Gladiator (2000) Wife's First Time Watching! Movie Reaction!

[@TBRSchmitt]

It was so awesome to experience this emotional and epic film with Sam for her first time! We have done a handful of Ridley Scott and Russell Crowe films on the channel and all of them have been top tier for us! What are some other movies by these two that we need to check out! Thank you all for your support!

[@athos1974]

Cinderella Man with Crowe. After watching that movie, I finally understood what my great-grandparents went thru as they lived during the Great Depression 1930s. A fantastic movie about never giving up.

[@themaxpowerway]

A Beautiful Mind, Cinderella Man and The Quick and the Dead for Russell Crowe The Martian and Matchstick Men for Ridley Scott

[@projectdelta50]

Hope you get a chance to check out Pitch Black with Vin Diesel. The Riddick trilogy is really fun to get into

[@PrimitiveFilmGroup]

Nothing is better than *The Insider* when it comes to Russell Crowe, and throw in AL Pacino, and Michael Mann as director...a masterpiece

[@maggieshevelew7579]

“A Beautiful Mind”, definitely “Cinderella Man” (2005), and one less suggested, but fantastic movie, the western “3:10 To Yuma” (the 2007 remake), with both Russell Crowe and Christian Bale.

[@jimtatro6550]

“I will see you again….but not yet.” This was one of the last movies I saw with my dad theatrically before he died. Great movie, excellent father.😢

[@TBRSchmitt]

I’m so sorry for your loss

[@powerbadpowerbad]

I am sorry for your loss,Jim,my father passed away 10 yrs ago and my mother 4 yrs ago.I miss them both.

[@Čangrizavi_Cinik]

"Ave Caesar, morituri te salutant !". Heil Caesar, those who are dying are saluting you.

[@tonyyul703]

@@TBRSchmitt *GLADIATOR* *300* and *The Last Samurai*

[@weescamp]

Sincerest sympathy for your loss.

[@turkey2003]

Props to the guy in the first fight when he asked if anyone had any military experience says "I served with you in vindabona". He knew who he was all along and kept his secret.

[@thedudeabides2531]

The Emperor in the beginning is not actually Julius Caesar. That's Marcus Aurelius. He was a Roman Emperor who came some time after Julius Caesar. All the Roman Emperors after Caesar just liked to call themselves "Caesar" because of the glory that came with that title.

[@shanenolan8252]

Yes julius ceaser son octavian inherited the name and it passed down with each emperor, marcus was around 200 plus years later , he was the last of the greatest Roman emperors.

[@havok6280]

Russian czars and German Kaisers also take their title from Julius Caesar.

[@havok6280]

@@shanenolan8252 Octavius was Caesar's nephew and adopted son.

[@StinkyGreenBud]

@@shanenolan8252 *the greatest you mean. His writings and philosophy are my favorite.

[@shanenolan8252]

@@havok6280 yes , nephew and adopted son , but adopted means the same thing. ( more so with blood connection) he did have a natural so ceasarian ( little ceaser) Octavian is rumoured to have had him killed. Years after ceaser died .

[@dramakingnyc937]

"My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius... Father to a murdered son, husband to a murdered wife... And I shall have my vengeance, in this life or the next"... Top 5 greatest movies ever made!!

[@misterknister18]

Russell Crowe did not like the line and did not want to say it. He thought it was too cheesy. He had an argument with Scott about it.

[@Čangrizavi_Cinik]

-Cop, you dont want to give me a ticket. -Why, who you think you are? - My name is.....

[@Stevarooni]

@@misterknister18 without the music and film editing, it could have been much weaker.

[@philshorten3221]

I was entertained! 😂

[@dramakingnyc937]

@@misterknister18 ... Good thing he didn't win that argument... That line gets me hype everytime!

[@athos1974]

Oliver Reed's last role as the old gladiator trainer Antonius Proximo. He died during filming this movie. What a fantastic actor. He was also was in "The Three Musketeers" & "The Four Musketeers" Two of my favorite movies. My Nom de Plume is named after his role in the Musketeers movies.

[@waterbeauty85]

Richard Lester's Three Musketeers movies are great. People who haven't seen them are seriously missing out.

