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Gladiator (2000)
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This week on the Everything Actioncast, Zach and Chris unleash hell and dive into 2000's Gladiator as the sequel, Gladiator II, hits theaters this weekend.
Directed by Ridley Scott, Russell Crowe stars as Maximus Decimus Meridius, a beloved Roman general who is betrayed by the spiteful son of Emperor Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris), Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix), who steals power for himself. Fleeing his executioners and discovering his family murdered, Maximus is sold into slavery and becomes a gladiator, eventually reaching the Colosseum in Rome, where he plots a way to get vengeance on Commodus. Zach and Chris discuss the Hans Zimmer trademarks in the movie's score, how Russell Crowe isn't who you would think of immediately as "The Spaniard," some of the differences in the Extended Edition of the movie, why Marcus Aurelius didn't make some official documentation for Maximus to make his claim as the Protector of Rome and more.
You can watch Gladiator on Paramount+. Next week, we'll learn some CQC from Tommy Lee Jones and discuss 2003's The Hunted, which is getting a 4K release for the first time.
We want to hear your comments and feedback. Send them all to [email protected]. Also, let us know your suggestions for movies for us to discuss.
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Transcript
Introduction & Podcast Overview
00:00:03
Speaker
Welcome to the Everything Action Cast, the official podcast of EverythingAction.com.
00:00:18
Speaker
Hello and welcome to the Everything Action Cast podcast for the week of November 18th, 2024. I'm Reno Zak. I'm your co-host, Chris.
Gladiator 2 Release & Original Film Reflection
00:00:27
Speaker
Yeah, and this week we are unleashing hell and talking about 2000's Gladiator.
00:00:32
Speaker
Because obviously, if you're hearing this, Gladiator 2 is in theaters. um The long in development sequel to yeah two thousand best best actor, critically acclaimed, box office juggernaut. like like like It's kind of like hard to imagine or like remember like back in the day. where Because a lot of the best picture nominees right now are really small indie movies.
00:00:58
Speaker
But you know, back in like late 90s or 2000s, it's like the is the best pictures like also like the most popular movie of the year. It's like a box office juggernaut. Everyone loves it. Like it's critically acclaimed. Like Return of the King, that kind of Titanic, that kind of thing. Blockbusters were yeah like award
Impact of Hans Zimmer's Score
00:01:16
Speaker
winning. Like just for how popular it was. yeah yeah it It's just lucky enough that this is a blockbuster movie that also visually was stunning and then like was action-packed. You don't get a lot of that anymore these days. Yeah, it's a huge huge spectacle. It's got something like badass lines and badass scenes. It's got like yeah awesome cinematography and action. like
00:01:46
Speaker
one of the best scores of all time. I think like the Hans Zimmer score is the best like ah movie score of all time. mean Yeah, that's funny. you You say that. And I can hear the musical influences of the mid-90s in this score. like Everything I've heard for beat wise or instrumental that Hans Zimmer has done for like The Rock. Yeah, I'm sorry.
00:02:11
Speaker
Crimson Tide, like it sounds like this is like the the ah best of all those scores that like evolve. Yeah, I don't know. I still can't figure out if that's like his like this like you said and is like his trademark. Like I had to put this like kind of like theme in every time or if it's just like.
00:02:27
Speaker
Cause I don't think he's lazy. I mean, he's like, he's trying to be around like doing like crazy rock shows and stuff like Hans Zimmer, like working his ass off. So I think I guess more just like, yeah, this is like, I putting this in there to see, you know, it's a Hans Zimmer, like this is my signature. Like this is like the Hans Zimmer, like, uh, uh, part of the song where like the dad, dad, dad, dad, dad, dad, dad, dad. That's in here too. Yeah. That line. And then the like.
00:02:52
Speaker
the the like dips so the dip parts of it. that like dinner and a and a like It's a certain signature
Evolution of Music Consumption
00:03:00
Speaker
he has in some of the music. You're right, it's not lazy, it's just a rhythm that I think he just enjoys and it makes sense for these kind of movies.
00:03:08
Speaker
yeah The Dun-dun-dun-dunna thing is like, that yeah definitely is like. The Rock, Crystal Tide, this, Pirates of the Caribbean. Pirates of the Caribbean. I think Pirates of the Caribbean is like the like after that day he retired that because you couldn't do any more to that sound. Yeah. And he's and obviously like like Dune is like totally different than anything he's done previously. Very. I think I forgot he did the Dune soundtrack. Yeah. It's a totally different like um score and and move.
00:03:37
Speaker
um I think later on, when we get more into Dune prophecy, we'll talk about that. But, uh, yeah, it kind of like, if you didn't know Hans Zimmer, like now, like, you know, from other things, this was like, Hey, you heard this guy named Hans Zimmer. Like, you know, he was a household name now, nowadays. But like back then, back when the internet in 2000, like to figure out who did the music.
Gladiator TV Broadcast & Extended Versions
00:04:06
Speaker
Hard it was to look that up? Yeah, it just affected people were like, people were like, i I have to buy this, so I have to buy this film score. I have to buy the score of this movie. The internet wasn't our thing yet. Like and in the sense of like how easy it is to look up his info and then hear the music. YouTube wasn't around yet. So if you want to listen to the song, you had to watch the movie. Mm hmm. Or like go to a Sam Goodies. or Yeah. virgin for
00:04:36
Speaker
Barnes Noble like Barnes and Noble and then like hope that the shipment of the gladiator CD was there It might have been were had they faced off tapes in 2000 or was it still tape? No, they're still around so could like like go around 2002 I think or you know, it was like right at like hey no more cassette options. Yeah well reprint things that they already have or they'll sell them on to like, you know, hey best of oldies, but Let's not try to put musical scores on tapes because no one's buying the tape version anymore. My God, you try to imagine fast forwarding through a cassette tape to see if this song sounds like a different song.
00:05:23
Speaker
some Some songs, some of the background songs, they kind of go together. So you can't tell when a song begins or ends if you're fast forwarding, if you want to skip a song. Yeah. You know what? You know, I indicate sometimes it's like, is, uh, is Lisa Girard seeing on this that I know where I'm in like the, but I mean, like the toward the end, though i toward the end of the album. I mean, like now we are free. But yeah, the score score is definitely one of the, one of the, one of the many memorable parts of gladiator. I mean, it's got like so many quotable lines, like the visuals, the performances.
00:06:01
Speaker
And I actually watched the extended version this time for, um, which I'd never seen before. I watched the regular one. but this is This is also like, this is like a TNT, like staple. Like this was like Saturday. It's Saturday. You're on TNT.
Historical Accuracy & Fiction in Gladiator
00:06:17
Speaker
You're pretty glad you're on for like five hours with commercials. Like it's you like fill like but the Saturday time block.
00:06:25
Speaker
Oh, the regular version, I think is like two and a half hours. Two and a half. Yeah. That's three or like three and a half almost. Well, I mean, it depends on how many it was thrown off breaks and where it was like, it's like close, like four hours. Yeah, I definitely remember during the fall season, this was just beyond. And then I think because it was on all the time, I stopped watching it. Like, you know, I'm like, all right, like I'll wait a few years to Get interested in and it's been like 10. I think it's been like 10 years and I saw gladiator Yeah, cuz I I haven't had what I have a regular cable and like, you know, I can't even remember it But but I had like record cable so it's all streaming now So it's like i'm not just like your 10th the last time Zach that you were like, I want to watch this movie Alright, well actually I forgot I had on blu-ray I like, oh, where's g glad you're streaming? I was like, ah but i was looking at my like but way i' like oh wait, I haven't blu-ray. I don't need to stream it
00:07:24
Speaker
I have the Sapphire Collection version of it. but i think I think there's like a 4K that just came out like like a week or two ago.
