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@ADifferentVibe in the late 90s, when the film was being produced, I don't think CGI was even an option. Maybe in generating the composite shots, but for the most part, it was traditional film editing. These days we'd know, " Look at wonky this scene looks, this was the facial replacement after Reed died."
I had never really thought about it, but i like how Maximus's intro with the bird shows us two sides of Maximus without any dialogue. We see the stoic, contemplative general about to go into battle. But then, for a moment, he sees a bird and he smiles. We see a man who can find joy in nature and the beauty of the world. A man who doesn't love war or combat. Then once the bird is gone and his moment over he locks back into being the stoic general. In this brief scene we see Maximus as the man and the soldier. He can't be the man for too long because he has a war to fight and only soldiers win wars. So much information conveyed with two shots and Crowe's acting. Incredible
In writing it's called "saving the cat". You want your character to be viewed with sympathy in spite of the absolutely horrific things we will see him do, so you make him save a cat first. It's cheap and manipulative.
A bit like in James Clavell's Shogun (the book, I don't know if they included this in the series) where the first time we meet Toranaga he is tending to a bird with a broken wing.
@@krismctopher7haha, if you haven’t noticed by now, humanity IS actually manipulative. Better get used to it. Nothing cheap about using a writing resource as… well, you know, a resource. Maybe that’s why they exist in the first place?
When he looks at the bird fly away and he smiles, its a simbolism of freedom, his goal and purpose for freedom. And the battle is the conduit to achieve it.
For a long time I've kinda just accepted "movie magic" as a glib reference to SFX for the sake of SFX but.. wow. What they did here is a shining example of what the phrase should mean.
Really enjoyed these Gladiator breakdowns! Remarkable to see how so much of the movie came together through happenstance, improvisation and last-minute decisions, a true cinematic miracle
Thank you Tom! Like two weeks ago, Henry from The Closer Look messaged me and was like, hey, you should make a video on Oliver Reed’s death in Gladiator. And I was like, hah, I’m literally making that video right now.
I walked out of the theater, turned to my Girlfriend at the time and said "isn't it interesting, forty years ago Reed would have been Maximus." Crowe and Reed onscreen together was a gift.
Too bad Reed was a raging asshole lol. Spectacular performance, but I personally dislike him enormously. I have family members in Ireland who knew him personally and he absolutely sucked. Huge douche to women in particular. Sometimes necessary to separate art and artist.
Even though his part is relatively small, to me Oliver Reed anchors the whole film. I’m glad they kept his performance, and the restructuring of the ending doesn’t seem to have hurt the film. Great video as always!
Same. His "rises like... like a storm" line gave me shivers in the theater and to this day. I did not say I knew him, I said he touched me on the shoulder once. And the only real character growth arc in the story, if you really think about it. Magnificent last performance (tragedy of his death notwithstanding)
I feel the same way about Ray Stevenson for the show Ahsoka. He was brilliant as Baylan Skoll and he deserved the love of Star Wars fans at conventions for years.
The actor Omid Djalili, who was also in Malta at the time of Oliver Reed's death filming Gladiator, said during an interview in 2016: "He hadn't had a drink for months before filming started... Everyone said he went the way he wanted, but that's not true. It was very tragic. He was in an Irish bar and was pressured into a drinking competition. He should have just left, but he didn't." Having made a number of promises to Ridley Scott prior to filming, including that he would not drink during production, Reed worked around this by only drinking on weekend. so sad :( that people in that bar may have been the cause of his death
@@QuantumHistorianHe hadn't drank for months before filming and then starting drinking at the weekend during filming. Not rocket science to understand what that comment said.
@@TPJH850 Seriously. The inability to comprehend the most basic, obvious statements by such a massive proportion of our modem society... is truly troubling.
I wish this was 45+ min and went through everything involving Oliver Reed and his decision to act in the movie, his passing and more info on how they decided to change the movie and how they did it. It's so interesting, and may be the best execution involving an actor's death of all time.
Agreed. That stuff probably should’ve been an entire video, but I felt like making three videos in a row on Gladiator would be pushing it. I remember as a kid just being told he passed during filming, and that they used CGI to finish his scenes. I just thought huh, wow. But only years later did I learn, or pay attention to, how much more interesting the whole process of what they did really was.
@@CinemaStix I know it’s too late to tell you this, but I know the name of that body double that stood in for Oliver Reed as Proximo after passed away during filming. His name is Ian Walker. (He is of course credited as one of the stunts for the film in the scrolling end credits but it did not mention him being the late Ollie’s stand-in). There have been some films where an actor became unavailable during filming of a scene and the filmmakers sometimes use a body double to finish the scenes but they never reveal the name of the said body double before or after the films were released. Their names can be revealed somewhere else by searching hard if having the urge of wanting to the name and then you finally found it somewhere that is completely rare for films. And this film “Gladiator” is one of them. Do you want me to tell you how I found out about the body double’s name?
