GLADIATOR (2000) | FIRST TIME WATCHING | Reaction & Commentary | Ridley Scott is the GOAT

[@SherriLyle80s]

The actor who played Joffrey from Game of Thrones got a lot of inspiration from Joaquin Phoenix's character. Both are hated fiercely so for that, they both deserve rounds of applause for their skills.

[@mestupkid211986]

I applaud them both for being able to play such garbage people so well.

[@takeshikovacs7629]

Yea.. I think that was the first roll I seen him in. He did such a good job that I really didn't like him for real for a long time n didn't care to watch anything else he was in n if I did was quite biased against him lol

[@7Rendar]

@@takeshikovacs7629 Ah,yes, the dilemma of playing an evil character too well... I don't like Joaquin Phoenix movies to this day because because of his Commudus lol.

[@Joe-gb3lu]

She said this in her review.

[@highstimulation2497]

is it me or is Joaquin Phoenix amazing at playing such sick and disturbed characters? (and I haven't even SEEN Joker yet.)

[@ThatShyGuyMatt]

Fun fact. Djimon Hounsou (Juma) at the end, the whole scene was improvised because they shot it last minute after Oliver Reed (Proximo, the slave gladiator owner) died during filming and the scripts original end scene couldn't be filmed. Perfect ending scene and quote "And now we are Free. I will see you again... but not yet... Not yet!"

[@paterson90]

Wow never knew that

[@tapoemt3995]

Any idea what ending they had planned? I'm curious now.

[@ThatShyGuyMatt]

@@tapoemt3995 Well originally the only change was the gentleman at the end isn't shown. The movie just ends after Maximus is carried off. However in early scripts of the movie, they did have Maximus survive the battle and go on to liven his life. Which admittedly isn't as good since he still would have to wait to see his family.

[@tapoemt3995]

@@ThatShyGuyMatt Ah ok, I thought maybe Oliver Reed had a part at the end or something. Thanks!

[@crowtcameron]

The ending of this film always gets me. In my opinion, the death of Maximus has to be one of the best film deaths of all time. William Wallace in Braveheart, Boromir in Fellowship of The Ring, and Roy Batty in Blade Runner are up there too for me. And Hans Zimmer's and Lisa Gerrard's piece of music at the end of the film is one of my favorite pieces of music of all time.

[@peteg475]

I'll add Spock in Star Trek II.

[@crowtcameron]

@@peteg475 Great one

[@LanceJ.]

My 15 year old heart sank when Maximus dropped to the floor at the end.

[@guintar6661]

FREEEEEEDOOOOOOOMMM!

[@O_Towne_Bear]

@@peteg475 Adding Silco, just because. lol

[@shadypelican]

When Russell Crowe accepted this part, he had to turn down being Wolverine in X-Men. Russell then suggested they seek out his good friend and fellow Aussie, Hugh Jackman, for the role. He got it and his career boomed! Speaking of Hugh Jackman and Wolverine, if you haven't seen 'Logan', add it to your list immediately!

[@daquaviousbingleton9763]

I think Russell’s the better actor by a long shot but I don’t think x men would have been as successful

[@motelghost477]

I hope you never call Russell Crowe an Aussie to his face. He's a very proud kiwi.

[@MegaForrestgump]

Ye, Logan was amazing.

[@pianoman1857]

Caesar is just a term to designate the Emperor of Rome (in memory of Julius Caesar). Fun fact : the latin pronunciation of "Caesar" sounds more like "Kaiézarr", which later has given "Kaiser" in german (pretty close to original actually), and "Czar" or "Tsar" in polish/bulgarian/russian :)

[@rikkilleen3169]

Fun Fact: the Hebrew word for "prince" is "tsar"

[@hettbeans]

@@rikkilleen3169 prince is 'nasi'

[@mrlibrary03]

I love nerds, haha

[@eatsmylifeYT]

@@hettbeans Prince is dead.