00:07:36
Speaker
But ah yeah, it's it's it's been a while since I've seen it. Definitely been a while since I've seen the non-TV unedited or like the yeah original theatrical version. And the extended version actually is even more like, it has it's like some more like, just some more like It's a bit more gory. there's like like some more Some of the kills are like like ah more slightly more gory, and then there's like some additional scenes that add like some more like plot context.
00:08:02
Speaker
right it's It's interesting. it's ah if you if if you If you've seen it a bunch of times, and you like it's it's interesting to see like the extended version. It's not it's that like um you know like Kingdom of Heaven, where it's like you you have to watch the director's cut, because of the it's like objectively better than the theatrical version.
00:08:20
Speaker
Like the entry version of Gladiator is fine. It's still great. But if you've seen that a bunch of times, you want to see some more scenes and get a little bit more of the movie, then check out the extended version.
00:08:41
Speaker
But yeah, let's let's just jump into it. um So obviously, Russell Crowe is playing Maximus Decimus Meridius. Um, who is a Spanish Roman general. That was the crazy, that was like the craziest thing for me watching it. I'm like, Oh yeah, he's the Spaniard. I always thought that was like a ah coverup. I didn't think that was actually, he is Spanish. I'm assuming he was like a Roman soldier, but like was Greek or not Greek. Um, Roman, you know, like whoever, I mean, it was Roman, but then they're all from like different like, you know, areas, like. The the Roman Empire was like half the half the world was wrong. So true, true. i mean I just I don't know if like Spain or like, you know, the Spanish people in like, you know, ancient Roman times were what we think of as like Spanish. Like like, well, I think like. I was reading you can turn your banderes. Yeah, that's what like mean apparently he was actually like in talks to play Maximus.
00:09:46
Speaker
but that would make way too much sense if they can call him Spaniard. And I'm like, okay, I always thought he calls himself the Spaniard because it's a way to distance himself from his is like his life. It's sort of like be his time in the Gladiator games to not be assassinated. But I didn't think he actually was, because A, speaks no Spanish. Well, I mean, I don't think Spanish existed. Well, it did, just not here.
00:10:15
Speaker
And then, um, you know, it's Russell Crowe. Yeah. It's, it's, sort of it's, it's sort of like that, like Sean Connery Highlander thing, where it's like you have Australian Russell Crowe, who's doing like the Hollywood British ancient Roman accent, but then he's also supposed to be like a Spanish, like he's supposed to be like from the equivalent of spade in ancient Roman dimes.
00:10:37
Speaker
and he he doesn't tan like he's not like no tan darken to kind of give you the illusion it's just like oh he's just russell crow he's got he said i got he's got kind of like the ceaser haircut i guess that is that yeah
00:10:57
Speaker
Yeah, just i I forgot how often they call it like, that's like a like a running thing is like, it's like a good chunk of the movie everyone just calls like everyone just knows him as a Spaniard. Like no one knows his name is Maximus, right? He was like, hey, Spaniard.
00:11:09
Speaker
like
00:11:13
Speaker
It's like, is he? And then it's like his house is like in like just like a random wheat field in the country. So it's like that could be anywhere.
00:11:25
Speaker
Yeah, that's why I always thought like, is it Sparta? Did he end up in Sparta?
Commodus: Character Study & Analysis
00:11:29
Speaker
I don't know how this happened.
00:11:34
Speaker
But um I mean, this week kicks off like right, like just like right for the drop is just like, you know, awesome, huge spectacle. Like that opening battle is incredible. Yeah, I kind of want more of that.
00:11:48
Speaker
I mean, I mean, it's like the first like hour of that of the movie is like you don't even get to like roam for like an like an hour or so. You're like you're in like you're in Germania for like 45 minutes at least. But it's like barbarians that are pretty cool and they're honorable because they're protecting their homeland. So like mark ah Maximus gets it that it's just like an expansion war. It's not so much that they're like freeing people. It's just like, oh, it's to conquer these like domains.
00:12:15
Speaker
we we Yeah, we need to conquer every single person in the world so that like there's no one to challenge Rome. And I think they even said, like now what? Now that we've won. Yeah. There's no one left to fight. Yeah. So we won. It's crazy how within like the span of like um like the first 10, 15 minutes, there's three of the most memorable lines in this entire movie. They just dropped all three of them.
00:12:39
Speaker
It's like, strengthen the honor, unleash hell. um What we do in life echoes through history, echoes through eternity. Yep. It's funny, because I think the last time someone said that was like, um this is the end. Oh, yeah. Oh, no, is it this is the end or it's, ah no, no, Pineapple Express. Danny McBride says that, like, what we do in this life goes on.
00:13:11
Speaker
They're like having a fight at like Sal's house or one of their houses. Yeah, it's so it's so random. They just quote it. And it's just like, oh, yeah, that's a gladiator. And you think that some like great quote from like a play or a Shakespeare thing. It's not. It's just. Yep. It's just a croak gladiator.
00:13:35
Speaker
I did notice um the slow motion in the fight in the opening battle is... We're going back to like to like this 2000 style because like we're so used to Zack Snyder kind of 300, that like hyper slow motion. And it's it's weird just like kind of seeing like, oh, we're just slowing down the film.
00:13:54
Speaker
like
00:13:56
Speaker
Did you notice that at all? Was that weird to you? It was just going to go in slow motion, but it wasn't like... It's like... The Snyder... Yeah, they just lowered the speed rate. Yeah. And then the end of the battle even gets like... They even do it even more, where it just starts stuttering, but then it's like the score kind of turns into this victory, but then it's still fucking slaughtered.
00:14:24
Speaker
Like the, some of the, some of the visual style stuff is like, Oh man, this is like, we got away from this. Like quite a bit in like 20 years, this movie came out.
00:14:35
Speaker
Yeah. You could tell like it's the film's age. Like they didn't quite, bullet they didn't get bullet time yet. They didn't understand like was he was he your was brain shots yet. It's a year after bullet time. Cause like the matrix was 99. So. Right. But they didn't realize how to apply bullet time to non bullets. Yeah.
00:14:55
Speaker
like They just figured out, oh, every time we'll shoot a god, we'll do the matrix dodge. All right. Then it's so like, hey, we can do bullet time and make explosions look cool. All right. And then it's like, now we can do slow-mo sword fights correctly.
00:15:15
Speaker
But yeah, huge huge, awesome, epic battle to kick things off. um I love there's like a trivia. I was reading like the IMDb trivia. Apparently, like that the forest that they were in, like like England wanted like they were they wanted to like deforest that area and like get rid of that like some of the trees in the area so they were like we're just like we'll get rid of the trees for ya like let's shoot let's shoot there we'll like burn the trees we'll burn this whole forest to the ground so they're like all right let's we don't have to do it like government doesn't have to do anything like this film crew will like like demolish this forest for us
00:15:51
Speaker
And then you get like, um, so after after the battle, like, like um, uh, the interest, like, you know, you get Richard Harris as Marcus Aurelius, you get Commodus at Waukee Phoenix, who is, I don't know if he's, if he's not the most punchable character in like movie history, like he's up top three. Like Commodus is just like, you just, like, he's so hateable. Like he's, he's like top, top tier, just like, you just want like,
00:16:18
Speaker
you want him to just like suffer the most horrific fate possible.
00:16:24
Speaker
Just right from like the second you see him, you're just like, oh, man, I hate this guy. i hate this guy you said Before he says a word, you're just like, oh, ah this guy is the worst. you know You know what's weird? I realize he's essentially the same. He's Arthur Fleck again in this. is like because Just with unlimited power. If Arthur Fleck had like unlimited power,
00:16:45
Speaker
Yeah, yeah. And because he just wants to be loved. He wants like a parental admiration. He's got like a sixth sense of like, like love. And then like he wants to be famous. Yes. So like he doesn't care about the consequence. He just wants to be like a door. And that's like, oh shit, he's the Joker. They both, and they both murder their parents. Yeah. Like murder them by strangling. Yep.