@@CinemaStix I remember watching and knowing he was dead thanks to the CGI, and when I saw the shadows and dust death moment I knew they reused the previous shot, and thought they were genious.
As a child of 7 years, I remember watching Oliver Reed in the 3 musketeers series … he was the quintessential actor, swashbuckling sword-fighter and his gravitas filled the screen. I’m so grateful this legend past away with this as his final film. It was an honor to watch him.
It is a greater realization, that usually when there are this many changes to the script, shooting, acting, actors, etc, in nearly every instance, it dooms a movie. Look at what has happened in a lot of Disney's recent endeavors for examples of that. But in this case, something magical happened. This is still a trap movie for me, if I'm flipping through channels, I get stuck if Gladiator is on. Such a great flick.
The opening is brilliant. Without a word being said, we know the main character dreams about going home, doesn't like war, is committed to doing the battle, and he is respected and loved by his men. Now that's cinema.
That must've been ROUGH for Ridley and the cast. 😕 Gladiator was already "an improvisation" in many ways. But when Reed died, you can tell that Scott REALLY cared to make his performance count. He literally spared no expense.
Gladiator was one of my favorite movies as a 14 year old when it came out, and I had been fascinated by how they finished it with Reed's death for almost 25 years - and this is what I always wanted to see: the step by step breakdown of how it was done, in what order, what was taken from what... the movie magic explanation. Thank you.
Have you seen his Alien sequels? All terrible as well. The last one, Covenant, being even worse than Prometheus. Ridley Scott is in his 80s and hes rushing through movies, there is an over dependance on CGI. He takes one shot of a scene and hes done. As you can surmise, due to his age, he doesnt film, (in Alien, he did most of the camerawork), and even if he could, CGI demands multiple cameras filming at once. Modern filmmaking seems to be ruining auteurs.
It is as Russell Crowe says in this video at 2:52: "Ridley is primarily a visual artist". I guess that's the one thing that's consistent throughout his carreer; good visuals. Scripts and story is not something he does himself :)
@@aussiepassenger Yeah. It's just remarkable how good Gladiator and Aliens were, and how bad the follow ups to those films are. I mean, Gladiator and Aliens are both absolutely fantastic films, two of the very best mainstream big-budget movies ever made. But Gladiator 2 and the other Alien films he made are ultimately utter dross. It's bizarre.
The more I watch Ridley's works, the more I like them, but in quite a twisted way. I would skip most of the stories and watch shots just, go. It's not that his stories and scripts are bad, they are just not terribly engaging and interesting. The quality of his visual artistry though is undeniable. The man is a master and good producers should know where to put him, allowing him to channel his vision. I would rewatch just Gladiator opening scenes and the wheat field , Kingdom of Heaven from Messina to the army marched out in support, Alien opening scene or Bladerunner murder, Tears in Rain. The man is a damn magician in the right places.
Literally was today years old learning that the actor for Proximo was literally dead and was not there to finish the film!! 😮 they handled the edits in this movie masterfully! 💯💯 this is why this movie will always be a CLASSIC
Not sure if you take requests or even suggestions but I urge you to watch a film called "no one will save you" There are literally 5 lines of dialog in the whole film but it has a coherent story and clearly does the "show not tell" type of exposition. I was genuinely surprised by it but have recommended it to everyone since.
I just love how ROYAL and Stunning Connie looks in every shot. She has those Ultimate Royalty looks. Idk her face is made for EMPRESS roles.... She's mesmerizing
I know that I’m late to the game but the death of Oliver Reeve is so sad… and that he played an intro part of probably one of his best movies that he ever acted in, a fine actor in almost everything that he did…. It breaks my heart that he did not get the recognition while he was still alive…
Appreciating the beauty of how Gladiator was made has come through your being able to appreciate, research and beautifully explain such details and nuances. Salute to you @CinemaStix ! I hope we'll one day be able to see a movie you make
I find it humorous that Max lives in the previous script, as I've never heard anyone say that they wish he lived or that they were disappointed that he died or the like.
I just want to thank you for your work on this channel. These videos they are simply really great. Your insight, attention to detail, your voice, which I really enjoy listenig to, it all combines into entertaining and educational videos which make me fall in love with movies (and related stuff) even more. So thanks, great job.
Phoenix is so goood in Gladiator, he stole the show, the tension he created helped drive the movie and make us like the Spaniard more, rooting for Maximus because Phoenix was soo good as this tortured, sick, yet sensitive slimmy villain
I can't believe that "He killed the man who gave you that sword" line was not part of the scene originally! It's so f*cking brilliant! Ridley Scott fascinates me - he is such a massively talented director, and unusually both and "actor's director" and a "visual director". The one area he can at times struggle with is *story*, ending up with movies that are a bit clunky (the prequel Aliens-movies, Kingdom of Heaven, Robin Hood). Sometimes all the parts work, he has the right collaborators in front of and behind the camera, and sometimes even the Master Chef, cooking with the best ingredients at his disposal still delivers an uninspried dish. Still, even his least successful movies are heads above almost everything else in visual style.
