looks like YT is being difficult and turning off the comments in this video again, our best guess is the system detected Lucius, a child in the video. just like it did with our Harry Potter video.
Since you liked Russell Crowe in this, you should check out him and Ryan Gossling in 2016's 'The Nice Guys.' It's a terrific action comedy set in the 1970s. It contains some surprise homages like a fight scene where Russell Crowe uses the same punch combination he used on Joaquin Phoenix in 'Gladiator' and Ryan Gossling getting so scared that he starts stammering like Lou Costello in 'Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein.'
He uses dirt and gravel, to gain traction, with his sword, and his other accouterments,so the weapons don't slip out of his hands during heavy combat .The gravel forms a resistance from losing the grip,drying out any liquid that makes it slip more.It even helps grip a shield better.
The writers felt the early draft of the script lost momentum after the 1st act. So they introduced the theme of an afterlife our hero is trying to reach. This meant that Maximus' motivation throughout the whole film is _'A soldier returning to his family'_ , which the writers felt was stronger than simply revenge.
They also cut out a sex scene between him and Commudus’ sister because they felt making them more romantically inclined than past lovers would ruin the idea of him trying to reach his real family. So they made him more loyal to them even in death for that reason.
Marcus Aurelius' Meditations is an amazing book. Reading the thoughts of a man that died 2000 years ago is magic, to find that his thoughts were not so different than a modern man is divine. "How much trouble he avoids who does not look to see what his neighbour says or does or thinks, but only to what he does himself, that it may be just and pure."
What is cool too is that he never thought they would be published. They were personal thoughts and they were so good. I have a copy my mom gave me as a gift that was published in 1890.
@@rollotomassi6232 Despite the idea that poverty drives crime being at least that old, we still have people arguing about it to this day. It's depressing to think about.
“Are there more Caesars?” Julius Caesar was such a pivotal character in western history, not only is the month of July named after him , his name is synonymous with the word emperor in multiple languages. Russian Czars were called Czars/Tsars because of him. German Kaisers were called Kaiser because of him.
The word "august", used as an adjective is also thanks to the Romans, also describing the Ceasars. The month's name of course comes from the same source.
Joaquin Phoenix was absolutely amazing in this. Also I feel they made Comodus a character you hate but at the same time showed some of the emotions he felt about being rejected by his father.
@@Morlock1943 Maybe, but I also believe that he wanted to go home to his family more than anything. I don't believe he'd take rule just so that Commodus couldn't, even if Ceasar was his friend and father figure
@@CChissel The son of an extreme popular emperor will forever be a threat to a new ruler. Everyone who fell threathen by Maximus will go to Commodus. Commodus has to go.
Yeah, farmers and soldiers both do that. What we call "dirt" is a combination of clay, sand or silt, and organic material (plants, poo, bones, etc). A farmer will feel it to see how much clay there is, smell it to see how much organic material there is, and taste it to see how much sand or silt there is. The best mix is 40% silt, 40% organic, 20% clay. A soldier will use sand as grit on their hands to keep from dropping their weapon. Chalk sand is best, so the floor of the Coloseum was chalk sand. Maximus is combining these two motions to indicate that he is both a farmer and a soldier.
Fun fact. The floor of The Coliseum was covered in sand to soak up the blood. The Latin word for sand is "arena". Today, the word arena is also used to describe a stadium or the circular area that is surrounded by seating.
I cried at the end more than you did Simone . I still tear up as she said "go to them". My late wife of more than 30 years awaits on the other side of the door for me. There has been no other. How did you find the musical score from Hans Zimmer and Lisa Gerrard . It adds so much to the movie and that particular moment.
26:12 It was very common for gladiators to use part of the money they earned to upgrade their gear, so, as one of the most popular gladiators, Maximus could undoubtedly afford to have that emblem put on his armor. Gladiators from the same stable would often donate to a group fund to pay for the funeral when one of their members died and to give money to help the deceased gladiator's family.
I did not know that. That's awesome! I knew not all gladiators were slaves, some were free men that could earn the equivalent of up to $500,000 a year. But I didn't know, or rather never gave it much thought, that they would have such camaraderie amongst themselves.
@@Tar-Numendil Yeah, remember during the Roman times Gladiators were seen as more than fodder they were the equivalent of rockstars were paid extremely well compared to even a lot plebs and well fed balanced diet. Nobles were said to have bought dead gladiator blood to increase vigor and libido. Gladiators who won their freedom often fought freelance and many weren’t enslaved and didn’t often fight to the death.
They would also do product endorsements in the arena. Apparently a scene like that was included originally, but the filmmakers felt the audience wouldn't believe it.
Fun fact: some Gladiators were so popular that they would actually give paid public endorsements of products, just like professional athletes do in commercials now. Ridley Scott wanted to include a scene showing Maximus doing this, but decided against it as he figured most audience members would never believe it was historically accurate.
Joaquin Phoenix is my fav actor at present and tends to get all the credit here because he’s very “in” right now in particular, but Russell Crowe is absolutely brilliant and was fully deserving of his Oscar here
The scene where Proximo (Oliver Reed) is killed was a last minute addition. Oliver Reed died during the filming and the original ending had Proximo, and not Jubba (Djimon Honsou), burying the figures of Maximus's family. Unfortunately, Reed's hard living caught up to him as he died of a heart attack. The remainder of his role that they could do was done with a stand-in, re-writes, in-post work and digital effects. So...Reed's last line "Shadows and dust" is oddly fitting. Oliver Reed and Richard Harris (Marcus Aurelius) were both members of a select group of British actors and musicians born just before, during or after World War II who were called "Hellraisers". They were always in the tabloids over their off-screen/off-stage antics as well as on-screen/onstage antics. Hard drinking, partying, crazy stunts...Harris, Reed, Peter O'Toole, Richard Burton, Keith Moon (of the rock group The Who)...Gifted, but crazy, and willing to drink, snort, shoot, or swallow anything for a good time, as well as finding willing female companionship while doing it. If you watch any YT videos of talk shows with these guys...the stories they tell are both hysterically funny and completely horrifying that they did some of the things they did....and for the most part got away with it.
