidney
Mhmm, that’s why it’s heartwarming. It’s not Maximus, it’s Russell
lol
I’ve seen this movie once probably about when it was released as I am 44 and cannot remember in which decade I watched it, but it was long ago. I’m gonna go watch again now.
Purpose = fulfilled.
0:22 why did I just think you are Ryan Reynolds
He does sometimes sound like him
Lee, I'm begging you since I'm so early but please do a EGA About The Nice Guys !! It needs so much recogniztion !
Thank you for doing a video on my All-Time Favorite Movie!! Everything about this movie is great, especially Hans Zimmer's score!
Dude, I love your channel everytime i see a new video, i am instantly happy.
Keep spreading the cheer and love.
I watched this movie for the first time ever two days ago in preparation to watch Gladiator II tomorrow, and it indeed left me entertained. I'll be looking forward to Part 2 of your analysis.
Sine I only saw it on VHS back in the day (and of course, on DVD and BD since then), I was SUPER glad when our local theater showed this for one night before the sequel. It was like seeing this for the first time... again. My wife practically STATED that we're gonna go see it, 'cause she first saw it in the theater, and wanted me to experience it like that.
Thank you for giving this movie the attention to the wins it deserves. I feel like if you didn't hold back, you could do an entire episode of wins solely on the soundtrack.
You noticed the laughing extras in the opening scene, but not the film crew on the left side of the screen at 15:17
Looking forward to part two. My partner, friends, and I watched Gladiator 2 recently, then immediately went back to rewatch #1.
2 Was fun, an interesting extension to the story with some amazing combat set-pieces etc, but Gladiator 1 still stands in a league of its own.
I look forward at some point in the future of watching them back-to-back.
19:02 Beautiful beard... oh not in the movie, sorry
Master and Commander would be a great choice for Cinema Wins next.
God I hope they do a late but great part 2
Oliver reed passed away during the production of this movie while absolutely butchering some sailors in a drinking contest. if you don't mention that, i will be very sad
When I got my first job and had income to spend as I pleased, I bought a DVD player and this movie when it came out. I love it so much and will watch it again almost yearly, if not more. It's such a great story and I'm so happy to see you doing a Wins of it.
I always interpreted the beginning transition from Wheat Field to Germania differently.
The movie ends with the wheat field, after he dies... so to me, the 'snap back' is hom reliving the last fateful months(?) of his life leading to his showdown with Commodus
What I love about what you pointed out at 15:00 is that the dude can't help himself: he's a natural born leader.
Just the first act of Gladiator alone is better than the majority of Gladiator 2. Nostalgia not withstanding, Gladiator is the better movie, ten times over. Maybe a director's cut can save 2 down the line.
Nothing will save Ridley Scott. He's WASHED!
I struggled to get through Gladiator 2. It's the same story as the first Gladiator, but with far less interesting characters.
Also, Maximus is not Lucius' father. One of Maximus' defining characteristics is his love for his wife. He didn't father Lucius. Fuck that.
Oh interesting. I never saw the hand in the wheat at the beginning as a wish/fantasy - more that he had already died. The movie is like a flashback and he is already in Elysium.
Great, now you've got me inserting "Yep, that's me. I'm dead. If you're wondering how I wound up dead, well, it all starts..." as a freezeframe moment before cutting back to the battle in Germany. I hate it.
My Mum God rest her soul always thought “Unleash Hell” was in regards to the Dog 😂
Impeccable timing lmao. I decided to watch Gladiator for the first time 4 hours ago. Thanks for the video :)
Nice, how was it? Its probably in my top 3 (I count LotR as one lol)
Fun little fact Derek Jacobi who plays one of the Roman senators also played the part of Claudius in I, Claudius.
18:33 ALL CAPS WHEN YOU SPELL THE MAN NAME
MF DOOM
Def “at least he has the spirit” energy
I rewatched this last night and came to the channel straight afterwards cause I assumed this film had been covered so this is definitely one of the best subscriber notifications I’ve gotten
"how often do you think about Rome?"
Me: Strength and Honor!!!!!
Oh damn never caught that line that they served together and he kept the secret
Ridley taking suggestions from Russell Crowe on the scene he kisses his wifes severed feet is legendary, felt way too real.
The feet weren't severed, she and their son were crucified and the camera only showed their feet
@@alexanderclarke6082 Rightio
I just came home from watching that actual hot garbage called Gladiator 2 and I need some of this nostalgia to feel better.
Saw this in middle school. I thought when he said "release hell" he was talking about the dog. I thought he named his dog Hell. I was and still am obsessed with dogs. Joined a jrotc like group in middle school because it was called Devil Dogs. Took me weeks to realize no dogs were involved. By then I had a uniform and was learning drills so I just stayed and got my sis and some other girls to join so I wouldn't be the only one.