This answered why a couple scenes in the movie looked kind of odd to me. Having seen them again in this video shown multiple times, now I know why. The one I did notice even the first time watching the film was why the people there to kill Proximo just stopped right behind him, as if they were waiting for his final words. And both they and the lighting look off. Like they're in a different room and wearing different armor. I just passed it off as a continuity error or they wanted to use a specific take. And in that way, I'm glad they put the actors performance ahead of getting the perfect lighting or whatever. But in reality, they literally were doing something in post. And I'm so glad they did it.
This is like the only movie I've ever heard of making it out of production hell to be an actually excellent movie, to the point that you don't even realize it was ever in production hell. What are some others?
@@CinemaStix The way you told it is indeed magic- movie making magic! The "shadows and dust" line connects the two gladiators with the overriding theme of eternal life (Elysium, burying the figures, etc) it just made total sense- before knowing it was filmed for something completely different! Reminds me of the DVD special features from the cutting room floor where they combined near random scenes (all beautiful cinematography!) with Zimmer's beautiful score into something more like a mini-movie.
Love your work! I will watch EVERY video you make and I will learn and be entertained. I watch some parts over and over, I watch some of your videos again and again as needed pick me ups. When I have enough money I will support you better, but for now- Thank you. You make my life better.
It is wild that the end result of all this incredible creativity and patchwork may well have reaulted in a character whose arc was not only more appealing but memorable as well. IMO they not only kept the character but crafted a tribute and send off of the actor as well.
But they didn't improvise all the changes from the John Logan draft. William Nicholson, the third writer, joined shortly before the start of production and rewrote a lot of things before and during filming.
And even with three writers there are a lot of improvisation, Maximus praying to the little figurines of his wife and son was his idea after seeing a prop of said figures as decoration on a prayer altar.
through all its faults the movie is a work of art and the final result is as beautiful as it could've been for the time. and the way every star aligned to produce the perfect cast just makes it all the more perfect. a classic.
I never really gave this movie any credit before I watched it, I just thought it was another fantasy about the misremebered past of an unsustainable empire, It also doesn't help that I was an infant when this was made so, yeah there's that, but I watched it for the first time and since then I've seen it multiple times and I understand the love people have for It.
@@SamTheMan666 What kind of stupid ass comment is that? Just because it eventually fell doesn’t mean it was unsustainable No ancient civilization survived to the present day. Nor do modern go back all that far with some kind of change in rule. To say a society that persisted for 1,500-2,000 years (depending how you account things) was unsustainable, is a laughable assertion.
I love how Oliver Reed's unfortunate passing actually made this possibly an even better film. His performance is sublime, and while they could have recast and reshot, it would still have set back the schedule of the film, especially when - in hindsight - they probably would have realised they could no longer imagine anyone else as Proximo, and might have ended up doing the same thing over again, doing clever editing and compositing to finish his character arc. I didn't know until many years later that Oliver Reed actually died during the making of the film. It's not perfect, but most of the film is full of amazing storytelling. One of my all-time favourites.
Incredible that the movie ended up being a jam-session, sweded version of itself, and is a masterpiece (esp compared to the intended script). How this occurred hints at what's magic's within the inscrutable tapestry of human creativity
Very interesting when you described Ridley Scott as a primarily visual director. That has explained a lot of the issues I have had with the varying quality of his films over the last 40 plus years. He must be better at story than George Lucas, who I realised 30 years ago was a genius with visuals but utterly awful in every other way. Or, perhaps Ridley simply realised himself that he shouldn't get too involved with scripts etc.: letting others deal with that side. I dunno! I can't do any of these things, so it's just been a private thought process of my own from pure fascination [until today 🤷♀].
Classic. Excellent, quality documentary. Thank you for producing and sharing this. This movie has been around long enough that I've gone from looking like Maximus to looking like Proximo.🧔🏻♂️🧔🏼♂️
The "insurance funding cost of replacing and reshooting an actor" bit, you know,... you had an easy way to connect that hypothetical to what happened on ANOTHER Ridley Scott film, you know. ;-)
The bird scene in Gladiator adds more depth to the movie and to the Maximus character than everything that happend to the main character (I cant even remember his name) in the Gladiator 2.
"'It feels like it was part of the fabric of the story when, in fact, it was just patchwork." If you really think about it, all clothing is just a patchwork, different cuts, different fabrics all stitched together into something far greater then the individual pieces. You only notice it when the fabrics clash, or the stitching is poor. Though even clashing colors and textures can be used to make something wonderful. In the end, it's all about the skill of those who are doing the crafting, and it's a credit to all of them that it feels like a singular whole.
Another change from script to screen I can recommend looking into is Kill Bill. the difference is wild, but all the pieces of what made up Tarantino's finest are still present.