He died in The Pub in Malta and had been drinking with the ship’s company of HMS CORNWALL all day. If you go into The Pub today, half is traditionally decorated after the Royal Navy, the other half is a shrine to Oliver Reed.
The kid that played Geoffrey in "Game of Thrones" said he modeled a lot of how he portrayed his character with a study of Phoenix's portrayal of Commodus.
If you're interested in another Ridley Scott directed historical epic, you should react to the director's cut of Kingdom of Heaven. It's set in the Kingdom of Jerusalem a few years prior to the 3rd Crusade, and is an awesome movie (seriously, make sure its the director's cut. It adds like 45 mins of footage and the theatrical cut is nowhere near as good).
Fun fact: I have a friend who was an extra in the big fight at the start. Apparently, and this story grows each time i hear it re-told so it is definitely embellished, because they were going to have mostly close shots on the Romans and few on the Germans, all the Roman troops had to be union actors/extras because of a contract dispute, but the Germans were all volunteers. Because the only people that would volunteer for something like that were a bunch of half-mad historical re-enactors, they had to re-shoot the big battle scenes several times because in the first few takes, the Germans *won* and chased the extras around tormenting them with foam weaponry completely ignoring desperate shouts of "cut!" until they were told they wouldn't get lunch unless they kept to the script.
Aww you guys missed my favorite exchange near the end. When Gracchus says "Who will help me carry him?" ..and you watch all these people step forward. Complete feels bomb.
Yeah I was looking forward to that moment for Gracchus too. Even though he seems to be the "good guy symbol of representative government", he's still a noble and politician and uncertain how much he's looking out for himself. So it's a nice last moment for him to be "of service" to the savior of Rome, as uncertain as the future may be.
A spear is a hand weapon meant for extending close range combat away from the wielded. A javelin is a hand held projectile meant for semi long distance.
The forest fire at the start was written into the script when the filmmakers heard about a portion of a Forest that was scheduled to be incinerated to stop the spread of tree disease. The Production contacted the local council and offered to burn down the forrest for them for free.
If you read the history of Commodus , it becomes apparent why he was so paranoid once he became Caeser. This movie does take several liberties as to his character, but thats what makes it a great movie (plus Joaquin Phoenix does an excellent job of making you hate him). His life is an interesting read, think it would give this movie a new perspective. Keep up the great content!
I think if they had included Commodus' Circus exploits in the film, they'd have never gotten a rating for it and no one would have ever seen it. One time, he stood there and decapitated 150 ostriches and forced thousands of people to watch him do it and then cheer afterwards. Messed up dude. Seeing as we're talking about him, it is *essential* to point out that he was so despised when he died that they renamed toilets after him. We *still* call them "commodes" from time to time.
28:40 "Just before he dies he becomes a good ish person" - the irony being that to be technical the great Ollie Reed at that point in filming had sadly passed away IRL, and that particular scene was completed using CGI.
Everybody wanted to be a "Caesar" since Julius Caesar (100 - 44 BC). He was such a fantastic general in war and he built the foundation of the Roman Empire. He would defeat armies that were 10 times the size of his.
10 times is an exaggeration but 2 or 3 times (such as the battle of Alesia) yes. :) Vercingetorix is fascinating too and i would recommend reading about him.. I concur though that Gaius Julius Caesar was one of the finest generals the world has ever know though.
I always took him taking the earth before a battle (outside of the practical aspect of removing moisture from his hands), was to "get in touch" with the ground he was to fight on. A pre-fight ritual to connect him to the battleground.
Fun fact: in ancient Rome a thumbs up actually meant "death" and a concealed thumb meant "life", or "spared". They would not have done a thumbs down. The director chose to forgo accuracy so as to not confuse the audience.
Allways thought he feels the earth cause his first profession was that of a farmer not a soldier.....Like being attuned with the soil and feeling the consistency of the field ( in that case a field of battle not a field to farm on ). Roman Spears are called Pilum, Javelins are throwning spears, the short swords are called Gladius.
I work for a dirt-work company. We have bull dozers, maintainers, excavators, that sort of thing. I know guys who will pick up a handful of damp soil and squeeze it to see if it will stick together (more clay content) or fall apart (mostly sand).
Gladiator is a really good movie; It actually won 5 Oscars: Best Picture, Best Actor in a leading role, Best Costume design, Best Sound, Best Effect/Visual Effects.
Great movie. My Favorite line from this movie "I don't pretend to be a man of the people but I do try to a man for the people" . Another great movie with Russell Crow (not in the lead) is The Quick And The Dead . A western with Sharon Stone and Gene Hackman :)
There's a joke near the end of this movie but you have to know Latin to get it. When the emperor's son asks Maximus about the horses on his breastplate, Maximus tells him that they are his horses in Spain. He names them - Argentus and Scoutus. Argentus is the Latin word for Silver and Scoutus is the Latin word for Scout. Maximus owns Silver and Scout, the horses belonging to the Lone Ranger and Tonto. I was the only one in the theater who laughed out loud at that pointg in the movie.
The legendary actor Oliver Reed who played Proximo died during filming in Malta after a night of hard drinking with some British navy sailors (he was also a notorious alcoholic) so a couple of his scenes were finished with CGI.
I was too young to appreciate what I was seeing in the theater as a 13-14 year old. Seeing it again through new eyes makes you just geek out at the visual feast this movie is.
If you enjoy Richard Harris' roles in Gladiator and Harry Potter, might I suggest checking out the film The Count of Monte Cristo. It is a fantastic retelling of the book.
Won 5 Oscars and nominated for another 7. Joaquin Phoenix is massively over the top, but it totally works - there was all kinds of ways to play that character, but bordering on Dark Knight's Joker on the crazy and over the top scale was definitely the way to go.