[@seraph-8086]

Close, in Polish it's actually "Cesarz". Czar is magic spell

[@ktotheramer]

This film was EPIC in theaters, and made Crowe and Phoenix household names!

[@cluster_f1575]

Seeing this in the theaters was incredible. At that time, Gladiator had one of the most epic battles I'd ever seen. To this day, that opening battle, coupled with Zimmer's score gives me chills.

[@neilgriffiths6427]

Crowe was on a roll at this point - everything he touched turned to gold...

[@danniandersen5858]

Crowe didn't want to do the intro of himself to the new emperor, the epic one were he states his name, rank and his plans for vengeance. Crowe found it cheesy but I think alot of the fans absolutely love it! :)

[@brucefale6132]

Crowe was right....it was cheesy

[@takeshikovacs7629]

Blah blah... subjective opinions. It's epic af.. probably 2nd under the "Are u not entertained?"

[@bararobberbaron859]

@Maxwell Long Yeah, it is cheesy, but kind of fun too.

[@donut1st]

I've always loved it. Maybe I love cheese?

[@TheWindcrow]

@@takeshikovacs7629 Exactly. All these people that couldn't even write a sonnet and think they know better than blockbuster movie writers. This line hypes you up. Makes you go F YES! "Cheesy" becomes the most memorable lines in movies. This movie will always stand at the top 50 of all time.

[@LPJack02]

RIP and long live Richard Harris (October 1, 1930 - October 25, 2002), aged 72 And RIP and long live Oliver Reed (February 13, 1938 - May 2, 1999), aged 61 You both will always be remembered as legends.

[@MountainSnowInc]

My Grandmother “Omi” passed away last year but her favorite movie of all time was “Gladiator”. She had the soundtrack on a burned CD that listened to non stop in the car for 21 years. A running joke in our family was anytime someone suggested we watch a movie, the response was “Gladiator it is!” I miss her. Great movie. :)

[@hafor2846]

Well, to be fair to the Romans, Gladiators usually didn't kill each other. It was more showy entertainment, they became very rich and often lived a long life. It was still a dangerous sport, but more a sport than constant endless slaughter to the death. They either did show duels against each other, or fought against dangerous animals or enemy prisoners of war, but rarely actually killed each other. It was still bloody and brutal, but often more like modern fighting, with favoured stars, rules and referees. Hell, famous gladiators even had sponsorship agreements to advertise certain products, retired as famous celebrities living off their fame or even launched political careers thanks to their notoriety. Deadly battles in the arena happened, but were reserved for great festivities, like the coronation of a new emperor. In fact, one of the reasons why Commodus and some other emperors gained such an infamous reputation (the so called bad emperors of Rome) was because they did a lot of these great festivities where a lot of people were killed. It was seen as bad taste to have so many people die all the time in the arena, especially if they killed your favourite Galdiator. Imagine a modern day president killing a favourite athlete to celebrate his birthday. It also bankrupted Rome, because these great events were too expensive if they weren't rare. So yeah, usually, Romans weren't this bad on gladiatorial combat. On some days, a modern person could easily go to the arena and have a completely non-disgusting day of great entertainment. People are more or less the same back then and now. No one wants to see someone disemboweled on a daily basis for no reason.

[@MikeB12800]

And imagine spending all the money, time, and energy training an athlete to have them killed during their first game!!!

[@williambranch4283]

Don't forget the sport betting ... millions of denarii to be made!

[@compuwarrior]

not many gladiatior fights were to the death Its a hollywood myth that they did

[@houseofaction]

absoilutely no fight was to the death. and they were not very blood 10% of them died but only because of infection

[@hafor2846]

@@houseofaction That's simply wrong lol

[@rabooey]

And it's also crazy seeing people reacting to movies with Oliver Reed in them, without the slightest notion of who he was.