Via Copilot, the non-click bait summary -The video discusses the movie "Gladiator" and how the production team managed to complete the film after the actor Oliver Reed passed away three weeks before the end of the shoot. Reed played the character Proximo in the film. Instead of reshooting all of his scenes with a different actor, the team decided to use a combination of old takes, patchwork cuts, and minimal CGI to complete his performance. The decision to keep Reed's performance was driven by the team's admiration for his work and the belief that his portrayal was integral to the film. This approach allowed them to honor Reed's contribution while still completing the movie successfully
Besides Maximus, Proximo is my other favorite character in the movie! I was hoping they would've done a prequel miniseries of his backstory instead of doing gladiator 2.
Went to see this the week it came out at the Cinerama in Seattle, I think that was the first year it was open after Paul Allen restored it. Anyway I ended up walking out after the dozenth slow motion grainy action sequence. That on top of the absolutely basic melodrama and some of the hackiest acting put to film, I'd had enough. Have always been baffled by how lauded this shlocky piece of thrash has been. A bloated made for tv movie if there ever was one, and now there's a sequel that looks about straight to streaming quality to match.
great video but you should consider using more suitable background music for your clips, was a bit funny having some sexy neo soul music underneath a scene between Proximo and Maximus hahahah
Hey, I've been here, saw your channel growing, and I adore your content, but I have a question How do you feel knowing you sort of started a trend in RUclips? I mean, you had your style for titles with the "when the director" and such, and now everyone seems to be doing it
![Seungmin "그렇게, 천천히, 우리(As we are)" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/kAzmhLHePqU/mqdefault.jpg)
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The way they handled Reed’s passing with the patchwork cuts, reusing old takes and minimal CGI, is nothing short of masterful.
I honestly liked that better than full CGI for the entire actor. I couldn't tell the difference because they used actual shot footage.
@ADifferentVibe in the late 90s, when the film was being produced, I don't think CGI was even an option. Maybe in generating the composite shots, but for the most part, it was traditional film editing. These days we'd know, " Look at wonky this scene looks, this was the facial replacement after Reed died."
I. Never. Knew. That’s how well it was handled.
If it had happened today they would have race and gender swapped the actor, and reshot everything on CGI backgrounds.
@@Clint52279 they used CGI. this was post Matrix.
Love the way you have the ability to really admire a film yet still admit when there are faults. Makes me really value your analysis.
Americans think that if you like something you have to swear an oath to defend it against all challengers.
Oh? Look everyone, he wants us to know he understands what he is watching 😮
Unlike Stuckmann
@@krismctopher7 I dont and Im American, Im SO SORRY😢
@@justicejuiced262 Good. More Americans should be sorry for being Americans. It's only right.
I had never really thought about it, but i like how Maximus's intro with the bird shows us two sides of Maximus without any dialogue. We see the stoic, contemplative general about to go into battle. But then, for a moment, he sees a bird and he smiles. We see a man who can find joy in nature and the beauty of the world. A man who doesn't love war or combat. Then once the bird is gone and his moment over he locks back into being the stoic general. In this brief scene we see Maximus as the man and the soldier. He can't be the man for too long because he has a war to fight and only soldiers win wars. So much information conveyed with two shots and Crowe's acting. Incredible
In writing it's called "saving the cat". You want your character to be viewed with sympathy in spite of the absolutely horrific things we will see him do, so you make him save a cat first. It's cheap and manipulative.
A bit like in James Clavell's Shogun (the book, I don't know if they included this in the series) where the first time we meet Toranaga he is tending to a bird with a broken wing.
@@krismctopher7haha, if you haven’t noticed by now, humanity IS actually manipulative. Better get used to it. Nothing cheap about using a writing resource as… well, you know, a resource. Maybe that’s why they exist in the first place?
@@s0me0ne1se I'm 73 kid.
When he looks at the bird fly away and he smiles, its a simbolism of freedom, his goal and purpose for freedom. And the battle is the conduit to achieve it.
For a long time I've kinda just accepted "movie magic" as a glib reference to SFX for the sake of SFX but.. wow. What they did here is a shining example of what the phrase should mean.
Editing/ patching magic.
Kuleshov effect is a classic example of movie magic
Really enjoyed these Gladiator breakdowns! Remarkable to see how so much of the movie came together through happenstance, improvisation and last-minute decisions, a true cinematic miracle
Thank you Tom! Like two weeks ago, Henry from The Closer Look messaged me and was like, hey, you should make a video on Oliver Reed’s death in Gladiator. And I was like, hah, I’m literally making that video right now.
Oliver Reed’s death displaces most of my other thoughts around this film. Thank you for exposing how they salvaged his performance in his absence.
Ditto. What a production story. What an unnecessary tragedy. And what a final performance and role.
I walked out of the theater, turned to my Girlfriend at the time and said "isn't it interesting, forty years ago Reed would have been Maximus." Crowe and Reed onscreen together was a gift.
Too bad Reed was a raging asshole lol. Spectacular performance, but I personally dislike him enormously. I have family members in Ireland who knew him personally and he absolutely sucked. Huge douche to women in particular.
Sometimes necessary to separate art and artist.