When this movie first premiered, I was a few months from turning 18. I'm 40 now and can admit, with much humility, that I have never bawled so hard near the end of a movie before. The entire sequence, starting with Lucilla speaking to Maximus right before he passes and then being carried away, still chokes me up to this day.
Fun fact about the big battle with the lions and bad ass gladiator. In history, those columns in the middle of the Coliseum were big stone penises, but the studio decided it was a bit too realistic so they changed their appearance.
The music is amazing, Hans Zimmer is an absolute genius. He is actually my second favorite composer, my favorite is the late great James Horner. John Williams is my third, if I have to pick a third.
I remember Derek Jacobi in the old TV mini-series "I, Claudius" (1976), he plays the title role. The show covers from shortly before the character's birth up to his death. An interesting view of the different roman characters... Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Messalina... if you like old brit series, might be worth a watch :D
31:40 “At some point, you’re just too much of a d*ck.” There hasn’t been a summation of a perfectly-acted villain this hilariously succinct in a long time. So deadpan. So true.
Very true, although that's not actually the reason why the guards wouldn't give Commodus a sword. One of the main rules of Colosseum fighting was that no gladiator is allowed to be given a new weapon (other than his opponents'). So by demanding a new sword, Commodus was actually breaking the rules and the guards were well within their legal rights to deny him one.
Everything in this movie came together so well, and then the icing on the cake was Lisa Gerrard in the soundtrack to provide that perfect soulful framing
In my home country(Romania) the premiere of this movie was the first time dolby digital 3d audio in cinemas. The sound made it like nothing ive ever seen in my life, i was about 12 13 and would regulary go to the cinema with my parents but this movie was simply awesome ❤❤ also later in life i worked in a hotel in the uk where russel crowe would regularly come, great guy to be honest he didn't disappoint meeting him after this movie will forever live as one of the greatest films for me one.
The cloaca at the beginning was actually purple. Mostly the wealthy and very high ranking individuals wore purple back then cause it was extremely expensive, and difficult to produce. It was used as a show of status
George was onto something maximus smelt and felt the dirt because it made him feel closer to his home and his family and to answer Simone's question a javelin is a thrown weapon and a spear is a weapon used for stabbing and thrusting but can also be thrown.
Nick Cave (yes, *that* one) wrote a sequel script where the Roman Gods resurrect Maximus and then travel through time "fixing" epic battles of history. Seriously. You can get the script online and read it - too bad it was never made.
Javelins are intended for throwing, Spears somewhat inbetween where you keep hold of it and stab with it but can throw it at short range if you need to, Pikes are super long and for poking and keeping the enemy as far away from you as possible with non-ranged weapons, Lances are an evolution of spears for horse charge combat, gradually becoming very specialised for that purpose while the first lances were essentially just thicker stronger spears. I love George's comments about the phallic symbols, we really don't change. I have some 14th century gear for reenactment and the bollock dagger I have is one of my favourite items, especially when you wear it proudly at the front of your belt.
When Simone asked, "What can he do now... kill the Emperor?" I said out loud, "Absolutely!" However, I just love what George said, "I mean... first I would say you have to find a reason to live, right?" Simone got it, my reason would also be revenge. To lose it all must make you feel like giving up because you have nothing left to live for. UNLESS, you live to take out those who took what you had. Only then can you peacefully pass on.
Fun fact on an older video. Gladiatorial fights actually didn't used too end in death. They were generally like. Til first blood or surrender unless it was something special. Gotta keep in mind, it's similar to training, feeding, arming, and providing medical aid to a modern day soldier. It's a VERY expensive thing, and takes a LONG time too. And if you just have entire ludas' worth of gladiators killed every game, there would be no more gladiators to fight lol. So yeh. Most typically didn't end in death. Executions, famous battle reanactmemts, accidents or major events like religious days or celebrations could have death matches cuz they did happen but not normally
"It is so blue". It is funny the instictive reaction to the imperial purple. Imagine the effect in a time when dark blue colored fabric were a rarity. I think at that time purple was extracted from crushed sea shell.
This movie came out when I was a teenager and I had it on DVD. It was my "comfort movie" until I was about 25. I've probably seen it about 20 times lol.
"Maggot Therapy" IS a thing. Not very common, and I don't think anyone back in ancient Rome was doing it, but it's possible. It was used fairly often during the American Civil War, and scientifically studied for the first time. Maggots don't harm live tissue at all, only eat the dead tissue, and their secretions are actually anti-bacterial so they prevent infection.
I'm glad they made this back then, f it was today it would be a whole season of a TV show culminating in a similar ending. Could be great though, like Oliver Reed flashbacks, a little more story behind his fellow comrades and a bit more story of each of the gladiator bosses. I can see it in my head.
25:00 In the inaugural games for the Colosseum, the animals were so frightened by the screaming crowds that they wouldn't perform. Even smearing the condemned prisoners with bloody meat wasn't enough to encourage the animals to come out and do their thing, so the animal trainer was brought out and executed in front of the audience.
The movie thesis is from Quintus and Maximus at the beginning of the movie “People should know when they are conquered” “Would you Quintus? Would I?” Also when Proximo died if you look in the background it’s footage from earlier in the movie due to the death of the actor. And because of the actors death we got the ending we got originally it was going to be Proximo burying his Rudius instead and saying he’d won his freedom.
A spear is longer, and is primarily a melee weapon, although it could be thrown. A javelin is shorter, and intended primarily to be thrown. The Roman javelin, the Pilum, was wooden with a long and thin iron point. They were intentionally softer iron, so they would twist and bend after impacting, causing them to create extra difficulties like entangling your shield, or slowing you down. The legionaries would carry one or two each, and throw them as an opening volley just before the initial melee clash.