[@cheshirekat528]

Yes! RIP Mr. Reed 😔

[@dallassukerkin6878]

Having lost my wife to cancer relatively young, my empathy for the emotions of Maximus in this tale is deep. Whenever I watch it, even in reaction such as this, it is hard to hold back the tears; for I know all too well what it is to not be able to save those you love and to have to endure the years afterwards as you wait to be with them again.

[@Noahsampeer]

This was the first movie I ever saw Joaquin Phoenix in and he did such a good job that, for a couple weeks, I thought I hated Joaquin Phoenix himself and swore off his movies...until Signs came out anyway. Now he's one of my favorite actors. Especially after Joker.

[@Deathbird_Mitch]

Try 8mm.

[@Cliffster420]

A sign of a truly great actor.

[@matthewdunham1689]

Thanks!

[@Riggswolfe]

What I like about the ending is that the very first moments of the film telegraph it but you don't realize it until later. One of the first images we see is him walking through that field towards his family. The entire film is about a man who just wants to get back to his family. In this life or the next.

[@SubZeroCommander]

Max is a true farmer first, soldier second; IIRC there's several small scenes when he tests the ground with his hands whenever he comes to a new location.

[@CChissel]

This movie is brilliant. It’s in that list of timeless movies that will never not be good no matter when or who watches it. So well done.

[@Bar-Lord]

The ironic thing about this flick for me is the timing. In the summer of 2001 I found myself standing outside of the coliseum (the interior was closed). It’s very impressive in person. When you add in how long that structure has existed, I felt very small.

[@MagetaTheLionHeart]

"Who will help me carry him"... Gets me every time.

[@thewildgoose7467]

I'm always amused that reactors often don't get the "thumbs" thing? Do they not realize the gesture is still in common usage as in "giving something a thumbs up or the thumbs down" meaning it is given approval or disapproval? So logically approval means 'live' and disapproval means 'die'.

[@nihildark]

This was the first film I ever bought on DVD, back in the ancient days. What a masterpiece!

[@alecboyce1998]

For its time it was a great DVD, too!

[@TheArchDandy]

I got to see this multiple times in the theatre when it was first released bc my dad loved it! The beginning was so cool, the echoing, cold sounds before the battle etc. Also once during a horrifying holiday rush as a barista I did a coffee sellers version of his speech to his troops before the battle just to keep the mood up and make people laugh. Good memories of this movie, glad you enjoyed it.

[@chairmanofthebored6860]

Joaquin Phoenix absolutely crushes in this movie. So so good

[@kathyastrom1315]

The ending always gets me tearing up! Even now watching your reaction, I heard that voice singing, and I started sobbing. I did see this in the theater, and it was fantastic. That first fight in the Coliseum with the chariots is one of my favorite of all time.

[@johndawhale3197]

Being from the UK I was confused when you said Year 3000 was from the Jonas Brothers and not Busted :)

[@skyhawksailor8736]

Gladiator was one of the many movies we watched on our drill weekends. When this movie came out I was still doing my Navy Reserves at China Lake California. My Saturday routine after the work day was, I would ride my bicycle 10 to 20 miles around the base before heading to the barracks to shower. Since I do not drink I would be the designated driver and five of my close Shipmates would pile into my crew cab truck and head out to eat, followed by a movie, then to the bar to shoot pool and drink. Some of my Shipmates would get real drunk, about midnight we would head back to the base. Found memories of hanging with Dave, Gary, Barry, John and Daren.

[@johndawhale3197]

Wow...it's super ironic that your sponsor was Babbel as I had a Paramount Plus advert on this video which features the same British actor who was in that legendary Babbel advert with the Spanish chick who rams the car through the wall and screams "DIME MAAAAAAAAAS".

[@stevetreloar3129]

Fun fact: Derek Jacobi who played the senator was cast as the lead in I, Claudius all those years ago! Also, Oliver Reed excels in his final role as Proximo!