Love a good CinemaStix multi week hyper fixation
:)
Even though his part is relatively small, to me Oliver Reed anchors the whole film. I’m glad they kept his performance, and the restructuring of the ending doesn’t seem to have hurt the film. Great video as always!
Exactly. The film is actually pretty thin. Reed's story arc is as important as anyone else's, and he has some of the best lines.
The "restructuring" seems to have enhanced the movie. I much prefer this than the "Hollywood" ending where (almost) everyone lived happily ever after.
Same. His "rises like... like a storm" line gave me shivers in the theater and to this day. I did not say I knew him, I said he touched me on the shoulder once. And the only real character growth arc in the story, if you really think about it. Magnificent last performance (tragedy of his death notwithstanding)
I thought he had a very important part in the film. As you say, an anchor.
It's devastating that Oliver Reed never got to see his incredible performance on screen. RIP
Agreed
I feel the same way about Ray Stevenson for the show Ahsoka. He was brilliant as Baylan Skoll and he deserved the love of Star Wars fans at conventions for years.
It's ok... He found himself alone, riding in green fields with the sun on his face, and he was not troubled!! For he was in Elysium!!
Look the fact is Reed drank himself to death on production
The actor Omid Djalili, who was also in Malta at the time of Oliver Reed's death filming Gladiator, said during an interview in 2016: "He hadn't had a drink for months before filming started... Everyone said he went the way he wanted, but that's not true. It was very tragic. He was in an Irish bar and was pressured into a drinking competition. He should have just left, but he didn't." Having made a number of promises to Ridley Scott prior to filming, including that he would not drink during production, Reed worked around this by only drinking on weekend.
so sad :( that people in that bar may have been the cause of his death
Everybody has a choice, he chose to not leave
Which was it: he only drank on weekends during filming, or he hadn't had a drink for weeks?
@@QuantumHistorianHe hadn't drank for months before filming and then starting drinking at the weekend during filming. Not rocket science to understand what that comment said.
@@TPJH850
Seriously. The inability to comprehend the most basic, obvious statements by such a massive proportion of our modem society... is truly troubling.
@@HeyItsStephxseems crystal clear to me. Have you switched to weekend-only drinking yourself?
I wish this was 45+ min and went through everything involving Oliver Reed and his decision to act in the movie, his passing and more info on how they decided to change the movie and how they did it. It's so interesting, and may be the best execution involving an actor's death of all time.
Agreed. That stuff probably should’ve been an entire video, but I felt like making three videos in a row on Gladiator would be pushing it.
I remember as a kid just being told he passed during filming, and that they used CGI to finish his scenes. I just thought huh, wow. But only years later did I learn, or pay attention to, how much more interesting the whole process of what they did really was.
@@CinemaStix I know it’s too late to tell you this, but I know the name of that body double that stood in for Oliver Reed as Proximo after passed away during filming. His name is Ian Walker. (He is of course credited as one of the stunts for the film in the scrolling end credits but it did not mention him being the late Ollie’s stand-in). There have been some films where an actor became unavailable during filming of a scene and the filmmakers sometimes use a body double to finish the scenes but they never reveal the name of the said body double before or after the films were released. Their names can be revealed somewhere else by searching hard if having the urge of wanting to the name and then you finally found it somewhere that is completely rare for films. And this film “Gladiator” is one of them. Do you want me to tell you how I found out about the body double’s name?
@@aidanlang961
I do, I do!
@@CinemaStix I remember watching and knowing he was dead thanks to the CGI, and when I saw the shadows and dust death moment I knew they reused the previous shot, and thought they were genious.
@@aidanlang961 speak !
As a child of 7 years, I remember watching Oliver Reed in the 3 musketeers series … he was the quintessential actor, swashbuckling sword-fighter and his gravitas filled the screen.
I’m so grateful this legend past away with this as his final film.
It was an honor to watch him.
On a platform filled to the brim with stolen content and asshattery, it's amazing to see high-quality real content being posted...
true words, thanks Danny
This is definitely one of the few good channels on this platform.
I agree but in fairness pretty much all the visual content is just taken from someone else. I know lots of channels do it, not only this channel.
It is a greater realization, that usually when there are this many changes to the script, shooting, acting, actors, etc, in nearly every instance, it dooms a movie. Look at what has happened in a lot of Disney's recent endeavors for examples of that. But in this case, something magical happened. This is still a trap movie for me, if I'm flipping through channels, I get stuck if Gladiator is on. Such a great flick.
Also none of that happened in real history but as a film it's wonderful.
The opening is brilliant. Without a word being said, we know the main character dreams about going home, doesn't like war, is committed to doing the battle, and he is respected and loved by his men.
Now that's cinema.
That must've been ROUGH for Ridley and the cast. 😕 Gladiator was already "an improvisation" in many ways. But when Reed died, you can tell that Scott REALLY cared to make his performance count. He literally spared no expense.