00:17:14
Speaker
how come no one pointed that out? essentially gladiator and joker are the same movie or like walking through bases like yeah it's the same character just like but commonest is just like i have are the fleck but with like if are the fleck was like the president or something you're like it's like i have like i have like oh like i i've absolute power to like do whatever i want what i want is crazy shit um i mean you can also say that about uh like the master. You see that movie? I haven't seen that movie yet. No, it he's essentially Arthur Fleck again. So that's what it was. Lucky faces like go to. Yeah. Even Johnny Cash. Same thing when he played the dramatic pieces. And now I'm saying out loud. Did you see you was afraid or Bo was afraid? No, not yet.
00:18:04
Speaker
I think there's probably something like that in there. I haven't seen that either, but i'm I'm betting it's something like that. That's like Joaquin Phoenix's angle. Like, hey, is this a tormented character? Sign me up. Let me do it. But I do like they they spent maybe five minutes to show that he can fight at least. So.
00:18:25
Speaker
I noticed that too. I don't like they go other way to like show him like hey this guy could like he's taking on five guys and you'd fight but then is he taking on five guys or they're just like go easy on him yeah fighting yeah like he's just sort of choreographing like all right now i hit you and then I hit you I hit your swords and then I spin around this guy it's like he was just spinning around hitting swords that's not fighting that's him just slap me like of course I gotta let him win you can't attack him he's the prince like you can't be like And then that never comes back until the last like 20 minutes. As a reminder, yeah, that's something for um return viewers have to show you like, Hey, remember this, you know, it's not like in, in the beginning.
00:19:08
Speaker
of the big war scene, he backstabbed someone. Or like he he stabs an enemy, kind of like, oh, like a sneak attack or something. And that plays into the end. That would be too on the nose. But in this case, they're like, all right, like we have no time really to explain his fight skills. So let's just like, show this one scene where he's shirtless. Well, it's, it's like the classic, like, like action movie villain thing where it's like, we got to show him like beating up a bunch of guys to like, be like, look up, look how badass and like, formidable this guy is. But then he does it, but then he doesn't fight anyone until like the last 20 minutes, like last fight. And then also, he cheats in the last fight. So does he doesn't use any name of his skills. Right.
00:19:55
Speaker
he's funny he's fighting like ah He's fighting like a dying Maximus. It's like... And he still loses.
Gladiator's Setting & Narrative Choices
00:20:00
Speaker
He still loses. It's like what was the point of that? Might as well have just been like the guy who in rage tries to attack the hero and the hero of course is more skilled and prepared to basically give it his all. um It also doesn't help that Joaquin Phoenix like... it It seems like he's just been getting day drunk and then like... not practicing since that fight like half a year ago. You know, like, yeah, it wasn't like in the movie. Commodus was like killing his competitors or like silencing other senators or like actively getting involved in the fighting. You know, he really did that bad guy thing where it's like he sits behind a desk, the equivalent. Yeah. telling People want to do. And then like then when it's on him, like it's karma.
00:20:52
Speaker
where basically, um like his whole plan relies on other people. And when they don't want to help them, it falls apart. Like I didn't mind that at the end. It is kind of weak though, compared to everything else that's been going on, but it's fine. Like just wrap it up in a neat way. Again, we're that's the end, but there's so much that happens before that. Well, I guess the, um historical like The actual like historical comedy, because comedy was an actual like historical figure, who actually arranged for 20 years. It wasn't like you know half a year, whatever this movie takes place in. But like he did he did fight in linear battles. i I think it was kind like more of like a the ah of a stage, but just like you know like there wasn' no there wasn't really a chance of him like getting like killed in the arena in this movie. And then also, he just like people just got sick of him every 20 years, because he was like, um
00:21:51
Speaker
Renaming things to his name like he he's like hey money is called communist now And then eventually like the trade poisoning him and then the poisoning it works And then they'd like they had like this wrestler named narcissus like strangle him. That's how it comes to actually died in history poisoned and shrink Yeah, so like yeah calm communist Marcus Aurelius and Lucille are all like actual like historical figures and then Maximus is totally made up but it's sort of like it's like an amalgamation of like Spartacus obviously and then Um, like and another, decision like, uh, Roman general that is like like, people say like he's inspired by. Yeah, it's hard to make this one figure that is like a mythical gladiator that you can't be like, this is based on a real person. Like no real gladiator challenged the emperor and then had like one, you know, like yeah bought him in public. Yeah. Um,
00:22:51
Speaker
So I know it's like basically loose, loose events, uh, obviously, you know, how in this movie now, like it is weird to think because of the sequel comes out, it reframes some of some of the, the consequences from this movie. Yeah. It needed to seem to yet, but like, it seems like, um, you know, the the grand plan of where I give like control back to the Senate and like, give it back, give it back to the people kind of like fell through.
00:23:19
Speaker
So that's something, too. um A lot of people, they said they enjoyed the movie for the fantasy and the, ah you know, but the pictures take on historical drama of this because they say, yeah, Rome went to shit like after this, like after Marcus Aurelius, like passed away. Yeah. ah Rome got worse. Like ah it was a power vacuum like in any kind of, you know, downfall of an empire.
00:23:46
Speaker
um it just like factions broke out, all these like secret packs are being made, you know, and then like betrayals. Roland wanted to chaos, like it just completely like, like after a communist died, like since there was no one else to like challenge that, and he was crazy. So like, when he died, like, they were just like, do we continue the crazy? Do we make a new crazy guy? Like, how do we out crazy the previous rule?
00:24:16
Speaker
calls it the war of like five empires yeah i've read about that too yeah it's like there's just like five there's just five guys be like hey yeah um i'm i'm we're one of us is the emperor like oh we all say we're the emperor so we're just gonna fight each other yep so i think the the sequel is dealing with that like the crazed time which refrains a lot of the movie now um and then do you want to talk about the the like the secret subplot that like As a kid, I missed it completely, but now as an adult, I was like, oh, I see it. It's not much of a spoiler now, but the secret Maximus Sun.
00:24:57
Speaker
Yeah, I was I was I was watching for that to see like is there is it was there any hints that like Lucius is like Maximus his son? And like ah I guess a little bit a little bit but not enough to be like oh that's his son I thought that was oh like this could have been the life like he could have been the father not like you are the father yeah because yeah cuz there's a lot of that you know there's a lot of talk about like well you know Lucille and Maximus used to be like you know in a relationship and then Maximus like I guess you know he wanted to be a farmer i
00:25:28
Speaker
I did id never really understood like their whole, like did Maximus grow up in like like you know like the royal court or whatever with them? because like Oh, it's like, we're all friends. We're all like childhood friends. Me and Commodus and Maximus and Lucilla. It didn't seem like it. But Maximus is more of like a commoner. like He's a soldier. He wouldn't be like hanging around with like you know the emperor's like
Political Intrigue & Character Motivations
00:25:48
Speaker
children. like i mean Unless he got recruited in his It's like 12, something early in training. He's been hardworking until his like his last tour, which would have been his 30s. Yeah, I guess like i guess i guess but like Marcus really obviously like loves him like a son. and So he's been with them for a good 20-something years. So he considers them family. That's why he was like, oh, I'll make you Emperor. And like you can figure out where to lead Rome, though, historically.
