| Zanr
istorijskog epskog filma dosao je i prosao sa velikim ("Spartacus") i ne bas
tako velikim ("Cleopatra") mega-spektakala. Reditelj Ridley Scott je preuzeo na
sebe riskantan zadatak revitaliziranja ovog zanra svojim novim projektom,
"Gladiator". Cak i prije odlaska u kino, znao sam da film mora biti vrsno
vizuelno dostignuce, kao sto su mnogi drugi Scottovi filmovi ("Bladerunner",
"Black Rain", "Alien"). Osim toga, zvijezda filma, Russell Crowe,
zavrsio je proces dokazivanja kao glumac ("LA Confidential", "The Insider"), te je ostalo da se
vidi da li ce postati jos i akcioni junak. Iako je film dugacak 154 minute,
i Scott i Crowe su napravili divljenja vrijedan posao. Digitalno dopunjene slike antickog
Rima su izvanredne, a Koloseum izgleda zbilja odlicno, iznutra i s vana. Istinska snaga
filma dolazi od osnovne prednosti samog zanra - uzbudljive scene borbi.
"Gladiator" ih ima napretek, od uvodnog sudara rimskih legija sa barbarskim
plemenima Germanije do borbe jedan-na-jedan u areni. Sadrzaj koji veze te scene je jedva
dovoljno mastovit da ih stavi u nekakav kontekst. Crowe je Maximus, rimski general kojeg
imperator Marcus Aurelius visoko cijeni i postuje. Avaj, Marcus je star i ubrzo ce njegov
beskicmeni sin Commodus doci na vlast, a Maximus postati robom i prvom zrtvom Commodusovog
novog rezima. Kao gladijator zvani Spaniard (Spanac), pod vodstvom bivseg roba Proxima, on
ce nanizati dovoljno pobjeda da se docepa velike scene i prilike za osvetu. Kako kaze
poster za film, "uzdici ce se junak"...
Ako se zanemare neke
stramputice kojima prica mjestimicno vodi (pobuna robova) i nekoliko nategnutih situacija
(konacni obracun), poruka je prilicno efektivno prenesena. Maximus je vojnik, pa je prema
tome prije nego sto je postao general bio samo centurion, a legionar prije toga. Uspon
njegove slave kao gladijatora slican je njegovoj prirodnoj evoluciji kao vojnika,
pojacanoj licnom tragedijom. Croweova ljutitost i vatra u ocima daju njegovom liku vrlo
prepoznatljivu crtu karaktera. Nazalost, nema mnogo podrske od ostatka ansambla, pored
primjetnih iako ogranicenih izvedbi Olivera Reeda (koji je preminuo na snimanju filma) i
Richarda Harrisa. Derek Jacobi kao senator Grascius samo je sjena samog mucajuceg sebe iz
sjajne televizijske serije BBCa o rimskim imperatorima, "Ja, Klaudije", a
Joaquin Phoenix nema ni prisustvo ni ponasanje imperatora. Uprkos svemu tome,
"Gladiator" je vrlo gledljiv film, ne samo zbog vizije Ridleya Scotta i zvijezde
na usponu Russella Crowea, vec zbog ukupnoh utiska rekonstrukcije jednog doba, jednog
grada i jednog drustva. |
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The historic epic genre came and went with the great
("Spartacus") and not so great ("Cleopatra") mega-spectacles. Director
Ridley Scott took upon himself a risky job of revitalizing the genre with his new project,
"Gladiator". Even before going in the theatre I knew that the movie has to be a
masterful visual achievement, as most Scott's movies are ("Bladerunner",
"Black Rain", "Alien"). Besides, the star of the movie, Russell Crowe,
completed establishing himself as an actor ("The Insider", "LA
Confidential"), and it was left to be seen whether he can become an action hero as
well. Even though the movie clocks in at 154 minutes, both Scott and
Crowe have done an admirable job. The digitally complemented images of the ancient Rome
are breathtaking and Colliseum looks amazing from the inside and out. The genuine strength
of the movie is the advantage of the genre itself – exciting battle scenes.
"Gladiator" contains plenty of those, ranging from the opening clash of Roman
legions against the barbarian tribes of Germania to the one-on-one fight in the arena. The
content that binds those scenes is just imaginative enough to put them in some sort of
context. Crowe is Maximus, Roman general who is respected and highly esteemed by the
emperor Marcus Aurelius. Alas, Marcus is old and soon his wimpy son Commodus rises to
power and Maximus becomes a slave as a first victim of Commodus's new regime. As a
gladiator called Spaniard, coached by former slave Proximo, he puts together a winning
streak that lands him a gig at the big place, and a shot at a revenge. As the movie poster
says, "a hero will rise"...
Regardless
of some side plots the story suffers from (slave rebellion) and some stretches of
imagination it requires (the final showdown), the point is brought across effectively.
Maximus is a soldier, and before he became a general, he spent some time as a centurion,
and a legionnaire before that. The rise of his fame as a gladiator resembles his natural
evolution as a soldier, enhanced by the personal tragedy. Crowe's bitterness combined with
the fire in his eyes are giving his character a very distinct personality. Unfortunately,
he doesn't have much support from his ensemble, aside from notable but limited
performances by Oliver Reed and Richard Harris. Derek Jacobi as senator Gracchus is only a
shadow of his stuttering self from a wonderful BBC TV series about Roman emperors,
"Me, Claudius", and Joaquin Phoenix does not have the presence or the demeanor
of an emperor. Despite all that, "Gladiator" is a very watchable movie, not only
for the vision of Ridley Scott and the rising star of Russell Crowe, but for the overall
experience of recreating an era, a city and a society. |