[@richelliott9320]

I loved i Claudius as a teen I saw it in 77 on PBS

[@rxhx]

imo Reed was the unsung hero of this movie, he was so into the role it's crazy

[@MegaForrestgump]

He died before his final scene and was digitized between the bars where he scoffs.

[@TrustifierTubes]

I became a fan of Joaquin Phoenix because of this movie. His portrayal is so vile that it's just a mesmerising masterclass of acting

[@LordVolkov]

2 things I always suggest to people who enjoy Gladiator. 1- Kingdom of Heaven, another historical epic from Ridley. Watch the director's cut. 2 - Spartacus: Blood and Sand. Over the top ridiculous gladiator melodrama. Highly entertaining.

[@stevencolatrella3257]

I second Kingdom of Heaven AND that you have to watch the director's cut: the cinema version was ripped to pieces. The director's cut is one of the most inspiring movies I have ever seen.

[@gordon861]

@@stevencolatrella3257 100% Directors Cut.

[@Xagzan]

And Spartacus is just as emotional as this movie.

[@joonaa2751]

Also FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE (1964). Gladiator is actually a semi-remake of that film, and they are both very good in their own right

[@tempsitch5632]

“OMG Joaquin is so young” Space Camp. Parenthood.

[@paulwagner688]

Sir Richard played Marcus Aurelius, last of the "Good Five". The stories about him, Peter O'Toole, Richard Burton and Oliver Reed. They made a book about it. They were the "Hellraisers".

[@Madbandit77]

They were classically trained actors, but also notable lushes as well.

[@takeshikovacs7629]

@Roy Phillips what does "classically" trained mean exactly? Was there like a different method of training actors then or like classical as like a genre? Like theater or something?

[@shaunfinch1190]

@@takeshikovacs7629 classically trained is studying ,learning and then performing Shakespeare amongst other plays on stage , think also Sir Laurence Olivier and Sir John Gieulgud.

[@shainewhite2781]

Winner of 5 Oscars including Best Picture! ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED!? ARE YOU NOT...ENTERTAINED!?

[@bagelj]

I was glued to this movie when I watched this in the theater. The singing sounds of Lisa Gerrard was a well added touch to Hans Zimmers music, captivating. The story line in each scene was like walking each floor of a building until you got to the roof, it never downgraded. The theme “strength and honor” also carried throughout the film. Every character had both except Joaquin’s character who was weak and immoral. Strength and honor should be something all people should carry in their heart, mind, and souls. I value this immensely since watching this.

[@yourthaiguy]

Fun Fact: On set just before filming? Joaquin Phoenix had deep reservations about whether he could really pull off this character. Fortunately? Ridley talked him off the ledge and convinced him his acting chop were more than up to the task. Great to see an actor as talented as Joaquin not above being insecure about his own abilities…

[@happyslapsgiving5421]

As an Italian, I loved the first five minutes. As a Roman, I loved the rest of the video.

[@pshuart]

Watched in theater with 3 friends and future wife. Movie felt an hour long. We went out for drinks (ended up wildly drunk) and discussed this movie for hours. Top 5 favorite films of all time. Crowe and Phoenix’s best roles to date. IMHO

[@caseymoe816]

Joaquin Phoenix should’ve won Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Commodus. His acting in this movie was spectacular-evil, creepy, swarthy-and he held more than his own against some other great actors (Harris, Reed, Jacoby, Crowe). “Busy little bees.” Great film. Great reaction. Too bad you couldn’t watch it on the big screen bc it is epic! Keep up the good work!👍👍

[@rustyclayton9260]

Hard to find a character that is more universally hated than Commodus in this movie. Truly a great performance.

[@drewsaadUNITED]

Actually love how she's seen so many movies and studied so much in the theater genre that nothing actually shocked her...she has a realistic and experienced persepective, she could not enjoy the first 20nmin probably bc of that, but she understood the rest bc of that too...