The "barbarian" war chanting at the beginning is from a 1964 movie called "Zulu", about the Battle of Rorke's Drift in 1879 starring a very young Michael Caine :) It's Ridley Scott's favorite movie and added it in as a homage to the movie :) The Swedish metal band Sabaton wrote a song about the battle called "Rorke's Drift" :) 💘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘😎
Stuff like this rarely rarely happened most matches had referees to stop and reset the fight if it got to violent. Most gladiators that were killed were prisoners that had death sentences. The biggest reason and it sounds terrible but slaves were very very expensive.
Caesar was a Cognomen (originally and sometimes nicknames, but in this case, it indicated a sub-family of the Julian family.) When Gaius Julius Caesar died, he legally adopted his nephew, Octavian, who took the name to cement his legal status and political clout. When he became "Emperor" as Caesar Augustus, his official title was Princeps ("The First Man.") His successors likewise adopted those names and by the time the Julian dynasty ended with Nero, both Caesar and Augustus had become de facto titles for the leader of Rome. After Nero, there were four different guys who claimed the title over the course of a year and the guy that won, Vespacian, appointed his actual sons as his heirs (and for a time, the elder son ruled as co-Ceasar.) After Vespacian's younger son was assassinated (he was so unpopular, his temples were destroyed, his coinage melted down and his name removed from all public documents) the Senate ELECTED his successor. The next four Ceasars (called "The Five Good Emperors") had no sons and legally adopted their chosen successors, ensuring both stability and competent leadership. And then, Marcus Aurelius (who had NO intention of re-creating the Republic) appointed his actual son his heir. In fact, Commodus was given the title Ceasar 14 years before his father's death and was co-ruler for 4 of them. His reign lasted for 12 years of increasingly erratic behavior: he repeatedly devalued the currency, suffered several conspiracies against him (one from his older sister) and ultimately renamed everything from the armies, to the months of the year to the damn city after himself. While he did fight as a gladiator (and charged the city for his 'services') it was seen as tacky and silly; he notably always won because gladiators knew to throw the fight and he always accepted their surrender. He did kill a lot of criminals and animals, though. And yes, he was strangled in his bath by a wrestler (basically his personal trainer.)
This masterpiece of a film still did not come even close to how insane Romans were with their Colosseum games. They actually filled with water sometimes and had ships battles there, it's absolutely insane.
looks like YT is being difficult and turning off the comments in this video again, our best guess is the system detected Lucius, a child in the video. just like it did with our Harry Potter video.
Just noticed. Let's hope they get it right from now on. ;)
Since you liked Russell Crowe in this, you should check out him and Ryan Gossling in 2016's 'The Nice Guys.' It's a terrific action comedy set in the 1970s. It contains some surprise homages like a fight scene where Russell Crowe uses the same punch combination he used on Joaquin Phoenix in 'Gladiator' and Ryan Gossling getting so scared that he starts stammering like Lou Costello in 'Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein.'
Don't YT realise that Lucius is nearly 2000 years old now, in 2021?
He uses dirt and gravel, to gain traction, with his sword, and his other accouterments,so the weapons don't slip out of his hands during heavy combat .The gravel forms a resistance from losing the grip,drying out any liquid that makes it slip more.It even helps grip a shield better.
Did you guys watch game of thrones? Or a future project. I really admire your respect for mythology at the start lol
The writers felt the early draft of the script lost momentum after the 1st act. So they introduced the theme of an afterlife our hero is trying to reach. This meant that Maximus' motivation throughout the whole film is _'A soldier returning to his family'_ , which the writers felt was stronger than simply revenge.
It realy is a lot better.
They were correct
In the original script, Maximus was a Christian, or became one. But they removed it.
It doesn't REPLACE revenge...it's the tension between a desire for vengeance and a desire for reunion.
They also cut out a sex scene between him and Commudus’ sister because they felt making them more romantically inclined than past lovers would ruin the idea of him trying to reach his real family. So they made him more loyal to them even in death for that reason.
Marcus Aurelius' Meditations is an amazing book. Reading the thoughts of a man that died 2000 years ago is magic, to find that his thoughts were not so different than a modern man is divine.
"How much trouble he avoids who does not look to see what his neighbour says or does or thinks, but only to what he does himself, that it may be just and pure."
What is cool too is that he never thought they would be published. They were personal thoughts and they were so good. I have a copy my mom gave me as a gift that was published in 1890.
Technology has changed over time, but the human mind has not.
"Waste no more time arguing about what a good man should be. Be one." "Poverty is the mother of crime." - Marcus Aurelius* Two of my favorite quotes.
@@johncrane3858 Whereas my Mother told me not to bother reading it, but I did - And it became one of the guiding principals in my life.
@@rollotomassi6232 Despite the idea that poverty drives crime being at least that old, we still have people arguing about it to this day. It's depressing to think about.
“Are there more Caesars?”
Julius Caesar was such a pivotal character in western history, not only is the month of July named after him , his name is synonymous with the word emperor in multiple languages. Russian Czars were called Czars/Tsars because of him. German Kaisers were called Kaiser because of him.
And every emperor of Rome after him, carried the title Caesar.
The word "august", used as an adjective is also thanks to the Romans, also describing the Ceasars. The month's name of course comes from the same source.
@@andrewcharles459Caesar's adopted son.
Even the Pope today is also called Pontifex Maximus or Pontifex Summus. So they carry on the ancient Roman tradition.
In Indonesian it's Kaisar.
Joaquin Phoenix was absolutely amazing in this. Also I feel they made Comodus a character you hate but at the same time showed some of the emotions he felt about being rejected by his father.
Comodus had no other option then to kill Maximus. Maximus would have done the same.
@@Morlock1943 What?
@@Morlock1943 Maybe, but I also believe that he wanted to go home to his family more than anything. I don't believe he'd take rule just so that Commodus couldn't, even if Ceasar was his friend and father figure
@@CChissel The son of an extreme popular emperor will forever be a threat to a new ruler. Everyone who fell threathen by Maximus will go to Commodus. Commodus has to go.