00:26:25
Speaker
does not That that whole the whole plan was like so poorly planned out, that's the whole impetus of this whole thing. like If Marker Sorelius just like you know like told anyone else that that was his plan, or like you know like write it down in like a proclamation or something and be like, hey, here's a scroll that says you're like the protector of Rome, Maximus. Just show this to everyone. like yeah didn did not think it through for like such an empire guy and just never thought his psycho son would murder him yeah just like hey man you've got an obvious even like sister knew his generals knew his friend like everyone in the circle knew and then when the emperors killed maximus is like he did it like
00:27:06
Speaker
he just like well yeah He doesn't even say, like, he doesn't even, like, he doesn't even say that, or he doesn't say anything about, like, oh, well, actually, like, America, like, Lambert told me to would be the protector of Rome, like, like, but he just, like, leaves, just like, he's like, refuses to shake Commodus' hand and leaves, and, like, the difference is like, all right. No, but he knew Commodus killed Yeah Maxis knew yeah, but then like somehow he he's just like oh shit you killed him, and then It wasn't like they were doing like a fitness test together or like something were like you're a great help You know just seem like oh, he's dead suddenly after all this news broke out Right after he told me he wanted me like he didn't want count as me ever he wanted me to be the protector of Rome and
00:27:49
Speaker
And in a modern movie, if they were to tell that so that kind of story, this would have been a talk over like a dead body like in a medical exam. It would have been like, well, how did he die? But back then, they didn't know that. They're just like, oh, he's dead. and Yeah. He died in his sleep because he's an old man. Also, the way he he suffocates um Like, the way, uh, Commodus kills his father, it's like he smothers his face in his chest? Yeah, it's like, drink in my musk. Drink in my Joaquin Phoenix musk and then I'll smother you, old man. Yeah, they didn't have a bath back then, right? Like, they didn't have running water, so that's just whatever he wore for the week. Yeah, like, I'm surprised it wasn't like, you know, like, do like the classic pillow or something, but it's just like, shove it, shove it.
00:28:41
Speaker
That'd be, that'd be so hard to straight, like, suffocate some words, like shove them against your chest and hold them there until they die. Yeah, I don't know.
Maximus: Hero's Journey & Character Arc
00:28:51
Speaker
That was weird. I was a kid. I was like, I always thought like they edit that scene or something, but now I watch it. I'm like, no, they just cut away. And then it's implied that he gets smothered by, like, Commodus's chest. It's not even like he's muscular or fat enough where you smother in the face. It's just like, it's my King Phoenix.
00:29:12
Speaker
Um, but I guess, I guess he didn't want to do it like obvious to like, you know, like smash him over with the head with like a bus or like stab him or something. Like the bus would have been like an obvious rule. Yeah. I thought that was something that would can happen where he grabs it and just pushes it over on him or maybe like poisons him. I feel like poisoning him would have been more. Yeah. Like give him some wine and then it's like drink this father. Let's say let's like, let's drink to like, maximist yeah.
00:29:38
Speaker
yeah See, that could have played in because there's also another part of the movie that makes it seem like um he would poison people to get his way, like to manipulate.
00:29:53
Speaker
um Because they say something of the story, like Quintus says something about like not not Quintus, one of the senators says something about like the bottom feeder fish, the nibbler thing.
00:30:06
Speaker
Yeah. You remember this line? Yeah. Like, wait for your enemies to come to you and then strike. Yeah. And it's like, didn't that happen? That was like, that was right before, like, the Game of Thrones, like, red wedding scene, where, like, everyone gets, like, captured again. Because, like, you think it's going to be this big, like, oh, yeah, this big plan, like, Max was, they said, like, reunite with his army. That, like, it's like, they're all, like, kind of going, like, have him be back. And then it all goes horribly wrong.
00:30:37
Speaker
Yeah.
00:30:44
Speaker
Yeah. So yeah, ah look like, yeah, but markers are also like Maximus for like, you know, someone, someone just says like, someone, like if I should just said something about it or like, cause I was just like leaving in silence and ah if I could avoid all of this from happening. Just like a witness or, or like I said, just a scroll.
00:31:06
Speaker
Girls weren't hard to find. If Vex was just went out like his men because like his men are like absolutely loyal to him. Like they wouldn't like if he said like kind like communist killed the upper they'd be like all right we're with you like we we'll so we'll take it we'll kill him like kill him and his Praetorians like no problem. But he just he's like he's like like he's like i'm I'm gonna pack up my tent and leave. It's like uh by the way you're you're arrested on Maximus like
00:31:35
Speaker
And just like Commodus is right away. Just be like, yeah, I'm going to kill you and your family. Oh, it's like scorched earth. all Yeah, that he went with. It wasn't just we'll kill we'll kill him. It's like they also seem like the betrayians had to travel like three days to go to whatever countryside that Russell Crowe's family was at. but Oh, yeah yeah, those guys. they the The ones that like bring Maximus are like they they ride to like dawn and then just was like kill him.
00:32:02
Speaker
Which, I mean, one of the most baddest scenes in the whole movie is where Max was like, kills all the Pretorians. Yeah, yeah. Like, hey, the Frost makes the Blade stick sometimes. Yeah. Max just turns into a straight up action hero, dropping one-liners, doing these crazy kills. Oh, he becomes an 80s stalker. He chucks a sword into a guy from behind a tree, like I don't know how he was able to like, huck that thing. Yeah, yeah, and he yeah, like, and hucks it, like, yeah like with like, it's like, s spinning like, with like, crazy force, like, kills the guy. then And then, then there's like, and then like, it feels like that like, blade flip, because his hands are still tied, so he's like, flips the sword, and like, grabs it, with like, his tight hands still. I mean, Russell, I mean, this really made Russell Crowe such a great, like, action star.
00:32:58
Speaker
Even though I think before that he I mean, he wasn't a few action movies, but not to like sword combat. I think the biggest, I mean, a like Confidential was like ah like three years before this. That's probably his biggest role for Gladiator. Yeah. Virtuosso Virtuosso. Yeah. ah Yeah, that's definitely for this, but.
00:33:24
Speaker
That's more hit play like playing like the Joker or something. He was good in that. It's funny to think like the Russell Crowe movies because everyone remembers him post this a lot of like this movie and then like later but you look back where he like became an international star and like a sensation I would say quick in the dead. Yep. That was another kind of crazy like hey Russell Crowe's in this. But Anyway, yeah, this is like almost every movie up until that point, he had a gun and this is the one movie I'm like, Oh, he is throwing swords. He is commanding legions. He is giving badass speeches. Yep. Even a crazy like declaration, like I'll have my vengeance in this life or the next. Which I love. like True for that is that apparently like, like Russell Crowe hate that lot. I hid that whole like speech.
00:34:22
Speaker
But then and like it's on Wikipedia and on the IDB. Apparently, he said, like but I'm the greatest actor in the world, so I'll make it work. I mean, it really depends on who delivers that line. I know basically you can deliver that line in a sloppy mess, and it's not as powerful. but When you have the Hans Zimmer score hit and you have the the right setting and you have just the intensity he has, like it, it, it works. I get why this was like best pitcher in 2000. Yeah. It's literally, it's literally like the screenwriter was your lines are garbage, if but I'm the greatest actor in the world. and I can make even garbage sound good.
00:35:05
Speaker
I think during the time Russell Crowe still had like no he didn't he just he didn't have a drinking problem to some degree so like he was just like cocky because again he was just Russell Crowe he just he won best actor so yeah well yeah but he was gaining that confidence but I do like the like the screenwriter like William Nicholson apparently said like later on he's like in his defense my lines probably were garbage I don't know it's it's not cheesy like a high school play
00:35:36
Speaker
But like I say that now because modern movies sometimes have dumb dialogue or dumb writing. So I'm like, it by average, this was it just looks better over time. Yeah. And they're in the they like they're so they're so memorable. And they're so like, like yeah, I'll have my vengeance. And ah all the Maxis lines are just like yeah like, everyone still knows them like today. like i mean still but I think they're using them in linear two. there People are like saying the exact same lines in linear two.