Everything counts
Gladiator was one of my favorite movies as a 14 year old when it came out, and I had been fascinated by how they finished it with Reed's death for almost 25 years - and this is what I always wanted to see: the step by step breakdown of how it was done, in what order, what was taken from what... the movie magic explanation. Thank you.
Appreciate you noting where Mr Reed died in filming, and the way they kept him going in the film. Always wondered. Thanks
Wow, I always wondered how they managed to finish Reed’s scenes that’s so cool and very impressive how they were able to put that all together.
Same here, I knew they had done some scenes but to see how the shots were sourced from other scenes was interesting.
It really is hard to believe the same man made this film and the follow up. Gladiator 2 is such a tedious, cliched, cynical rehash.
He also just made the POS film Napoleon.
Have you seen his Alien sequels? All terrible as well. The last one, Covenant, being even worse than Prometheus.
Ridley Scott is in his 80s and hes rushing through movies, there is an over dependance on CGI. He takes one shot of a scene and hes done.
As you can surmise, due to his age, he doesnt film, (in Alien, he did most of the camerawork), and even if he could, CGI demands multiple cameras filming at once.
Modern filmmaking seems to be ruining auteurs.
Ridley has always been a hack director, but he's been reined in before.
It is as Russell Crowe says in this video at 2:52: "Ridley is primarily a visual artist".
I guess that's the one thing that's consistent throughout his carreer; good visuals.
Scripts and story is not something he does himself :)
@@aussiepassenger Yeah. It's just remarkable how good Gladiator and Aliens were, and how bad the follow ups to those films are. I mean, Gladiator and Aliens are both absolutely fantastic films, two of the very best mainstream big-budget movies ever made. But Gladiator 2 and the other Alien films he made are ultimately utter dross. It's bizarre.
The more I watch Ridley's works, the more I like them, but in quite a twisted way. I would skip most of the stories and watch shots just, go. It's not that his stories and scripts are bad, they are just not terribly engaging and interesting. The quality of his visual artistry though is undeniable. The man is a master and good producers should know where to put him, allowing him to channel his vision. I would rewatch just Gladiator opening scenes and the wheat field , Kingdom of Heaven from Messina to the army marched out in support, Alien opening scene or Bladerunner murder, Tears in Rain. The man is a damn magician in the right places.
If you've not done so already check out The Duellists from 1977 which is set in the Napoleonic period.
Literally was today years old learning that the actor for Proximo was literally dead and was not there to finish the film!! 😮 they handled the edits in this movie masterfully! 💯💯 this is why this movie will always be a CLASSIC
Not sure if you take requests or even suggestions but I urge you to watch a film called "no one will save you" There are literally 5 lines of dialog in the whole film but it has a coherent story and clearly does the "show not tell" type of exposition. I was genuinely surprised by it but have recommended it to everyone since.
the Reed bits are staggering, I would never have known
I just love how ROYAL and Stunning Connie looks in every shot.
She has those Ultimate Royalty looks.
Idk her face is made for EMPRESS roles....
She's mesmerizing
I know that I’m late to the game but the death of Oliver Reeve is so sad… and that he played an intro part of probably one of his best movies that he ever acted in, a fine actor in almost everything that he did…. It breaks my heart that he did not get the recognition while he was still alive…
Oliver Reed is the actor’s name
"'It feels like it was part of the fabric of the story when, in fact, it was just patchwork."
Really love that line, just wanted to shout it out
Appreciating the beauty of how Gladiator was made has come through your being able to appreciate, research and beautifully explain such details and nuances. Salute to you @CinemaStix ! I hope we'll one day be able to see a movie you make
Gladiator a true "lightning in a bottle"
ANOTHER video that makes me love Gladiator even more... thanks for that, man. Love your channel.
I find it humorous that Max lives in the previous script, as I've never heard anyone say that they wish he lived or that they were disappointed that he died or the like.
I just want to thank you for your work on this channel. These videos they are simply really great. Your insight, attention to detail, your voice, which I really enjoy listenig to, it all combines into entertaining and educational videos which make me fall in love with movies (and related stuff) even more. So thanks, great job.
Love this. Forced improv is a whisper from the gods 👏🏾
When Maximus looks upon the little bird, he is looking upon a sparrow. Sparrows are messengers between our lives and the afterlife.
Was there a sparrow standing in front of that robin?
@@domhuckle Sure.
Phoenix is so goood in Gladiator, he stole the show, the tension he created helped drive the movie and make us like the Spaniard more, rooting for Maximus because Phoenix was soo good as this tortured, sick, yet sensitive slimmy villain
It's amazing how a movie that had so much improvisation became so succesful.
I can't believe that "He killed the man who gave you that sword" line was not part of the scene originally! It's so f*cking brilliant!
Ridley Scott fascinates me - he is such a massively talented director, and unusually both and "actor's director" and a "visual director". The one area he can at times struggle with is *story*, ending up with movies that are a bit clunky (the prequel Aliens-movies, Kingdom of Heaven, Robin Hood). Sometimes all the parts work, he has the right collaborators in front of and behind the camera, and sometimes even the Master Chef, cooking with the best ingredients at his disposal still delivers an uninspried dish. Still, even his least successful movies are heads above almost everything else in visual style.