[@kingscorpion7346]

about Juaquin Phoenix: his older brother, River Phoenix, who was a great child actor himself (and died when he was 20 from drug overdose), said of his younger brother that he had more acting skill than River could ever hope to have. to see Juaquin in one of his earliest roles, if not THE earliest, check out Space Camp. He's the boy who befriends a faulty robot.

[@gregcarpenter8128]

It's been said that the two most famous ancient writings from Rome were the Christian bible and the writings of Emperor Marcus Aurelius. Richard Harris is portraying M. Aurelius in this movie.

[@paulwagner688]

CLARA: Marcus Aurelius, Roman emperor. Last of the five good 'uns. Stoic philosopher. VASTRA: Superlative bass guitarist. The Doctor really knows how to put a band together. CLARA: And the only pin-up I ever had on my wall when I was fifteen. The only one I ever had. I

[@kschneyer]

Marcus Aurelius is best known for the book of Stoic philosophy he wrote as a private journal. There was an earlier film (The Fall of the Roman Empire (1964)) telling basically the same story, with Alec Guinness as Marcus Aurelius.

[@danh8804]

The thumb gesture, up or down (while reversed in fiction in meaning), is the Emperor deciding the life or death of the man in question. But he wouldn't have Maximus killed in front of a crowd that would hate him for doing so. It's also why he tried to draft a fiction whereby he could defeat Maximus and win back the crowd, but he miscalculated how hopelessly overmatched he'd be against even a mortally wounded Maximus. Can't say enough good about Joaquin Phoenix in this movie. Just such a force on screen, playing one of the most memorable cowardly heels in any movie.

[@tremorsfan]

And in reality, thumbs up actually meant death. The symbol for life was making your hand into a fist with the thumb on top.

[@happyslapsgiving5421]

@@tremorsfan Incorrect. It's neither what you said, nor thumbs up, nor thumbs down, nor any of the many versions on Reddit and such. *HISTORIANS DON'T KNOW WHAT THE GESTURES WERE* for life and death, and they're not sure there actually were any universally accepted ones. That's the only truth, although it might not be satisfying. Anything else is either taken from old 20th century kolossals or recent fake internet stories.

[@tremorsfan]

@@happyslapsgiving5421 It's just one of the theories.

[@Zseventyone]

I wouldn't characterize Commodus as "cowardly." He was an evil fuck, but he got in the arena with a man who was very capable of killing him in a few seconds.

[@happyslapsgiving5421]

@@tremorsfan I know, that's what I said. But "in reality" we don't have anything concrete.

[@atti97]

Ridley Scott is a legendary director. You sould see three movies wich he direct. Three very underrated Legend (Director's Cut), Black Rain and 1492.

[@CorwinPatrick]

Black Rain is a brilliant little indie film

[@st0n3p0ny]

Has anyone done Legend? One of my favorites (best portrayal of Satan ever). Also, I can't remember, but doesn't the director's cut completely destroy the score? Think I remember something about that.

[@atti97]

@@st0n3p0ny the director's cut is the best and Jerry Goldsmith music score is amazing.

[@st0n3p0ny]

@@atti97 maybe I haven't seen the DC. But I'm very skeptical that the alternative version has a better score than the Tangerine Dream score. The original score was one of the best parts of the movie.

[@atti97]

@@st0n3p0ny Tangerine Dream's music score is not original music score. Jerry Goldsmith music score is the original. First realesed in Europe by 20th Century Fox with the Europe Theatrical Cut version running time by 94 minutes long with Jerry Goldsmith score. Later realesed in US by Universal Pictures. The Universal Pictures recut the movie wich becone a US Theatrical Cut with running time is 89 minutes long with Tangerine Dream score. Ridley Scott and Tom Cruise hate that US Theatrical Cut and become a Box Office bomb in the US. Sixteen years later Ridley Scott recut the movie and realesed the longer Director' Cut version of the movie the best version of the film.

[@PerfectHandProductions]

The early scenes with Marcus and Maximus are the best in the film, really great stuff.