Sympathetic Villain
You understand them and their choices. The best kind of villains
Yeah, farmers and soldiers both do that. What we call "dirt" is a combination of clay, sand or silt, and organic material (plants, poo, bones, etc). A farmer will feel it to see how much clay there is, smell it to see how much organic material there is, and taste it to see how much sand or silt there is. The best mix is 40% silt, 40% organic, 20% clay. A soldier will use sand as grit on their hands to keep from dropping their weapon. Chalk sand is best, so the floor of the Coloseum was chalk sand. Maximus is combining these two motions to indicate that he is both a farmer and a soldier.
Soldier, farmer, citizen; the Roman ideal.
I thought it might have been more to symbolise the "knowing" the battle field, the place you might die.
A farmer might do it to assess the soil.
Sand, for structure. Clay, for water. Humus, for life.
It won 5 Academy Awards (Oscars) 1. Best Picture, 2. Best Actor, 3. Best Sound Mixing, 4. Best Visual Effects, 5. Best Costume Design
Back then, the awards went to movies which were actually watched by people.
@@mrsirkosky7618 back then, movies that were actually watched by people were worthy of awards.
Fun fact. The floor of The Coliseum was covered in sand to soak up the blood. The Latin word for sand is "arena". Today, the word arena is also used to describe a stadium or the circular area that is surrounded by seating.
Chavez...please let me burden you with this pun. I have no one else. What kind of tortillas do you make at the beach ? TORTILLAS DE ARENA !
I cried at the end more than you did Simone . I still tear up as she said "go to them". My late wife of more than 30 years awaits on the other side of the door for me. There has been no other. How did you find the musical score from Hans Zimmer and Lisa Gerrard . It adds so much to the movie and that particular moment.
26:12 It was very common for gladiators to use part of the money they earned to upgrade their gear, so, as one of the most popular gladiators, Maximus could undoubtedly afford to have that emblem put on his armor.
Gladiators from the same stable would often donate to a group fund to pay for the funeral when one of their members died and to give money to help the deceased gladiator's family.
I did not know that. That's awesome! I knew not all gladiators were slaves, some were free men that could earn the equivalent of up to $500,000 a year. But I didn't know, or rather never gave it much thought, that they would have such camaraderie amongst themselves.
@@Tar-Numendil Yeah, remember during the Roman times Gladiators were seen as more than fodder they were the equivalent of rockstars were paid extremely well compared to even a lot plebs and well fed balanced diet. Nobles were said to have bought dead gladiator blood to increase vigor and libido. Gladiators who won their freedom often fought freelance and many weren’t enslaved and didn’t often fight to the death.
They would also do product endorsements in the arena. Apparently a scene like that was included originally, but the filmmakers felt the audience wouldn't believe it.
Fun fact: some Gladiators were so popular that they would actually give paid public endorsements of products, just like professional athletes do in commercials now. Ridley Scott wanted to include a scene showing Maximus doing this, but decided against it as he figured most audience members would never believe it was historically accurate.
Joaquin Phoenix is my fav actor at present and tends to get all the credit here because he’s very “in” right now in particular, but Russell Crowe is absolutely brilliant and was fully deserving of his Oscar here
Jack Gleeson said his performance as Joffrey was influenced by Joaquin as Commodus
I can totally see that. I love it. ❤️
Maximus was never afraid of death. The only thing he feared was losing his family and his men.
The Tragedy of Darth Maximus the Merciful
The line “Maximus the merciful” was an ad lib. The guy just randomly shouted that and the laughter was a real reaction. It was totally unplanned.
The scene where Proximo (Oliver Reed) is killed was a last minute addition. Oliver Reed died during the filming and the original ending had Proximo, and not Jubba (Djimon Honsou), burying the figures of Maximus's family. Unfortunately, Reed's hard living caught up to him as he died of a heart attack. The remainder of his role that they could do was done with a stand-in, re-writes, in-post work and digital effects. So...Reed's last line "Shadows and dust" is oddly fitting.
Oliver Reed and Richard Harris (Marcus Aurelius) were both members of a select group of British actors and musicians born just before, during or after World War II who were called "Hellraisers". They were always in the tabloids over their off-screen/off-stage antics as well as on-screen/onstage antics. Hard drinking, partying, crazy stunts...Harris, Reed, Peter O'Toole, Richard Burton, Keith Moon (of the rock group The Who)...Gifted, but crazy, and willing to drink, snort, shoot, or swallow anything for a good time, as well as finding willing female companionship while doing it. If you watch any YT videos of talk shows with these guys...the stories they tell are both hysterically funny and completely horrifying that they did some of the things they did....and for the most part got away with it.
Wow I didn't knew, thanks
Reed was an OTT character off stage.
He appeared on many a chat show drunk.
He died in The Pub in Malta and had been drinking with the ship’s company of HMS CORNWALL all day. If you go into The Pub today, half is traditionally decorated after the Royal Navy, the other half is a shrine to Oliver Reed.
The kid that played Geoffrey in "Game of Thrones" said he modeled a lot of how he portrayed his character with a study of Phoenix's portrayal of Commodus.
"Commodus 'liked' this moment."
I legit laughed out loud at that.
Please watch Conan the Barbarian (1982).
yep, very well played.
If you're interested in another Ridley Scott directed historical epic, you should react to the director's cut of Kingdom of Heaven. It's set in the Kingdom of Jerusalem a few years prior to the 3rd Crusade, and is an awesome movie (seriously, make sure its the director's cut. It adds like 45 mins of footage and the theatrical cut is nowhere near as good).
Came to say this. 👆🏼👆🏼👆🏼
2 years and still waiting they do that Master piece
Fun fact: I have a friend who was an extra in the big fight at the start. Apparently, and this story grows each time i hear it re-told so it is definitely embellished, because they were going to have mostly close shots on the Romans and few on the Germans, all the Roman troops had to be union actors/extras because of a contract dispute, but the Germans were all volunteers. Because the only people that would volunteer for something like that were a bunch of half-mad historical re-enactors, they had to re-shoot the big battle scenes several times because in the first few takes, the Germans *won* and chased the extras around tormenting them with foam weaponry completely ignoring desperate shouts of "cut!" until they were told they wouldn't get lunch unless they kept to the script.