Reed's charisma and dominance in a scene cannot be overstated. I'm glad he was kept in the movie.
This answered why a couple scenes in the movie looked kind of odd to me. Having seen them again in this video shown multiple times, now I know why. The one I did notice even the first time watching the film was why the people there to kill Proximo just stopped right behind him, as if they were waiting for his final words. And both they and the lighting look off. Like they're in a different room and wearing different armor. I just passed it off as a continuity error or they wanted to use a specific take. And in that way, I'm glad they put the actors performance ahead of getting the perfect lighting or whatever. But in reality, they literally were doing something in post. And I'm so glad they did it.
Wow HOW many times have I seen this movie, and never once noticed those composite shots??? Fantastic editing!
This is like the only movie I've ever heard of making it out of production hell to be an actually excellent movie, to the point that you don't even realize it was ever in production hell.
What are some others?
Thank you so much for the Proximo story, I never heard that one before and it is pure genius!
Right? I was always told “they used CGI to finish his scenes”. And like, yeah, some. But that wasn’t at all the magic of it.
@@CinemaStix The way you told it is indeed magic- movie making magic! The "shadows and dust" line connects the two gladiators with the overriding theme of eternal life (Elysium, burying the figures, etc) it just made total sense- before knowing it was filmed for something completely different! Reminds me of the DVD special features from the cutting room floor where they combined near random scenes (all beautiful cinematography!) with Zimmer's beautiful score into something more like a mini-movie.
Such great performances by not only the main actors, but the many role players (think of the announcer in the Colosseum, for example).
Love your work! I will watch EVERY video you make and I will learn and be entertained. I watch some parts over and over, I watch some of your videos again and again as needed pick me ups.
When I have enough money I will support you better, but for now- Thank you. You make my life better.
The little bird is such a powerful thing. It expressed so much and carried so much weight. This film is perfect.
Sorry that shadows amd dust quote gives me shivers. Good job, editors. I love that part as a farewell to a good man. ❤
This made me cry… absolutely beautiful
I'm all for this multi week coverage for this movie, and as usual I feel compelled to watch the movie after these videos
Be honest, Danny. When you uploaded this video, did you scream “Are you not entertained?!”
And then yeet a pen across the room with the fury of a roman gladiator.
I am entertained!! 😂
Great video, Danny! Merry Christmas and a happy new year man!
It is wild that the end result of all this incredible creativity and patchwork may well have reaulted in a character whose arc was not only more appealing but memorable as well. IMO they not only kept the character but crafted a tribute and send off of the actor as well.
I found this peek behind the scenes fascinating; and Danny is such a chill guide.
But they didn't improvise all the changes from the John Logan draft. William Nicholson, the third writer, joined shortly before the start of production and rewrote a lot of things before and during filming.
He explained that in the previous video.
And even with three writers there are a lot of improvisation, Maximus praying to the little figurines of his wife and son was his idea after seeing a prop of said figures as decoration on a prayer altar.
through all its faults the movie is a work of art and the final result is as beautiful as it could've been for the time. and the way every star aligned to produce the perfect cast just makes it all the more perfect. a classic.
I never really gave this movie any credit before I watched it, I just thought it was another fantasy about the misremebered past of an unsustainable empire, It also doesn't help that I was an infant when this was made so, yeah there's that, but I watched it for the first time and since then I've seen it multiple times and I understand the love people have for It.
Unsustainable? It lasted for nearly 1,500 years.
And that doesn't include the years of the Republic.
@@Welverin and where are they now?
@@SamTheMan666 What kind of stupid ass comment is that?
Just because it eventually fell doesn’t mean it was unsustainable
No ancient civilization survived to the present day. Nor do modern go back all that far with some kind of change in rule.
To say a society that persisted for 1,500-2,000 years (depending how you account things) was unsustainable, is a laughable assertion.
Ok, anything else?
Thanks for reminding that guy could shoot some great cinema once
Thanks CinemaStix, your video somehow helped cleanse the bad taste left by Gladiator2.
Awesome, as always. ❤
👍💯
Thank ye :)
I love how Oliver Reed's unfortunate passing actually made this possibly an even better film. His performance is sublime, and while they could have recast and reshot, it would still have set back the schedule of the film, especially when - in hindsight - they probably would have realised they could no longer imagine anyone else as Proximo, and might have ended up doing the same thing over again, doing clever editing and compositing to finish his character arc.
I didn't know until many years later that Oliver Reed actually died during the making of the film.
It's not perfect, but most of the film is full of amazing storytelling. One of my all-time favourites.
For folks who love this and want to hear more about the BTS of the making of Gladiator, I can’t recommend enough the podcast What Went Wrong.
I found the acting in this, absolutely beautiful. The entire film is a masterpiece.
So much better and so much more respectful than the use of CGI replacements for long deceased actors.