[@vaughnroycroft999]

Saw it in the theater on the Saturday night of its opening weekend. My brother-in-law came to help me with a construction project all that day, and I offered to take him to dinner as a thank you. Rather than going to an upscale restaurant, we wolfed down some tacos. It was still early so he suggested that we go to this movie, playing right across the street, rather than go home. We were both BLOWN AWAY. Neither of us expected what we got. To this day I list it in my top five favorite movies, but more than that, it has to be one of my favorite cinema experiences. I have rarely been so pleasantly surprised. Unforgettable.

[@MichaelJohnsonAzgard]

Gladiator and Master and Commander are my favourite Russell Crow films. Oliver Reed died during filming and Ridley Scott used CGI to finish off some scenes.

[@roguechevelle]

Omg "Master and Commander" I love that movie sm! I feel like it doesn't get talked about enough, very underrated imo.

[@edwardimhoff3106]

The old actor that played the Gladiator trainer died during the filming...The first time I saw Gladiator was in Rome 1,800 years before Russel Crowe was born. It was not a movie. Movies had not been invented. I don't remember who won that day. It was a while ago...

[@Trifler500]

The Elysian Fields were the Roman version of heaven, which was what the imagery of him in the grass was about.

[@danielmorency2242]

Joaquin emanates evil when it is required. In "Signs", he plays an all around good guy... He so good. :)

[@edhel9214]

Joaquin Phoenix is absolutely great in this movie :)

[@GlassCurtain]

I don't remember the first time I watched Gladiator but I do remember, when I was in college, I was the floor president of our dorm floor which meant I had to arrange activities to socialize our resident's. I arranged a movie "date night" with our sister floor to watch Gladiator on the roof of our dorm. We all hauled our mattresses up to the roof and projected the movie onto a wall on the roof. It went over really well. A bunch of mattresses, blankets and pillows. Such a comfy enviroment...such a great memory.

[@notsureyou]

@ 26:50 Shanelle: "Does he get to live after that, does he get away with that?" Me: "Maximus is already in death process"

[@therascals8237]

You know it's a good movie when Shanelle is so moved she cackles through the tears 😭

[@Irgend_Sontyp]

16:59 The legendary gas bottle.

[@Klayhamn]

@Shanelle did something happen to your mic or your audio? it sounds really weird and metallic :/ at least everything EXCEPT the sponsorship part has this issue...

[@bobmessier5215]

Epic sword and sandal pictures had died out in the 1960's with the over-budget films "Cleopatra" and "Fall of the Roman Empire", until this picture brought the genre back. Yeah, I missed these ancient historical epics!

[@andrewgrant6516]

The main memory of seeing this movie in the cinema was that EVERYBODY had to take a bathroom break, so we all missed a different five minutes of it.

[@jamie.norris]

"Oh my, I love this role for JP". Me - hahahaha.. just wait

[@arminiuscuchulainn8820]

My mother, rest her soul watched this movie literally every day for 10 years at least after it came out and I still enjoy every moment whenever I put it on....classic

[@jowbloe3673]

1:28 - "Yeah, this might be set in some history that I'm not super familiar with . . . Roman stuff." 1:50 - ". . . but, I'm like Italian." Italian that doesn't know Roman stuff, hmmm.

[@ll7868]

One thing Hollywood always gets wrong, thumbs up means raise your weapon and finish the enemy, thumbs down means lay your weapons down, the fight is over.

[@Curraghmore]

Yes Richard Harris (legendary Irish actor) was the first Dumbledore. His successor as Dumbledore, Michael Gambon is also Irish.

[@BDUBZ49]

Tigris of Gaul - the only undefeated gladiator, brought out of retirement by Commodus, was played by Sven-Ole Thorson. Thorson is a former bodybuilder, strongman and stuntman who often worked with Scharzenegger. He won Denmark's Strongest Man in 1983. Thorson beat Lou Ferrigno (The Incredible Hulk) for the role and earned 2 TAURUS Stunt Awards for his performance. He was 56 yrs old at the time.