00:36:06
Speaker
I don't know how they're doing that in the sequel because everyone heard those lines. Unless it's like someone wrote that down during the gladiator game. Well, I guess Lucius, I mean, Lucius heard like the I will have my vengeance in this life for the next. And I think he says that like the grown up Lucius says that in like the greater two with the trailer. So I got to watch the trailer again. And he remember that he was like eight.
00:36:32
Speaker
Like he remember those lines when he was like a young boy, Jesus Christ, like. I'm trying to think if I watched the movie when I was eight, I had to watch it like so many times to memorize it. It's like he saw that one time. Mm hmm. Yeah. He met himself for like the next two years. I remember that line. That's a good line. If I need to like if I ever need to like avenge my murdered family against like an emperor. i Good line to use.
00:37:03
Speaker
Also, ah yeah Russell Crowe. he um He delivers such an intense scene in the part where he like comes back to his family. Oh my god, yeah. land like If you want to see how you doing acting acting, is this like how much snot is coming out of his nose? like yeah he is He is acting.
00:37:30
Speaker
I'm wondering if that is something Russell Crowe did on command, like he's able to cry like that, or is that something that you he just like, all right, before the scene begins, I'm going to put a shitload of pepper up my nose.
00:37:45
Speaker
yeah like putting like Yeah, putting his dead wife's like burned feet into his mouth, and like just like the spit's coming off his mouth.
00:37:55
Speaker
Well, I did see like a scene, I think it was like a YouTube short where Rosicro explains how he did that take. Cause they wanted to be not as intense, but Rosicro was like, listen, I can bring it. Like you tell me like where to go and just, I will do the rest. And they're like, all right, we'll give you a take. And then the take that they did, like it was similar to what we saw in the final, but it was still like,
00:38:25
Speaker
a sloppy drooly mess. And then I think this is the best one of the tape and it still was a sloppy drooly mess. Yeah. But I get it. I mean, your whole goddamn world shattered. I understood that. You know, that's just like you look at his face and you're just like, I get it. I think apparently there's a there's a similar um like Russell Crowe just like improv acting kind of thing where like the whole thing with the figurines of his wife and son, like, really Scott was just like like, they basically made like a set of like, here's Maximus' tent, just like, he was like, basically, just like, go in there and just like, pretend to like you're just, you like, you finished this battle, and now you're, Maximus, just do whatever you think Maximus does to like, like, you know, decompress from this battle. And so he came up with the whole thing of like, just like, you know, praying and like, you know, kissing his wife and son's set, like figurines goodnight, that represents them.
00:39:19
Speaker
because it's that it became like the whole like thing
Gladiatorial Arena & Proximo's Influence
00:39:23
Speaker
of the whole movie. Like we got, we got incorporated as figurines. that It's like a so super part part of this movie now. It's like, like they represented like his wife and son. and Oh, see, but that's why Russell Crowe is just like, I'm the best fucking actor. Yep. It's funny because like,
00:39:43
Speaker
I've seen him in, uh, the man with the iron fist. And it's like such a crazy time with that movie. And, um, like he is a good actor. Yeah. So I don't, I don't think it's unearned. I also, but I also think it's such a crazy thing where Russell Crowe just immediately knew during that movie, he was just like, this movie's going to be fucking gold.
00:40:11
Speaker
watch me cry over some wooden figurines that they didn't give me. I had to go do this myself.
00:40:23
Speaker
So I think, and so yeah, after he finds his family, then we get like the, he gets taken to like Zookabar, which is like, i don't I don't know, I think, I don't know if it's almost Africa or like in Africa, but like it's, you know, it's crazy far from where they were in like Germania, which is like, you know,
00:40:40
Speaker
Germany. So he's, he's, he's like, he's all over the place. and Like this first, like, part of the movie, like he's in Germany, like Germania, and it's taken, he goes to like wherever his house is, and then he gets up in like, you know, Africa, upper Northern Africa.
00:40:57
Speaker
I mean, it's used to Oliver Reed playing Proximo, who, um you know, passed away, I guess, through three weeks before filming ended in this movie.
00:41:10
Speaker
Yeah. So all to the script, because apparently Proximo was supposed to come back. Yeah. One of the original one of the original thing is like, hey, like before you I fight you, come fight the like secret guy I hire to take you out. And it's supposed to be Proximus because he like miss being a gladiator. He bought us freedom. And then it's like, OK, like you don't do this. I'll ill enslave you again or something.
00:41:43
Speaker
Yeah, I guess i guess they could they could they could have reshot every scene that he was in with a different actor. And like the insurance company would pay for it because they had like this like some sort whatever the insurance was in the movie. But um like everyone was exhausted because this was a super punishing shoot. So there's like we'll we'll do we'll buy doubles and do CG and like kind of like figure out a way. like kind of like Use what we've already shot to finish up whatever we need to do with the proximo.
00:42:10
Speaker
I mean, they it makes sense that what they have can tell a coherent story. like it yeah It's just enough where it doesn't ruin the point. The point is really it's Maximus' story. It's not like Proximo is some like pivotal character that like carries the third act. And if anything, Proximo's exit makes sense to start the last act where Max, like the third act is like 20 minutes. It's like the last fight.
00:42:39
Speaker
yeah um It's like you can't tell that like even now knowing that I'll read is not like in the last part where he gets stabbed and stuff like that. It's it's like serviceable. Yeah, but I also think like it would have been a different movie if Proxima showed up at the end to like fight Maximus.
00:43:05
Speaker
which i I don't think he would last that long as Maximus, but. Well, it's it's supposed to be just like the opposite of that other undefeatable gladiator. Yeah. So it it was supposed to act as if like, OK, well, that was a gladiator that in all of his glory returned. So it's like now that maximum is that Maximus is now this beloved guy, Proximo also wants to like just get glory again, because he's like, hey, like if I don't do this, like my life's over anyway.
00:43:36
Speaker
Mm hmm. So. It would have been a sad, sadder like ending, but this this sort of like, again, just makes you focus on why. Commodus is like an asshole. And again, Proxima gets a good like, ah you know, redemption arc.
00:43:57
Speaker
where he cared about his money, but then like yeah he sacrificed himself to try to like help Maximus try to achieve whatever the vision of Rome that he was trying to achieve. Yeah. like it it's just like It's the same message i mean in ah in a way where it's like, again, I don't think he wanted to fight Maximus at all. It was just like if he had to. But in this version,
00:44:26
Speaker
Yeah, there's like a redemption arc. So like his character, it makes sense for his character to like kind of one last deed for all the like, the sort of the, the, I guess all the years of like being a gladiator owner is like taken on him. Like the weight of it. Because let me tell you, like in every gladiator type move your show,
00:44:52
Speaker
the guy who owns the gladiators always gets his like chromatic ending it you know like it's never like oh no I let him go and it's like completely fine and I get to live happy as a farmer now like yeah i never happens I'm so benevolent and like like like ah yeah I free all my i free all my gladiators and you you can go like do whatever you want now like yeah it never happens I'm like other kind of, ah I guess, work relationships like that. um Gladiator owners, like they' they they own warriors who don't want to be warriors. So the moment you let them go, you let go a whole bunch of assassins and money. Yeah, you let them go during the peak time of Gladiator owning. It's not like the end of Gladiators.