[@athos1974]

@@waterbeauty85 Agree 💯%

[@vilefly]

Oliver Reed also hated Russel Crowe passionately. Wanted to beat the tar out of him. That look of contempt every time he is looking at Crowe is very real in nearly every scene with him. Watch for it. Russell Crowe and Oliver Reed hated each other so much during the filming of "Gladiator" (2000) that they would often get into drunken fist fights. "It was hard to stop them", director Ridley Scott said, "no one liked either of them so it was a win/win for the rest of us"

[@karlmortoniv2951]

Oliver Reed was infamously difficult to know - the same has been said of Russell Crowe, to a less extreme level. Here's a guy on the internet playing armchair psychologist to people he's never met, but I wonder if they each saw things they didn't like about themselves in the other and reacted negatively? They're both uncommonly intelligent guys, and obviously capable of considerable self examination although they'd probably rather drop dead on the spot than admit it. Reed (and maybe Crowe on a bad day) might have been a bit of a bully who picked on people to amuse himself but if he decided you were his kind of person he was your best friend until the end - I've spoken to both sorts of people. Reed seems to have thought the acting/movie star thing was beneath any serious-minded, intelligent person but he could do it quite easily and that might have brought a measure of self loathing to his personal and professional life. If he clicked with a director or another actor he was working with he could effortlessly bring his A game and annihilate all around him like few others and he could be a generous and supportive partner in a scene but if he thought you were an idiot or decided the project was a waste of time good only for a paycheck, good luck getting out with all your teeth intact. The stories around Reed's death usually involve 61 year old Reed challenging dozens of sailors a third his age to arm wrestling matches for drinks into the wee hours of the morning and finally just dropping dead of an accumulation of things. We will not see his like again.

[@charonspass]

And Oliver twist

[@wilsonserv]

The actor who played Maximus's servant, Tommy Flanagan was also the guy in Braveheart whose wife was taken away on their wedding day. He also was in Sons of Anarchy. Got his scars when he was jumped by a gang outside a club in Glasgow and they slashed him badly.

[@melanie62954]

Good old Glasgow smile.

[@rodrigofoli]

Jaaackee boooii this place is fantaastic

[@mikeortiz6008]

I love Tommy in Son's of Anarchy one of my favorite shows and he is bad ass in that show!

[@genghisgalahad8465]

Have you seen Sons of Anarchy? He's supposed be in it!

[@Th3Gam3925]

He was also a henchman in Face Off and an irish bomber in Sin City.

[@kingwacky184]

The Colosseum was a structural marvel at the time. It had elevators and the arena could even be flooded to hold mock naval battles. For the time it was an incredible structure.

[@youtmeme]

there were, found, to be like 2 of these. who knows if there were more or how extensive they were...but they seem very unusual.

[@jasonsabbath6996]

It also had a retractable roof! Truly an architectural marvel!

[@brookeconroy6227]

I hear Jay Z once played there too

[@OriginalPuro]

@@brookeconroy6227 Who is that?

[@Lachausis]

bUt ThE pYrAmIdS wErE bUiLt bY aLiEnS

[@Cadinho93]

"Brothers, what we do in life... echoes in eternity." Gladiator is an epic Ancient Roman historic drama masterpiece. It works on so many levels: the acting is phenomenal, the story is compelling, the backdrop of the film is beautiful. It's destined to be a classic, which is a film that can be watched and appreciated with each subseqent viewing. Also, Hans Zimmer does an excellent job in composing beautiful music that captures the tone of the film. The song, "Now We Are Free" by Lisa Gerrard that plays during the film credits is hauntingly beautiful and hypnotic. It's simply one of the greatest film scores ever made and shall be timeless for the rest of time.

[@erikjohnson3859]

This movie is as historical as The Green Knight or Inglorious Basterds.

[@ComradeCommissarYuri]

I heard talk of a sequel recently

[@dozicusmaximus]

It’s nice to see someone mention the soundtrack. Especially Lisa. Her voice is incredible. I still feel that the end of The Mist would have way less impact without her voice.

[@CyclonChick]

This is my favorite line from a movie, ever!

[@Nimzzeee]

Djimon Hounsou is such an underrated actor, his standout performance is in Amistad. Spielberg, Djimon Hounsou, Morgan Freeman, Matthew Mcconaughey, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Anthony Hopkins, Stella Skarsgard, Anna Paquin, Pete Postlethwaite etc etc MUST WATCH

[@quicksilvermad]

Oh MAN, Amistad (1997) needs to be seen more. I watched it in my American history class in high school. God, Djimon Hounsou was incredible in Amistad. And Blood Diamond (2006).

[@gregquinn7817]

After Julius Ceaser the name Ceaser was used as a title like King or emperor. In fact the German Kaiser and Russian Tzar is all from the word Ceaser. This "Ceaser" or Emperor is Marcus Aurelius...who is today noted as a great philosopher.