"Brothers, what we do in life… echoes in eternity." That line sums up all of Maximus.
"Your days of honoring yourself will soon be at an end ... highness."
I love that line!
Aww you guys missed my favorite exchange near the end.
When Gracchus says "Who will help me carry him?" ..and you watch all these people step forward. Complete feels bomb.
Yeah I was looking forward to that moment for Gracchus too. Even though he seems to be the "good guy symbol of representative government", he's still a noble and politician and uncertain how much he's looking out for himself. So it's a nice last moment for him to be "of service" to the savior of Rome, as uncertain as the future may be.
A spear is a hand weapon meant for extending close range combat away from the wielded. A javelin is a hand held projectile meant for semi long distance.
Also a javelin is usually shorter than a spear and while a spear is usually both bladed and pointed, a javelin is only pointed.
The forest fire at the start was written into the script when the filmmakers heard about a portion of a Forest that was scheduled to be incinerated to stop the spread of tree disease. The Production contacted the local council and offered to burn down the forrest for them for free.
The dog at the beginning was Wellard from East Enders.
It was one of her last acting roles before she retired.
I cry every time I watch this movie, the music at the end gives me chills and the tears start to flow. Phenomenal film!
Up next: “Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World”
Seconded!
@@TomVCunningham Thirded!
EXCELLENT movie companion to this.
A GREAT movie!
If you read the history of Commodus , it becomes apparent why he was so paranoid once he became Caeser. This movie does take several liberties as to his character, but thats what makes it a great movie (plus Joaquin Phoenix does an excellent job of making you hate him). His life is an interesting read, think it would give this movie a new perspective. Keep up the great content!
I think if they had included Commodus' Circus exploits in the film, they'd have never gotten a rating for it and no one would have ever seen it. One time, he stood there and decapitated 150 ostriches and forced thousands of people to watch him do it and then cheer afterwards. Messed up dude.
Seeing as we're talking about him, it is *essential* to point out that he was so despised when he died that they renamed toilets after him. We *still* call them "commodes" from time to time.
Ya Joaquin does that soft, whiny but dangerously unstable voice that sends chills up your spine.
Excellent movie! I HATED Commodus SO MUCH in this; Bravo to Joaquin.
28:40 "Just before he dies he becomes a good ish person" - the irony being that to be technical the great Ollie Reed at that point in filming had sadly passed away IRL, and that particular scene was completed using CGI.
When he walks across with the keys you can see the flames of a torch on the wall behind him clipping through his arm.
A mark of a great movie: In violent, gritty dark movies Simone yelling 'kill him, kill him, kill him'. In romantic, comedies and drama, George crying.
Everybody wanted to be a "Caesar" since Julius Caesar (100 - 44 BC). He was such a fantastic general in war and he built the foundation of the Roman Empire. He would defeat armies that were 10 times the size of his.
10 times is an exaggeration but 2 or 3 times (such as the battle of Alesia) yes. :) Vercingetorix is fascinating too and i would recommend reading about him.. I concur though that Gaius Julius Caesar was one of the finest generals the world has ever know though.
I always took him taking the earth before a battle (outside of the practical aspect of removing moisture from his hands), was to "get in touch" with the ground he was to fight on. A pre-fight ritual to connect him to the battleground.
Literally the meaning of the concept, "to be grounded".
Like in _The Day After_ when the young woman talks about how Chinese paintings "make you part of the landscape" ... the day before a nuclear war.
A Gladiator who is in the thing and fights the other thing.
That's a chefs kiss description. I love it
Hans zimmers beautiful music score especially at the end is just stunning , one of my fav movies . ❤️
"I saw several phallic symbols carved in stone." - George
"I would love to go there." - Simone
Alright, that was unintentionally hilarious.
Marcus Aurelius also played Dumbledore from the first two Harry Potter movies before he, unfortunately, passed away.
Fun fact: in ancient Rome a thumbs up actually meant "death" and a concealed thumb meant "life", or "spared". They would not have done a thumbs down. The director chose to forgo accuracy so as to not confuse the audience.
Allways thought he feels the earth cause his first profession was that of a farmer not a soldier.....Like being attuned with the soil and feeling the consistency of the field ( in that case a field of battle not a field to farm on ). Roman Spears are called Pilum, Javelins are throwning spears, the short swords are called Gladius.
I work for a dirt-work company. We have bull dozers, maintainers, excavators, that sort of thing. I know guys who will pick up a handful of damp soil and squeeze it to see if it will stick together (more clay content) or fall apart (mostly sand).
I believe that's actually what Ridley Scott has said in a commentary for the movie.
Gladiator is a really good movie; It actually won 5 Oscars: Best Picture, Best Actor in a leading role, Best Costume design, Best Sound, Best Effect/Visual Effects.
George "I saw several phallic symbols"
Simone "I would love to go there"
Great movie. My Favorite line from this movie "I don't pretend to be a man of the people but I do try to a man for the people" . Another great movie with Russell Crow (not in the lead) is The Quick And The Dead . A western with Sharon Stone and Gene Hackman :)
I went to the theater to see that movie, and at the time, Sharon Stone was the big star. No one knew who Russel Crowe was at the time.
There's a joke near the end of this movie but you have to know Latin to get it. When the emperor's son asks Maximus about the horses on his breastplate, Maximus tells him that they are his horses in Spain. He names them - Argentus and Scoutus. Argentus is the Latin word for Silver and Scoutus is the Latin word for Scout. Maximus owns Silver and Scout, the horses belonging to the Lone Ranger and Tonto.
I was the only one in the theater who laughed out loud at that pointg in the movie.