00:45:53
Speaker
If anything, he could have just sold his gladiators to another gladiator group. Mm-hmm. You know what I noticed in here, too? Especially after, I think we were talking before we started recording, but after like so many seasons of Spartacus, the stars show. I'm surprised how little time they spend in the actual the actual gladiator school. I guess Maximus doesn't really need to like train, because he's a like yeah know he's a seasoned Roman gladiator general. but like this is like one scene and then like uh train before you got training for this one day of training me before this fight like go ahead like yeah yeah i i tell i forgot that too because i'm so used to the spartacus idea of training where because the entire like the whole first season of spartacus is said like the lutus where you just like learn to be a gladiator and even then a lot of his practice fighting and then occasionally in spartacus like
00:46:48
Speaker
no one dies during practice they die like out of the practice ring yeah i think well i think i think the one thing is like like the gladiator owners really didn't want their gut like gladiators dying because then then it's like well they can't make money anymore so it's like oh yeah if you killed your one of your gladiators killed another gladiator during practice that's not good either oh yeah practice this way this ah is all you know wooden stuff and wooden swords and practice say about anything that happened up until like the arena
00:47:17
Speaker
um Occasionally, though, that there was the stupid like, hey, let's just kill someone for entertainment. But again, those were the crazy times back then where just, oh, no, we make them fight to the death. Like that was just a sport thing. Mm hmm.
00:47:37
Speaker
And I guess the training i guess the that one day of training was like determined like the like the teams, because they're like the teamed up together is like they're trained together in like pairs.
00:47:49
Speaker
Oh, it's a mixed match pair, like every... They did not know, like, everyone's skill, like... the The interesting thing in the extended edition is that, it's like Ralph Muller's partner, um there's there's an extra scene that's not in the theatrical version where that guy's like like, he says he's like a scribe, he's like ah like he has no so combat skills, he's just got arrested for being like a ah scholar.
00:48:13
Speaker
So that's, and then that's why you like, when he's in the arena, he's just like, he's just like screaming and like quowering because like, yes, he's no abilities at all. I just thought that was a random pairing. Like a theatrical cut just makes it seem really random. Yeah. And lucky for Maximus, he like gets teamed up with Jamunhatsu. So they, they, uh, all of the guys get teamed up with pretty good option. I do love in that first fight too. Like it's like every, every, like they're fighting like every type of gladiator you've ever seen, like, you know, popular, popular, like.
00:48:42
Speaker
paintings or entertainment. It's like, it's like the the guy with the giant helmet, the trident guy, then that guy, funny like all the glitters you expect are like in that one scene.
00:49:00
Speaker
And then and then I guess I guess like Maximus is like fighting for like once or like ah like a while because he he becomes like the like the Spaniard, the popular like guy and wherever they are.
00:49:19
Speaker
but then, but he's just, but he's just like, he's like, he's popular, here but then he may like, he's like, he's not entertaining because he's just like killing everyone too fast. That's like, foxs like you're too you're killing people too fast. You got to be entertaining. Which obviously is like, you want to see you kill, but we want to wait like the suffer, I guess. Yeah. You got to make a show. Yeah. It's, it's but like letters. It's like the, you know, it's the WWE of, uh, each of Rome. You got to like,
00:49:47
Speaker
It's sports entertainment. You got to make it a show like. Yeah, I see this now and I get what like the WWE does. And it's like very similar structure. These like, you know, competition games slash like dramas slash like.
00:50:10
Speaker
That's but it's not like showmanship. Yeah. I know like in Rome, the gladiators were celebrities. like They promoted things. they They made appearances. They signed autographs. like They did the equivalent of what a celebrity does now back then. Just like, hey, you want to see me kill this person? like Hell yeah. And then they would go see them fight people and stuff. It still blows my mind that that was just a thing.
00:50:37
Speaker
but yeah But the people wanted they wanted to see like a you know like ah a good fight. like that like Maximus is like going and slurring five guys in 30 seconds. this was like they They didn't want to see that. No. It's like, hey, that's too good. i don't want yeah but They want to go back out. That's just skill. That's not like, oh, he brought a machine gun to a sword fight. He literally like fights each one, defeats them, because he's the best, because he's goddamn Russell Crowe.
00:51:06
Speaker
so ah But there's there's the level expectation, I guess, because the crowd loves like the drama of the fight. That's why the dumb like historical fight reenactments are popular, because they want to see the the ball like the war reenactments. Yeah. And then i mean they also did like, um' I think we're going to see it in Glider Cube, but like they did like the full-on, we're going to flood the Coliseum and have like naval battles.
00:51:35
Speaker
Man. I'm trying to think how the plumbing worked back then to do that kind of like naval battle back in that's like, do they like destroy a canal to like get the water there? I know that there was like a history channel show that was like, it was like Coliseum. That was like, that was like every episode was like, but like kind of a different aspect of like, like the gladiators, the, the architects, like the the female gladiators. Um, but like,
00:52:04
Speaker
The Coliseum had like all sorts of crazy like trap doors. like i mean You see it in this movie. You have tigers hidden under the arena that like pop out. like it They had all kinds of elevators, and like they had changed the configuration of like the the arena. it it's It's crazy, like the engineering of the Coliseum.
Iconic Fight Scenes & Battle Tactics
00:52:26
Speaker
I would say one of the things that came after this elevator movie was that the tv shows and historical things became more relevant more like hey let's we have like three episodes dedicated to ancient rome like stuff like that and how they harm i remember that was popular like as a movie was coming out some history channel would pop up and make like a knockoff like hey we'll take a greater look at like the the real parts of the caribbean yeah like dumb things like that
00:53:02
Speaker
yeah Calcium was like last year, so it was really tied to any sort of um, you know, ancient Rome thing. But I'm thinking like there might've been one or two specials that came out before or after this. Probably. I'm sure, I'm sure, I'm sure if I did like the, you know, the real gladiator or something or like, so sort of like, yeah, like I mean, I, as your channel show about like, like here's what actual, like gladiator fights were like.
00:53:37
Speaker
But yeah, of all the fights, Chris, like what's your favorite fight in Gladiator? Mine is the fight against the veteran Gladiator.
00:53:51
Speaker
Tigress of Gaul. Because I'm a fan of Sven. Sven Ollthorson. Yep. He's such a cool, imposing figure in this movie. um I like that basically,
00:54:07
Speaker
He was the ringer. He was like, oh, like, you know, I will defeat Maximus for the Emperor, I guess. But like, he didn't seem like he cared. He just like, I'm i'm just here because like, I'm the best. That's why I paid him like a ton of money. Yep. And just to like, he held his own for a bit. He just wasn't expecting the like blade in the foot.
00:54:31
Speaker
Well, what what was like, because Countess is like, oh, it's it's it's been prearranged. Like, so that part is weird. Yeah. It's like that that. Like, I guess I guess ah he knew about the Tigers and Maximus didn't. But then it's like, you can't control the Tigers. No, one it's like the Tiger has in mind his own. Yeah. Um. Because he was because he was like, he was like driving Maximus into the the Tiger pits. But then it's just like.
00:54:57
Speaker
Well, Maximus is able to like he's able to get get away from them and then like you know turn tables on it. So there wasn't any sort of other, like like, you know, they didn't poison Maximus like the final battle, right? They were like, do way I think the Maximus, like give him like a ah bad sword or something. It's just like, oh, you know where the tigers are. Use that. Just push them this way. You have your cool like ah flip down,
00:55:24
Speaker
ah like Greek tragedy mask or whatever. Oh, I think we were mentioning, we're talking about before we started recording too, like Maximus, like one of the most iconic things for this movie is like the mask that Maximus wears. And then we were talking about it's only in one scene.
00:55:44
Speaker
Yep. It's like he wears started right after.
Political Schemes Against Commodus
00:55:48
Speaker
Yeah, he wears it like the big like when they reenact the battle of Carthage and then he like feeds all the gliders like the which it's funny that also the gliders like instantly able to like do like he's like advanced like military tactics. And he tells them they're right there like, hey, follow me and we'll we'll survive.
