Product Description

A Roman general is reduced to slavery as a gladiator when he suspects the new emperor of killing the beloved old emperor to gain power prematurely.
No Track Information Available
Media Type: DVD
Artist: GLADIATOR
Title: GLADIATOR
Street Release Date: 08/23/2005
Domestic
Genre: ACTION / ADVENTURE

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #5483 in DVD
• Brand: GLADIATOR
• Released on: 2005-08-23
• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
• Formats: Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English, Spanish, French
• Subtitled in: English, Spanish, French
• Dubbed in: French
• Number of discs: 3
• Running time: 155 minutes

Amazon.com essential video
A big-budget summer epic with money to burn and a scale worthy of its golden Hollywood predecessors, Ridley Scott's Gladiator is a rousing, grisly, action-packed epic that takes moviemaking back to the Roman Empire via computer-generated visual effects. While not as fluid as the computer work done for, say, Titanic, it's an impressive achievement that will leave you marveling at the glory that was Rome, when you're not marveling at the glory that is Russell Crowe. Starring as the heroic general Maximus, Crowe firmly cements his star status both in terms of screen presence and acting chops, carrying the film on his decidedly non-computer-generated shoulders as he goes from brave general to wounded fugitive to stoic slave to gladiator hero. Gladiator's plot is a whirlwind of faux-Shakespearean machinations of death, betrayal, power plays, and secret identities (with lots of faux-Shakespearean dialogue ladled on to keep the proceedings appropriately "classical"), but it's all briskly shot, edited, and paced with a contemporary sensibility. Even the action scenes, somewhat muted but graphic in terms of implied violence and liberal bloodletting, are shot with a veracity that brings to mind--believe it or not--Saving Private Ryan, even if everyone is wearing a toga. As Crowe's nemesis, the evil emperor Commodus, Joaquin Phoenix chews scenery with authority, whether he's damning Maximus's popularity with the Roman mobs or lusting after his sister Lucilla (beautiful but distant Connie Nielsen); Oliver Reed, in his last role, hits the perfect notes of camp and gravitas as the slave owner who rescues Maximus from death and turns him into a coliseum star. Director Scott's visual flair is abundantly in evidence, with breathtaking shots and beautiful (albeit digital) landscapes, but it's Crowe's star power that will keep you in thrall--he's a true gladiator, worthy of his legendary status. Hail the conquering hero! --Mark Englehart

Amazon.com


Stills from Gladiator (Click for larger image)

DVD features
As Ridley Scott proclaims at the top of the exhaustive three-disc set, the new cut of the film is not the director's cut--that was in the theaters. This new cut expands the running time by 15 minutes, adding a few talky scenes and extensions of others. We have richer character moments though most involving Commodus and Lucilla. The massive 200-minute documentary takes a long look at the making of the film. It's not filled with lots of new, flashy fluff; it digs into the heart of producing a movie: How do you re-create the Colosseum? How do you costume and choreograph hundreds of extras for a battle? How do you work when the unfinished script is "in play?" How can you finish a film when a key actor dies? Some of the comments are refreshing tart and honest. The third disc is even more in-depth with several key behind-the-scenes talents talking at length about their work (including a storyboard artist). This is a set for the movie-production buff and even the most apparent glitzy extra--a new commentary trick from Scott and Russell Crowe--is uneventful. Note: both cuts of the movie are on the first disc, but the fantastic DTS track from the first release is sacrificed. The reasons are buried at the end of the excellent trivia track for those interested. --Doug Thomas

Customer Reviews

WAIT FOR THE RERELEASE
I've just examined some of the fullsize screenshots over at AVS and this 'blu-ray' looks terrible.

It uses DNR and EE throughout.

DNR - In 2008, a lot of studios were using this process. Basically, it digitally 'smudges' the image to hide any evidence of film-grain and, predictably, blu-rays with DNR look like s--t. Most studios have stopped using DNR. But Paramount, apparently, is continuing to release this smudgy garbage and trying to pass it off as 'high definition'
(If you want the DNR experience at home; you can get the same effect by smearing vaseline all over your TV set. Yes, that's about what it looks like)

EE - Edge Enhancement; in DVD days, when everyone was watching on tiny televisions, studios would use EE which basically messes with the colors a bit and adds bright white halos all around the edges ('enhances' them) That might have made sense on a 10" screen, but on a decent sized television it looks terrible.

There should be a proper release of this soon. Wait for that.

A Total Mess
This review refers to the blu-ray picture quality only. The movie itself is an absolute classic. Unfortunately this blu-ray was a victim of considerable DNR and EE that has actually removed and distorted picture detail. Here's a good example. At the beginning of the movie where we see Maximus as a General leading a final battle, you see an amazing wide shot of flying, flaming, arrows. It should look amazing, right? Wrong. The picture was DNR'd so badly that it actually removed arrows and the ones you can see are a blurred mess! Absolutely terrible. Don't waste your money on this. Wait until they release a quality blu-ray because "this is not it!"

DO NOT BUY WARNING!!!
This movie has been ruined by DNR and EE. Do not support studios ruining the picture of movies through noise reduction and artificial sharpening. They think they can take the easy way out and upscale and DNR and EE the DVD version then sell it to you for $30+. IF YOU BUY THIS YOU ARE BEING SCREWED BY THESE CROOKS.