The legendary actor Oliver Reed who played Proximo died during filming in Malta after a night of hard drinking with some British navy sailors (he was also a notorious alcoholic) so a couple of his scenes were finished with CGI.
32:14. The door starts to open before his hand even touches it. Like it was waiting for him. That little detail makes me well up every time.
That moment when Maximus reached Elysium, to meet his family again. He's home 😭
I was too young to appreciate what I was seeing in the theater as a 13-14 year old. Seeing it again through new eyes makes you just geek out at the visual feast this movie is.
One Of Russell Crowe's Best Performances
Has he really ever given a bad one?
@@ThreadBomb I don’t think so. A Beautiful Mind, L.A. Confidential, The Nice Guys. Very different characters and performances
If you enjoy Richard Harris' roles in Gladiator and Harry Potter, might I suggest checking out the film The Count of Monte Cristo. It is a fantastic retelling of the book.
Won 5 Oscars and nominated for another 7. Joaquin Phoenix is massively over the top, but it totally works - there was all kinds of ways to play that character, but bordering on Dark Knight's Joker on the crazy and over the top scale was definitely the way to go.
Gladiator is a classic. Russell Crowe deserved to win the Oscar for his portrayal of Maximus.
When this movie first premiered, I was a few months from turning 18. I'm 40 now and can admit, with much humility, that I have never bawled so hard near the end of a movie before. The entire sequence, starting with Lucilla speaking to Maximus right before he passes and then being carried away, still chokes me up to this day.
He uses the dirt for his grip. It’s checking if it’s chalky enough.
Fun fact about the big battle with the lions and bad ass gladiator. In history, those columns in the middle of the Coliseum were big stone penises, but the studio decided it was a bit too realistic so they changed their appearance.
I always cry watching this movie ... Also the music is so beautiful.
The music is amazing, Hans Zimmer is an absolute genius. He is actually my second favorite composer, my favorite is the late great James Horner. John Williams is my third, if I have to pick a third.
I remember Derek Jacobi in the old TV mini-series "I, Claudius" (1976), he plays the title role. The show covers from shortly before the character's birth up to his death. An interesting view of the different roman characters... Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Messalina... if you like old brit series, might be worth a watch :D
I remember. We used to deliberately mispronounce it "I, Clavdivs". ;')
The books by Robert Graves are also excellent.
|I would love to see a reaction to that
That was a damn fine TV show.
31:40 “At some point, you’re just too much of a d*ck.”
There hasn’t been a summation of a perfectly-acted villain this hilariously succinct in a long time.
So deadpan. So true.
Very true, although that's not actually the reason why the guards wouldn't give Commodus a sword. One of the main rules of Colosseum fighting was that no gladiator is allowed to be given a new weapon (other than his opponents'). So by demanding a new sword, Commodus was actually breaking the rules and the guards were well within their legal rights to deny him one.
Everything in this movie came together so well, and then the icing on the cake was Lisa Gerrard in the soundtrack to provide that perfect soulful framing
In my home country(Romania) the premiere of this movie was the first time dolby digital 3d audio in cinemas. The sound made it like nothing ive ever seen in my life, i was about 12 13 and would regulary go to the cinema with my parents but this movie was simply awesome ❤❤ also later in life i worked in a hotel in the uk where russel crowe would regularly come, great guy to be honest he didn't disappoint meeting him after this movie will forever live as one of the greatest films for me one.
The cloaca at the beginning was actually purple. Mostly the wealthy and very high ranking individuals wore purple back then cause it was extremely expensive, and difficult to produce. It was used as a show of status
My God, a thousand re-watches and I'm always struck by the greatness of Oliver Reed.
"Commodus liked this moment" - that was REALLY funny !
George was onto something maximus smelt and felt the dirt because it made him feel closer to his home and his family and to answer Simone's question a javelin is a thrown weapon and a spear is a weapon used for stabbing and thrusting but can also be thrown.
I think it was for drying out his hands for better grip. Like chalk..he did it in the Coliseum every time despite knowing the dirt already
"Joey, do you like movies about gladiators?
Nick Cave (yes, *that* one) wrote a sequel script where the Roman Gods resurrect Maximus and then travel through time "fixing" epic battles of history. Seriously. You can get the script online and read it - too bad it was never made.
Speaking of Nick Cave, a reaction to The Proposition would be beyond awesome.
Javelins are intended for throwing, Spears somewhat inbetween where you keep hold of it and stab with it but can throw it at short range if you need to, Pikes are super long and for poking and keeping the enemy as far away from you as possible with non-ranged weapons, Lances are an evolution of spears for horse charge combat, gradually becoming very specialised for that purpose while the first lances were essentially just thicker stronger spears.
I love George's comments about the phallic symbols, we really don't change. I have some 14th century gear for reenactment and the bollock dagger I have is one of my favourite items, especially when you wear it proudly at the front of your belt.
This is tied with The Lord of the Rings as my all-time favorite movie. So great. Love the soundtrack...
A javelin is a type of lightweight spear meant for throwing. and a Spear is a long stick with a point meant for thrusting. basically the same thing.
Javelins were usually heavier since the extra mass would help punching through armor
@@BlarghMeow Javelins are lighter than spears because they are made to be thrown.
Pretty sure the dirt is smoothness in grip. Similar to a baseball player with a bat.
Gladiator is my favorite movie. You guys were an absolute delight to watch. Thank you.
When Simone asked, "What can he do now... kill the Emperor?" I said out loud, "Absolutely!"
However, I just love what George said, "I mean... first I would say you have to find a reason to live, right?"
Simone got it, my reason would also be revenge. To lose it all must make you feel like giving up because you have nothing left to live for. UNLESS, you live to take out those who took what you had. Only then can you peacefully pass on.
I just realized that Gracchus, played by Derek Jacobi, also played Claudius in I, Claudius.