00:56:04
Speaker
Yeah, well he has, he has like, like, anyone have any military experience? and Like, I think it's like, like, uh, like Ralph bowler's like, like me kind of, this mix is like, all right, good. One guy, one guy out of like the 20, but they're able to do like, you know, they're able to do like, he's like advanced, like, like do they do like the, like the turtle shield wall, or like the turtling and all that stuff. And like, you know, like they can like do like these like instant formations.
00:56:30
Speaker
that that that's That's probably my favorite fight, the battle cards that you fight, because there's so many cool stuff. Them taking down the like the chariots and the chariots getting smashed into like the wall, and and then Max was like getting on the horse and taking him out to the end. And then that has that leads into the, ah you know, my name is Max. I just did some meridius speech, which is great.
00:57:00
Speaker
And then yeah then like yeah all there's there's all like the ah kind of background, well, all the these fights are happening. There's like the background kind of intrigue of um you know ploting trying to like figure out how they can depose Commodus, Lucilla kind of meeting with like but some of the senators and meeting with Maximus. It seems like they ah but they have that actual plan that could like take him down and that goes to crap because um like Lucius tells his uncle everything and everything is happening.
00:57:35
Speaker
Yeah. where Which I wonder, are they good like I wonder if that's part of like his like, like plotting like a guy or two, like he like felt so guilty about like causing everything to happen. So he just like left. So I basically got, every I got basically got like a bunch ah bunch of people killed. because i told I told this insane maniac that like, well like we were plotting. Maybe, maybe they'll say that in the sequel. Because like,
00:58:00
Speaker
Lush not Ellucian. Wait, what's the boy's name? Lucius. Lucius. That's it. Lucius sort of like does not know anything. He he doesn't even ah he's not aware about like, um like what Maximus is to him and all that. So it's not like you know, ah the mom told them, Hey, let's keep this a secret from our crazy uncle. Like not, you know, like a lot of, a lot of this is bad medication. Yeah. I think, I think Lucius only knew that like his mother was like meeting with like certain centers, like Senator Gracchus and stuff. Well, how, how did like Lucius know that yeah that that? That is a question of like, how did he know like who Lucille was meeting with?
00:58:47
Speaker
unless the mom tells her like, Hey, I'm just going to go meet the Senator. Don't tell anyone. Like, I don't know. Cause it seemed like he's just like, Oh no, I met Maximus and just like, okay. And he's just like, well tell me more. And then it's like, he basically unraveled the whole conspiracy of the jailbreak and then the senators and then the regroup. And I'm like, what? How? Like Maximus is like, um, like his, like, uh,
00:59:12
Speaker
Assistant or whatever like ah that one like Tommy Flanagan like where wherever he like his like servant or whatever Yeah, yeah, I think it was just like his soldier boy. Yeah yeah Like he found out about him like yeah like it just totally unravels the entire planet like my legs everybody although I surprised he didn't kill gra like senator Gracchus like Derek Jacobi like he's up throws him in prison with the other like editors and I don't think you can just kill a senator. You know what I mean? I think you can arrest him. They killed the other senator, like the other, like, not Grock is the other guy. They killed, like, the snake. They put the snake in his bed. That's true. I also think they got him by telling his right-hand man to kill him, like the senator's own assistant. Oh, I guess there was, like, the, like, there's, like, the two guys that Thomas has that, like, they don't say anything. There's, like, they, like, saw, like, the one
01:00:08
Speaker
Senator's servant like waiting to like give um Proximo like the whatever the payment or something though like the money they like pay for maximums is like freedom Like he's like so he's like waiting at the statue and then like there's like two guys like hanging out in a proximal like sees those guys and he's like, oh Like proximal is like really like working for confidence or they're like watching everything. He's like, well, I'm not taking the money now. but I'm leaving like But then those two guys like kind of show up I think ah talking to comments be like Hey, we saw like this like ah whatever senators like servant like Wade like gives something like gives and we we saw like these other like a bunch of people like doing stuff.
01:00:51
Speaker
Cause like, cause like ever, like ever, ever like there's a bunch of like communist spies everywhere. True. I mean, it's corrupt. That was the point of, uh, I guess Marcus's like goal is that like, Hey, if we make it truly a republic again, we don't have people trying to one up each other.
Final Showdown & Maximus' Legacy
01:01:15
Speaker
I think that's the message. Well, he wanted to get like spread the power. like He didn't want like you wanted to end the yeah like and the emperor ship and then like so that it wasn't one man in control or everything. It was like the you know but it was like the senators that the people voted in would be ruling. So would be it would be like a ah republic that the people had the power again
01:01:40
Speaker
But I mean, it's funny because like that's the idea, but then human greed gets involved, and then- Yeah. like A bunch of- The common is just like the epitome of just like unchecked crazy power, like naming money after yourself and stuff like that. Yeah. and inci are no way Before that, I would have loved to see where he's just like, everybody, I like to call this my name like and try to convince the public during the exciting games that this is just a new product.
01:02:10
Speaker
or unveiling statues of himself, like here's ah here's a statue, I think the statue of Commodus as like Hercules is like ah there is a historical statue they found, so that he's like, Commodus like unveiling statues of himself is like famous like historical figures, like here's me as Zeus. You know, I get why in the movie they're just like, we can't do 20 years of this, we and really need to speed this up for crazy one year thing.
01:02:37
Speaker
Yeah, but yeah, but all that stuff leads to like, yeah, the final duel with, uh, where Thomas is gonna fight Maximus, but then, uh, cheats in Poison's Maximus, um, so that he, but then, yeah, but like we said before, like, but all the setup of like him being, like, Thomas being able to fight, like, doesn't matter because he still loses like a half-dead Maximus. Yeah, and not even like,
01:03:03
Speaker
in a way that Commodus is showcasing some technique that he he mastered or like a weapon that yeah it can overcompensate. It's just like he loses his own knife. It's very basic like sword fighting. And then he like fail loses that, like he gets overpowered, like he loses the sword and then like Quiddance finally does like the one good thing. And and it was like, it's like, like he sees the right on the wall and like, well, Kompus is going to get his ass kicked. It's like, I'm going to, I'm going to stop helping him now, finally. Well, he kills all the all the Praetorians, like not sheath their swords and they'll give the upper another sword.
01:03:44
Speaker
And then yeah the cast pull ah pull out is like resplayed and then tries to kill Maximus with that and then then gets overpowered. Overpowering while Maximus is like basically like he's like seeing like Elysium like he's like he's he's basically dead.
01:04:03
Speaker
Yep.
01:04:06
Speaker
But it's very. it's great ah Did you do you understand? So I always thought that the knife that is like that he gets stabbed with was might have been poisoned. Yeah, I don't think it's I don't. I'm not sure if it's not. I think it it's like something that has like, yes, I'm sort of like weird like poison in it. So it's like a Roman like it's it's not quite a syringe, but I think it's like it's like something like it's got like a bri it breaks open like it poisoned them or like it's a yes, it's some sort of like ah
01:04:36
Speaker
it's not like it's not just like a nice wound like that be like a very like ah like I don't think that would like that would like really like kill Maximus like it you stand in the shoulder yeah and then it's just like okay so that's why it's like oh shit this is fatal even though yeah like a giant gaping sword wound
01:05:03
Speaker
Yeah, that was kind of a surprise. I always thought like maybe he would make it out in the end, but having basically a hero that is running on empty and it's like he's got to do his last vengeance. Yeah. I do like, like I do like when you like Max was like snaps out of like, like he's like, you know, he's basically like, like entering like, like it's not Valhalla, but yeah, it's like Lee's yield, like the, you know, and then he snaps off and goes into Max's mode again for like yeah a brief second, and then he goes back to his hands in the weed again.
01:05:39
Speaker
yeah Super satisfying to see comics get killed. You're you're waiting an entire movie to see that, and and it's pretty satisfying when it happens.