I hate the opening battle
Just because the tactics are... just so BAD
Unleash the archers and balista, amazing, get them off their defence and towards you...
Wh.. why are your guys advancing into the shooting?
Why are the cavalry charging through a forest
Why are they still shooting when they'e engaged!?
It should be:
Shoot them so they have to charge out of the forest, when they get close to the infantry, archers stop shooting, infantry launch Pila and Counter Charge
After they're fully engaged, the cav charges OUT of the forest into the clearing to slam into the rear
All true, but also my understanding is that catapults are siege weapons for walls and castles and would be completely useless in the woods. So when I saw those it was just kinda like..."ohhhhh so we're just doing rule of cool here."
Yes, and the Testudo formation was almost never used in battle ever.
And fire arrows. Just no.
Fun fact the chanting you hear from the germanic tribes prior to the battle is actually a sample from the movie "Zulu" staring sir Michael Cane about the battle of Roarks Drift. The movie used men from the actual Zulu tribe to do the war chants in that movie. Ridley Scott is a big fan of the movie and so am I tbh.
When I saw this movie we were a tad late to the show - not so much that we missed anything - but late enough that the only available seats were far front far left. This was back in the day before we had assigned seats, and before theaters realized those far front seats were useless and just removed them. Nope - they were still there and ready to punish my tardiness. That opening battle was SO disorienting and absolutely epic from that perspective.
One more thing I don't watch CinemaSins but odds are they brought this up during their video there's a guy wearing jeans and a white t-shirt at 15:18 on the left of the crowd.
Ridley Scott, in American baseball vernacular, always swings for the fences. Sometimes-Alien, Blade Runner, Gladiator, The Martian-he hits home runs. Sometimes-1492-he strikes out. Occasionally he squibs a single (Someone to Watch Over Me; Black Rain) or even a double. But he _never_ doesn't take the big swing. And honestly, I really admire that. He was one of the very first directors whose movies I ever actively sought out. (Another was Peter Weir.)
And yes, I'm sure others will argue about my rankings. Such is life.
"Mel Gibson doesnt do it for me"
SAMEEEE JULIA! LETSGO!
Why do people idolize ancient Rome? Then this movie makes me understand.
I watched this in my art class in high school cried in front of my classmates lol. Such a film
People get mad about Empires making lands "civil" but do you really want to worry about a feudal/tribal society and not knowing if the Tainos just visited to trade peacefully or if it's Aztecs that picked your tribe to sacrifice to the Sun God???
This movie is absolutely one of my favorites. Hesitant to see G2 because I am worried it will affect how I like this movie.
Same reason I’ve avoided Kung Fu Panda 4. Some endings are best left as endings.
Gladiator is a masterpiece and one of my favorite movies of all time, and I wont watch G2, I refuse! Some movies are better left alone and Gladiator def didnt need no sequel!
I'm German and I needed the closed captions to even make out the words "Ihr seid verfluchte Hunde!" The pronunciation is terrible 😅
Verflucht actually means cursed but in this context it's more like "damned dogs". Though the f word is probably even more accurate here
Why they'd be speaking any contemporary German in 180 A.D. is kinda silly
@@TheLanceUppercut why they all have English accents and aren't speaking Latin is also kind of silly lmao
I kept getting distracted cause parts of the score are very similar to The Pirates of the Caribbean theme
Same composer
Joaquin should won an Award because this role LOL peak of his acting
The gladiator soundtrack was my jam while studying for CFA exams.
So keen for part two, and I really need to watch this movie again and find time to see the second one in cinemas. I love the way your deliver things, one thing from this movie that was ruined by my education was that the famous wheat scene is inaccurate to the time period. Only by selective breeding have we gotten wheat to be that short, iut used to be way taller. It's still an iconic scene but just time travel would be needed.
'sometimes I do what I have to' a mantra I have used many times to motivate myself
Fun fact, the Germanic chanting at the beginning is actually lifted whole sale from the film Zulu. When the zulus chant and smash their shields with their short spears to scare the British at rorkes drift, the chanting was so lively, powerful, and war like, that the studio used it here, thinking “hey most of our audience won’t know German from Zulu, and they sure as shit won’t be paying enough attention with all the splendour going on, why not?”
Well. This points a SMILE on my face. THANK YOU
There's a series that I almost forgot about that was acted quite well. It was called. "Roman Empire
This Netflix docudrama series is an anthology, with each season telling a different story" 3 seasons that play out alot like Rome and features each season with Commodus Ceaser and Caligula. Quite excellent
Everything GREAT about Hellboy? (Ron Pearlman Hellboy)
bro yes! I watched Hellboy 2 The Golden Army the other night for shits and giggles and holy mack those movies were 🔥🔥🔥
Don't know how many times I have watched this, it will never get old. One of my top ten movies 🎬
amazing both you and @CinemaStix put out a video about Gladiator the same day!