OMG! You two are the by far the most entreating movie reactors I have seen! The pure emotion, dialog, and analysis is so amazing! Much love!
"WERE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED??!!
Fun fact on an older video. Gladiatorial fights actually didn't used too end in death. They were generally like. Til first blood or surrender unless it was something special. Gotta keep in mind, it's similar to training, feeding, arming, and providing medical aid to a modern day soldier. It's a VERY expensive thing, and takes a LONG time too. And if you just have entire ludas' worth of gladiators killed every game, there would be no more gladiators to fight lol. So yeh. Most typically didn't end in death. Executions, famous battle reanactmemts, accidents or major events like religious days or celebrations could have death matches cuz they did happen but not normally
"It is so blue". It is funny the instictive reaction to the imperial purple. Imagine the effect in a time when dark blue colored fabric were a rarity. I think at that time purple was extracted from crushed sea shell.
"What's the difference between a spear and a javelin?" Typically a spear is longer and a javelin is designed to be thrown
I just Loved Simone's reaction during The Gladiator Speech in the arena.
The difference between a spear and a javelin is that a spear is primarily a melee weapon, and a javelin is primarily a projectile.
This movie came out when I was a teenager and I had it on DVD. It was my "comfort movie" until I was about 25. I've probably seen it about 20 times lol.
there are films that deserve the title "Epic". This is one of them.
"I will see you soon. But not yet."
My mom is from Italy, dad from Persia. Our ancestors were in the battle for more than 100 years. Marcus Aurelius is respected in both sides.
"Maggot Therapy" IS a thing. Not very common, and I don't think anyone back in ancient Rome was doing it, but it's possible. It was used fairly often during the American Civil War, and scientifically studied for the first time. Maggots don't harm live tissue at all, only eat the dead tissue, and their secretions are actually anti-bacterial so they prevent infection.
22:45 Commedus liked this moment! Brilliant!
Please watch "PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES"! The perfect Thanksgiving movie!
I'm glad they made this back then, f it was today it would be a whole season of a TV show culminating in a similar ending. Could be great though, like Oliver Reed flashbacks, a little more story behind his fellow comrades and a bit more story of each of the gladiator bosses. I can see it in my head.
25:00 In the inaugural games for the Colosseum, the animals were so frightened by the screaming crowds that they wouldn't perform. Even smearing the condemned prisoners with bloody meat wasn't enough to encourage the animals to come out and do their thing, so the animal trainer was brought out and executed in front of the audience.
What?? Noooo!! That's soo fucked up for man and beast 💔😭
Simone, your reactions are priceless 😂
ROMA INVICTA!!!
This was Oliver Reed's final performance, sadly he died before filming had finished, so they had to re-write Proximo's ending scene :(
The movie thesis is from Quintus and Maximus at the beginning of the movie “People should know when they are conquered” “Would you Quintus? Would I?”
Also when Proximo died if you look in the background it’s footage from earlier in the movie due to the death of the actor. And because of the actors death we got the ending we got originally it was going to be Proximo burying his Rudius instead and saying he’d won his freedom.
My wife and I have been saying "I am terribly vexed" since we saw this movie. The dirt thing is so his hands will be dry and able to grip his weapon.
A spear is longer, and is primarily a melee weapon, although it could be thrown. A javelin is shorter, and intended primarily to be thrown.
The Roman javelin, the Pilum, was wooden with a long and thin iron point. They were intentionally softer iron, so they would twist and bend after impacting, causing them to create extra difficulties like entangling your shield, or slowing you down. The legionaries would carry one or two each, and throw them as an opening volley just before the initial melee clash.
The "barbarian" war chanting at the beginning is from a 1964 movie called "Zulu", about the Battle of Rorke's Drift in 1879 starring a very young Michael Caine :)
It's Ridley Scott's favorite movie and added it in as a homage to the movie :)
The Swedish metal band Sabaton wrote a song about the battle called "Rorke's Drift" :) 💘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘😎
This movie is so rewatchable and I have watched it multiple times
Stuff like this rarely rarely happened most matches had referees to stop and reset the fight if it got to violent. Most gladiators that were killed were prisoners that had death sentences. The biggest reason and it sounds terrible but slaves were very very expensive.
Caesar was a Cognomen (originally and sometimes nicknames, but in this case, it indicated a sub-family of the Julian family.) When Gaius Julius Caesar died, he legally adopted his nephew, Octavian, who took the name to cement his legal status and political clout. When he became "Emperor" as Caesar Augustus, his official title was Princeps ("The First Man.") His successors likewise adopted those names and by the time the Julian dynasty ended with Nero, both Caesar and Augustus had become de facto titles for the leader of Rome.
After Nero, there were four different guys who claimed the title over the course of a year and the guy that won, Vespacian, appointed his actual sons as his heirs (and for a time, the elder son ruled as co-Ceasar.) After Vespacian's younger son was assassinated (he was so unpopular, his temples were destroyed, his coinage melted down and his name removed from all public documents) the Senate ELECTED his successor. The next four Ceasars (called "The Five Good Emperors") had no sons and legally adopted their chosen successors, ensuring both stability and competent leadership.
And then, Marcus Aurelius (who had NO intention of re-creating the Republic) appointed his actual son his heir. In fact, Commodus was given the title Ceasar 14 years before his father's death and was co-ruler for 4 of them. His reign lasted for 12 years of increasingly erratic behavior: he repeatedly devalued the currency, suffered several conspiracies against him (one from his older sister) and ultimately renamed everything from the armies, to the months of the year to the damn city after himself. While he did fight as a gladiator (and charged the city for his 'services') it was seen as tacky and silly; he notably always won because gladiators knew to throw the fight and he always accepted their surrender. He did kill a lot of criminals and animals, though. And yes, he was strangled in his bath by a wrestler (basically his personal trainer.)
This masterpiece of a film still did not come even close to how insane Romans were with their Colosseum games. They actually filled with water sometimes and had ships battles there, it's absolutely insane.