Incredible that the movie ended up being a jam-session, sweded version of itself, and is a masterpiece (esp compared to the intended script). How this occurred hints at what's magic's within the inscrutable tapestry of human creativity
I expected Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium. I'd forgotten about this complication in Gladiator.
Glad this largely improvised movie worked out a lot better than The Rise of Skywalker!
Such gems are hard to find these days.
Very interesting when you described Ridley Scott as a primarily visual director. That has explained a lot of the issues I have had with the varying quality of his films over the last 40 plus years.
He must be better at story than George Lucas, who I realised 30 years ago was a genius with visuals but utterly awful in every other way. Or, perhaps Ridley simply realised himself that he shouldn't get too involved with scripts etc.: letting others deal with that side.
I dunno! I can't do any of these things, so it's just been a private thought process of my own from pure fascination [until today 🤷♀].
Classic. Excellent, quality documentary. Thank you for producing and sharing this.
This movie has been around long enough that I've gone from looking like Maximus to looking like Proximo.🧔🏻♂️🧔🏼♂️
The "insurance funding cost of replacing and reshooting an actor" bit, you know,... you had an easy way to connect that hypothetical to what happened on ANOTHER Ridley Scott film, you know. ;-)
I didn't realize you were on Nebula. Now following you over there.
It might be patchwork - but It was so well done
When I watched it for the first time in 2018, I didn’t even know Oliver Reed was CGI edited into his last scene.
And it's so damn well done I bet 99% couldn't even tell
This is what you can achieve when you have a truly talented cast and crew.
That's brilliant! Thanks for the video.
good lord your videos are so good....thank you
One of the finest movies of the modern age. My thanks.
The bird scene in Gladiator adds more depth to the movie and to the Maximus character than everything that happend to the main character (I cant even remember his name) in the Gladiator 2.
"'It feels like it was part of the fabric of the story when, in fact, it was just patchwork."
If you really think about it, all clothing is just a patchwork, different cuts, different fabrics all stitched together into something far greater then the individual pieces. You only notice it when the fabrics clash, or the stitching is poor. Though even clashing colors and textures can be used to make something wonderful. In the end, it's all about the skill of those who are doing the crafting, and it's a credit to all of them that it feels like a singular whole.
I love your videos Danny. Keep it up. I'll be sure to post a better reaction when I have time. 👍
RIP Oliver Reed, legend
That's genius. Proximo was a perfect character
I've wanted to know how exactly they did this for years! great video
I wish Ridley never lost his touch. But then again, his sets are still good
I think Reed was Oscar nominated as well.
No, but nominated for BAFTA
Another change from script to screen I can recommend looking into is Kill Bill. the difference is wild, but all the pieces of what made up Tarantino's finest are still present.
Via Copilot, the non-click bait summary -The video discusses the movie "Gladiator" and how the production team managed to complete the film after the actor Oliver Reed passed away three weeks before the end of the shoot. Reed played the character Proximo in the film. Instead of reshooting all of his scenes with a different actor, the team decided to use a combination of old takes, patchwork cuts, and minimal CGI to complete his performance.
The decision to keep Reed's performance was driven by the team's admiration for his work and the belief that his portrayal was integral to the film. This approach allowed them to honor Reed's contribution while still completing the movie successfully
Besides Maximus, Proximo is my other favorite character in the movie! I was hoping they would've done a prequel miniseries of his backstory instead of doing gladiator 2.
This is great
, TY
Went to see this the week it came out at the Cinerama in Seattle, I think that was the first year it was open after Paul Allen restored it. Anyway I ended up walking out after the dozenth slow motion grainy action sequence. That on top of the absolutely basic melodrama and some of the hackiest acting put to film, I'd had enough. Have always been baffled by how lauded this shlocky piece of thrash has been. A bloated made for tv movie if there ever was one, and now there's a sequel that looks about straight to streaming quality to match.
great video but you should consider using more suitable background music for your clips, was a bit funny having some sexy neo soul music underneath a scene between Proximo and Maximus hahahah
Haha, fair enough.
That is brilliant. Great video.
gmorning bud. thanks for the video
(Wiping the sleep from my eye) Mornin!
@@CinemaStix Oliver Reed died most likely due to over drinking, (alcohol ) he would get drunk most days while filming Gladiator
I always thought Reed and Crow had a lot in common.
This film was really a passing of the sword.
Apparently Crowe really disliked working with Reed. I like both.
Gladiator is so remarkable that not even ridley scott could copy himself.
One great thing abiut Gladiator II is that Paul Mescal looks very much like Richard Harris, he looks like a grandson.
Hey, I've been here, saw your channel growing, and I adore your content, but I have a question
How do you feel knowing you sort of started a trend in RUclips? I mean, you had your style for titles with the "when the director" and such, and now everyone seems to be doing it
0:50 you can see camera guy top left. one of my fave film oopsies hehe
I've never even seen this movie; now I have to
The Last Samurai, Braveheart and Glatiator are the Big 3.