I really, really appreciate saying "pound sign wholesome" instead of hashtag. Stupid pet peeve, but you rock.
10:48 Curran has also played Vincent Van Gogh in an episode of Doctor Who that really pulls on the heartstrings.
This is my first EGA vid on something not a phone/tablet
“ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED BY THIS VIDEO”
Me - 😊
I am.
Dont know what this is, time to watch it :D
The world is at peace knowing you’ve finally made a gladiator video 😁
You know, in case you’re doing the Back to the Future films next year for its 40th anniversary, I could give you a few notes.
The chanting at the beginning from the "Barbarians" is actually taken from Zulu. The bit where the Welsh soldiers and Zulu warriors have that "choir battle"
Bro dropped the entire first third of the movie and thought we wouldn’t notice
First he (Phoenix) kills his father with his chest via asphyxiation, then he kills his mother with a pillow via asphyxiation. Am I seeing a pattern?
Just finished Gladiator 2!!! Can’t wait to watch this vid. Such a great channel!!!!!!
I died laughing at the "eighth Weasley" joke, took me completely off guard.
But I love this movie, I watch it at least once a year. The soundtrack is part of my playlist when reading. Also man do I just love quoting the best lines in my life.
Maximun speech has to be 50 wins at least
Since you looked at Blue Eyed Samurai, I feel like there is a precedent for looking at Arcane? Because I *just* finished season 2 and despite a few flaws with the pacing of the final episode loved it as a whole and feel like there is a lot you could talk about. Also hell yeah Gladiator!
Thank you for finally doing this, it's one my favorite movies!!
One of my favorite things about the opening battle is Maximus ( Decimus Meridius, commander of the Armies of the North, General of the Felix Legions and loyal servant to the TRUE emperor, Marcus Aurelius. Father to a murdered son, husband to a murdered wife) walks through his troops and the utter loyalty they have to him, and he has to them.
Roman Legions were not (often) loyal to Rome, they were loyal to their commanders and this is great nod to the history of it all.
How did Crowe go from this to Thor: L&T, The Pope's Exorcist, and The Exorcism?
Oh i've been waiting for this one! Can you get Troy on the list?
This is one of those movies were I see the title card and respond "Everything. Every, single, thing. Is that why it's a two parter? to get everything?"
I also find it interesting that when he’s 1-v-5’ing those guys the only part of his arm that’s protected by armor is the wounded shoulder
Cross-Movie Behind the Scenes Trivia Win for consideration: Gladiator was made at the same time as Galaxy Quest, another Dreamworks movie. Because of Gladiator being the bigger movie and production problems it suffered from, the Dreamworks executives had to focus on Gladiator, and thus didn't pay attention to Galaxy Quest, which meant that the Galaxy Quest creative team was pretty much left alone to do their thing.
Because of how near perfect Galaxy Quest is, it's far more likely than not that had it not been for Gladiator, and had the Dreamworks executives paid much attention to Galaxy Quest and meddled in that production, it probably would have been to Galaxy Quest's detriment.
In short, the production of Gladiator likely indirectly benefited Galaxy Quest, which is a big (if weird) win for both Gladiator AND Galaxy Quest.
Its so funny, i have been looking back into gladiator for first time in years only yesterday, and you blessed me with this video today, i was disappointed because i checked whether you had already done a video for this film and i was forced to look at the negatives with sins 😂
is Hans Zimmer 'always a win', because he should be.
Watched this the other day, and I couldn't believe how similar the soundtrack was to later movies. It's probably just another one of its influences on cinema.
Oh, and no one in the world does mildly perplexed patrician like Derek Jacobi. Always reminds me of his turn on Frasier. It's nice that Gracchus is back in the 2nd movie.
Really hope we get a EGA about Deadpool & Wolverine soon.
EGA Godzilla Minus One when
He'd take YEARS to win every single frame!
The interesting thing is Jouqiun so under perform Commodus, also the Praetorian were the elite legionaries in the Roman army
The Praetorian Guard were bodyguards and city guards. They didn't fight in thd field so it's highly likely seasoned legionaries who had been on the campaign trail for decades were much more elite. They probably had nice shiny outfits and cushy positions so it was probably a highly sought after role. Rome Total War certainly treats them as the elite units, but a pretty bodyguard would be no match for soldiers who had survived numerous battles.
For the ones that don’t know, at 15:18 you can see a crew member in a white shirt and jeans next to a camera on the top left of the shot in the crowd, it’s easy to miss do to the impact of the Maximus saying “ Are you not entertained “
Another attempt of asking for EGA Pacific Rim Uprising.
Really needed a brutal counter starting with “stabbing a guy through his armor while holding the blade of the sword in the freezing cold” at 11:10
Day 1 of asking if you could do Breaking Bad El Camino 😊