01:05:49
Speaker
And then, yeah, Max just gives his like his final orders, which is free all his men, make make rome a set like a republic and then he dies. And then and they carry him out, and then you just leave, like, conferences running in the arena, as they should.
01:06:15
Speaker
And then, yeah, the German hats are like berries. the, uh, like Maximus is a family's figurines and like the arena floor, but it's like, which i kind doesn't make sense. Cause like, why would he bury them there? Like, why would he like, like give, like bury them with Maximus?
Gladiator's Cultural Impact & Comparisons
01:06:32
Speaker
Maybe in the culture where whoever you passed away, it's not like your final resting space. Cause it's for him, he believes in like life. You go away in heaven. So it's like, yeah, your final, your soul left you at that area. Maybe that was his thing.
01:06:51
Speaker
Yeah, because i'm curious I'm curious because in Glader 2, in the trailers, we see Maximus' armor and sword like on a wall somewhere. I don't know if it's like in the Coliseum or something, but like I wonder if that's like maxim we're going to see Maximus' tomb or something in c Glader 2. That sucks. He like hated being a gladiator, so I don't want to honor him by entombing honor him. Honor him in the place he loved the most, the Coliseum.
01:07:19
Speaker
Who made that decision? Someone who doesn't know him? yeah No, one no one knows where his farm is. Like, do you guys know where Max's farm was? Well, that's true. Yeah. His farm was just some mythical area of like Sparta, Greece. Yeah. of Sparta, Greece, Spain. I don't know. I guess, I mean i guess the pre-tory is where it was. But somehow, obviously, I don't i don't see them picking the right place.
01:07:49
Speaker
That'd be funny like if they, like, the pre-torously, there was like like the, like, the tenth, like, farm they destroyed, or was like, is this the right one? I don't know. Let's keep going. Just keep burning the countryside. Yeah. Uh, but yeah. So, Gladiator is a movie that, like, I rented. I just couldn't see it in theaters. Like, no one in my family wanted to take me to sit for, like, a two and a half hour long movie. Yeah.
01:08:18
Speaker
I was interested in it, but like I didn't know a lot about gladiators. I think I was in middle school when this came out. How about you, Zach? Did you see this in theater, or did you rent this? I don't think I saw it in theaters, I think.
01:08:37
Speaker
I'm trying think ah try to think. um I mean, this is definitely like a, like like i like I mentioned in the beginning of the episode, this is like a TNT. If it was on TNT, I probably watched it.
01:08:49
Speaker
Or just like watch some of it on cable. And then TNT was like, oh, it's we're at the ah the car Battle Carthage. I'll watch this part for a little bit. But I don't remember seeing it in theaters or anything.
01:09:03
Speaker
And then, obviously, I had the Blue Raid a while ago. And I eventually saw the actual theatrical version, not the edited for TNT version.
01:09:17
Speaker
Oh, it is like going off of like, you know, today, like, you know, current like cable standards. I feel like you you could like probably throw the like the just uncut like already a version of the way you're on like TD and be fine.
01:09:30
Speaker
Yeah, it's not as crazy. I remember some people were like, wow, so many decapitations and stuff like that. And I'm like, I'm by today's standards. Yeah. I mean, but ah you know, after like what four seasons, Spartacus, like this is like a guy team.
Ridley Scott's Legacy & Cinematic Experience
01:09:45
Speaker
Like, I think it like like a third episode of Spartacus on the first season, like some guys getting his face ripped off.
01:09:53
Speaker
Yeah. Again, if anything, this makes me want to see Spartacus again. Yeah. Might do a rewatch. Might do the, Hey, welcome to Kapowa everyone. I think it's on Plex. If you have Plex.
01:10:08
Speaker
It was a 2B. I don't know. I that was like, oh, I don't know. It's like, oh, 2B has everything. It's either 2B or Pluto. It's like the two companies that are absorbing all these movies. I saw Gladiator on ah Pluto, like a good amount, just because it was easy to watch it. Not the best, though. not That's not the preferred way, just because there's like commercial breaks. And like because of that, there's like pauses. Yeah.
01:10:37
Speaker
The Blu-ray experience is definitely more immersive. Yeah, I think Pero Plus is like the actual like, you know, you know, probably the best stream option for Gladiator, if you all watch Gladiator again.
01:10:54
Speaker
But yeah, it definitely, it definitely still holds up. It's still like an overly awesome, just epic, cool, you know, movie. And the fact that it also like one of the best pictures and stuff is like just, is like kind of reminds you of like,
01:11:07
Speaker
Man, remember when Best Picture was like this like huge popular um like critic claim, but also like like box office wise? like Yeah, it was everything. The general audience audience like attendance and film critics agreed on it. Where it's like all people, it word of mouth made it really popular and then having like an Academy Award recognize it so it slaps on that trailer that says like Academy like recognize movie yeah I'm also thinking like like once you get like an Academy Award you can that actor can then now use it in any other movie that there can be in for a while
01:11:57
Speaker
Yeah Academy Award i favorite award winner Russell Crowe is unhinged.
01:12:07
Speaker
I feel like I feel like Ray Scott is also kind of he's kind of like chasing the dragon for later to like because like you know he made like Robin Hood he made like he's made like you know the last duel Napoleon at like but none of them like I don't think anyone really hit the same like level as like Gladiator.
01:12:28
Speaker
I think Robin Hood was definitely the closest, just like, well, let's try to make Gladiator again. We got Russell Crowe back. We just got back. Let's try to make another Gladiator. Yeah. Let's just put Russell Crowe in some dirt and a sword and see what we get. Yeah.
01:12:49
Speaker
But also, it's the prequel to Robin Hood, basically. It has none of the Robin Hood stuff that you think like from the other stuff that you expect to see in a Robin Hood movie. It's like Robin Hood begins.
01:13:08
Speaker
Yeah, I still haven't seen Napoleon yet. I probably should watch that soon at some point. because But apparently, that's like that's ah if it's like yeah it's like, oh, I'm walking Phoenix is back now. Let's try to like do another layer thing, but it's walking Phoenix now.
01:13:25
Speaker
You're going to watch it like on TV. You're going to watch it on the phone. Yes. On a phone is really Scott attended. I think I had an option to watch that movie on a plane. And I just said, now I cannot watch Napoleon on like a plane screen. Yeah, it's like and it's like power like like three hours long. like like And then just the humming of like the airplane. I cannot do that. I enjoy cinema too much.
Podcast Wrap-up & Teasers
01:13:51
Speaker
Yes.
01:13:58
Speaker
But ah yeah, so check out Glader if you haven't been watching it for a while. It's still pretty great. And then I think I'm definitely going to check out Glader, too, probably this coming weekend. So stay tuned for a review on everythingaction.com for next week for Glader, too, probably. And then come back next week for the podcast. We're going to be talking about The Hunted, the Tally Jones, Benicio Toro ah thriller, because it's getting a 4K release. It's getting a first time next week. so um You can watch that fancy new high res version and you know watch some CQC between Tommy Jones and each other Toro.
01:14:38
Speaker
And ahead of our set, we got all of our usual stuff. we We got news, reviews, trailers. We got our game box 2.0 for November. You can check out the games we played in November and see our thoughts on those. we've got
01:14:51
Speaker
Yeah, all kinds of trailers. I think there's a bunch of trailers that came up because we had Wicked and Glider 2 coming out this week, so that people were dumping trailers out that are gonna be attached to those movies.
01:15:02
Speaker
And yeah, all of your stuff is up there as well, head over so take all that stuff out. And for Chris, I'm Zach, and we will see you next week. For more for every action, head to www.everythingaction.com.
01:15:17
Speaker
You can also find us on Facebook at facebook dot.com slash everything dot.action and follow us on X at Evieaction. We're also on Instagram and threads at everything.action. Find more episodes of the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your at podcast epic choice and be sure to rate and subscribe.