[@barryscott8041]

Don't be embarrassed about your tears at the end. My girlfriend and I saw this movie in the theater when it came out. Everyone was affected and in tears, people crying in the hallways as we left, Girlfriend sobbed......truly a great film

[@notsureyou]

"My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius, commander of the Armies of the North, General of the Felix Legions and loyal servant to the true emperor, Marcus Aurelius. Father to a murdered son. Husband to a murdered wife. And I will have my vengeance, in this life or the next. Please leave a message after the tone"

[@terryallen345]

My vote for comment of the year 😂

[@shaunfinch1190]

RIP the great Oliver Reed in his last film , a legend in the UK for on screen as well as off screen performances.

[@MegaForrestgump]

Juaquin did a brilliant job at playing the villain. From the confidence he feigned, the despair of missing his dream, the force with which he took it and the sheer depravity of the character he played. Just a brilliant actor.

[@TheWindcrow]

Shanelle: I love this role for Joaquin Phoenix.... famous last words.

[@nullunit]

Saw it in theaters with my roommates, it was amazing, and we all became obsessed with everything of the period for a long while. One friend got the SPQR tattooed on his should like the one Maximus scraped off. Highly recommend the HBO show ROME. It is 2 seasons that is just telling the story of 2 soldiers in service to Julius Caesar and then his successor Augustus; they are sort of like Rosencrantz and Guildenstern but in Roman times and very good at killing stuff. It is one of the early HBO shows like Sopranos, Band of Brothers, and the Wire that sort of started the ball rolling on all of the premium TV and shows that we have become used to now in the age of streaming.

[@bghammock]

Joaquin Phoenix and Russell Crowe were amazing in this movie

[@ph8429]

I saw this in theater with my mother. I think i was a freshman in high school. We enjoyed it so much. I remember when we came out it had started pouring rain. We were in such good moods we just walked the few blocks back home in the pouring rain without even trying to keep dry. It is a very good memory I have of her.

[@jeffreykopec6532]

It's a testament to how emotionally charged this movie is, that you tried to be cool and analytical towards it but couldn't help getting emotional at the end

[@jeffburnham6611]

They got other aspects of Roman history wrong as well. Marcus Aurelius named his son Commodus 'Caesar' in 166 AD, and actually Commodus had been ruling jointly with Marcus since 177 AD. There wasn't this conflict between Marcus and Commodus as to who would succeed him when he died. Marcus died in 180 AD of natural causes, he wasn't murdered by Commodus.

[@TheJamieRamone]

1:06 - I liked River (R.I.P. U_U) better as an actor, but Joaquin's competent, I'll give him that.

[@totomomo18]

Great movie. This movie has one of my favorite quotes "I don't pretend to be a man of the people but I do try to be a man for the people" by Gracchus. You know the actor who play Gracchus played Claudius the emperor that is mention in the movie in a great mini series I, Claudius. Other great Russell Crowe movies you should see is A Beautiful Mind, L.A. Confidential ,The Next Three Days. Other great period movies are Rob Roi 1995 with Liam Nissan and The Count of Monte Cristo 2002

[@martynhill3479]

I Claudius was a great show , very theatrical but still great, good cast with actors like John Hurt and Patrick Stewart among others

[@Jon_from_LI]

Yes, this movie made grown men cry by the ending.

[@Stevarooni]

"What we do in life echoes through eternity."

[@aliperro]

Anecdote time: As I was leaving the movie theater after watching Gladiator, my mom sneezed ultra-strongly and startled all the viewers who were leaving the room sadly and quietly. So many people screaming "AAAH! OH MY GOD LADY!!! JESUS!!!" What a hilarious comedic relief after the sad ending. I will always treasure it in my heart. 😂

[@slappyslappenheimer8046]

I saw this in the theatres when it came out and I'm man enough to say that I cried. This is a fantastic film.

[@1MahaDas]

I watched this film with a friend at a local theatre when it was initially released. I was particularly impressed by Russel Crowe's grief scene but also by the Coliseum shots! Ridley Scott brilliantly succeeded in recreating life in ancient Rome! Hail Ridley Scott, hail Russel Crowe, hail Hans Zimmer!

[@evanwarped5870]

I must have seen Gladiator 3 or 4 times in theater when it first came out. Was so epic. My friends and I all thought it was awesome.

[@MegaTurkeylips]

So refreshing to watch a knowledgeable reactor who even gives us a taste of trivia at the end. You just added to my 'Gladiator' experience. Thanks.

[@wombat5334]

I loved this movie (still do!) I remember catching a glimpse of filming near Valetta (Malta) and had no idea it was for _this_ movie - but was blown away when it came out!

[@shakawhenthewallsfell8570]

I saw this in the theaters when it came out and it was an experience. I remember how people giggled at the end, when everyone walks off with Maximus' body, and left Commodus to just lay there and attract flies.

[@Cheryworld]

The real Emperor Marcus Aurelius is remembered as a stoic philosopher. His book The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius sells 100,000 copies, 1800 years after his death

[@alanhilton3611]

I'm normally quite a stoic person but this beautiful film got me at the end.😢

[@tj_2701]

Fun fact: Thumbs Up actually ment the crowd was voting for death, as it was seen as a gesture of a knife to the throat.

[@brucefale6132]

Fun fact. It was cinematic BS. This gesture was never used in ancient Rome.

[@ktotheramer]

One of the. Best cinematic villains ever!

[@CChissel]

They would sometimes flood the coliseum so they could stage naval battles too, which is kind of crazy to imagine, but it’s true. Rome was wild.

[@meredithmiller7016]

I'm curious if you've seen King Arthur. It's another epic story like this one. One of my favorite historical fantasy movies and worth checking out if you haven't already!

[@TheScorpio1999]

This film is such a gem. I always come back to this movie from time to time and there's always this magical air about it. Blows my mind to this day that Ridley Scott didn't really have a plan or an actual script going into this movie. One wouldn't ever know that going into this if Russell Crowe hadn't said as much in an interview. Such a great film.

[@nocarbonfootprint9120]

Saw it in the theater and had much the same reaction as you did...i was wrecked. I've actually known Joaquin since he was a pre-teen in Gainesville, FL....what an amazing body of work he has put together! a really special talent. I don't if anyone has mentioned it, but Oliver Reed died during filming and they had to work around that.

[@billschmidt8261]

I was so stunned at the realism that when I saw this in the theater, I got a passport and went to Rome to see the coliseum and other Roman buildings that still stand.

[@davidg5506]

My favorite Joaquin performance, and one of my favorite performances ever.

[@Rejeckted]

It is Richard Harris, aka OG Dumbledore

[@rxlxviii]

If you want to watch an excellent film, you should check out Searching For Bobby Fischer. I know it probably won't get a lot of views since it was a theatrical flop, but it's an overlooked excellent film. As someone who wants to make movies, this film is a must watch.

[@mpearson1280]

I saw this in the theater. It was the first movie I was brave enough to go to alone. The movie blew me away and is still one of my favorites if not the favorite. Joaquin was amazing!

[@frankbowman9493]

Great reaction, Shan! I was glad to experience the same emotions again with you. I have some experience with stage rather than cinema, but there are overlapping elements and I appreciate your perspective.

[@barrymiller3385]

Oliver Reed and Richard Harris were both legendary drinkers. Of course their solution would be to get Joaquin Phoenix drunk! 🤣

[@nathancline4000]

Gladiator is a very rare film for me in that I went and saw it more than once in theaters. Off the top of my head, the only others to accomplish that were the Star Wars Special Editions and the Prequels.