[@ENTE-METAL]

As a german who was taught about european history in school, this film really blew my brain. One of my favorite films. By the way, the big guy is a german actor named Ralf Möller, who happened to grow up in my neighboring town of Recklinghausen. Keep up the great work. Lots of love from Bochum/Germany.

[@BlankSpace83]

Bochum….🎶🎶🎶

[@Mr.Wendigo]

I remember that Ralf Möller, among his many roles in films and TV series, played the role of Conan the Barbarian in an adaptation of the TV series

[@AKRex]

He actually appeared in several movies back in the days. I remember him from Conan the Barbarian TV series. Also he was in "Best of the Best 2" as the antagonist/ final boss, and I think he was also in a movie called "Viking Saga" (?)

[@Trapper50cal]

Richard Harris puts in the same effort and quality into this role as all his others, even with it being so small (short). What an actor.

[@thebookgeek87]

This movie never fails to make me cry. Incredible film.

[@juvandy]

To me, the greatest moment of this movie is when Quintus says "sheathe your swords!" The guy was just following orders at the beginning, but here, he shows where his loyalty is. And everything Djimon Honsou does, of course. He rules in this.

[@Seereene1]

I cried like a baby at the end of this film. We saw it in the theater and my family laughed at me...like 'why are you crying at an action film?' I feel vindicated...lolol.

[@jamesfrench7299]

They sound like emotionally stunted cretins. The ending is a great payoff.

[@SC-gp7kt]

I did too

[@falsenostalgia-shannon]

Action films are among the most likely to make me cry! (GOOD ones, like this, lol.)

[@jdc7923]

The battlefield near where the Emperor was murdered was in Germania (very roughly where Germany is today). Maximus's farm and family were in Spain. Maximus had to ride hundreds of miles to get to his family.

[@MCO1407]

I remember my mom and dad talking about seeing this in the theater on date night while I was away at college. Lost my dad two years later and I cry every time I see this movie, that's the reunion I dream of. I think anything with family and with Hans Zimmer score gets me every time. Beautiful film.

[@sharkdentures3247]

"AM I NOT MERCIFUL!" I heard that Joaquin Phoenix actually IMPROVISED screaming that line at the last second. So, the startled/ terrified expression you see is actually the ACTRESS'S reaction to that surprise performance. Not the "character's". Oh, that ending! The score, the effects, the performances, the tone. . . . just RIPS tears out of my eyes. So good.

[@genghisgalahad8465]

Usually not the case. Plus it needs to be controlled when voice volume is involved. And they don't just set up lighting and angles for a big film and have actor do suddenly unexpected take especially for a big moment. Wouldn't make sense.

[@oslafoirausuebutuoy5457]

39:59 In my opinion he deserved an oscar. One of the things that stand out to me of his performance is that he is not just a two-dimensional bad guy that you are supposed to hate. You do hate him but he also feels like a human being who feels pain, sadness, love, insecurity... You can feel it all in his performance. I think his work here is often underrated because Maximus is such a great protagonist that you want to root for that when people think of this film they think of him.

[@misterbobby8913]

His reactions to the gladiator games are just perfect

[@kgunitkeese17]

We should also give a major hand to the late Oliver Reed, who played Proximo. His monologue about what it was like in the Colosseum was second to none when it comes to acting IMO.

[@oslafoirausuebutuoy5457]

@@kgunitkeese17 100%

[@Ozai75]

Mind at this time in the Empire "Caesar" was a title, not his name. The OG Caesar was never Emperor, having been murdered by the Senators in Rome, and then his heir (not family related) Octavian became "Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus" and became the first Emperor of Rome. This is a bit down the line from that! Oh and the SPQR tattoo means "Senatus Populusque Romanus ." The people and Senate of Rome. Fascinatingly enough it's still on Manhole covers and other public facilities in Rome to this day!

[@tjchesney4997]

It's well known that Oliver Reed died during the making of this film. He challenged a crew from a British Navy Ship to a drinking competition. It's alleged, that he drank eight pints of lager; twelve double rums and a half-a-bottle-whisky. He died of a heart attack. More than that he died the hellraiser, that we loved him for being. Oliver Reed. You're the man. R.I.P.

[@JeffersonMills]

Among all the epic storytelling and performances, Joaquin Phoenix just pulled out all the stops. This is the film that really put him on the map as an actor.

[@MSgt_0699]

I always thought Gladiator was one of the most perfect movies. Acting, story, cinematography, score, ...it's all at an epic level.

[@MichaelJohnson-vi6eh]

It is a great movie, but like that scottish film, it really takes alot of liberties with history.

[@miderg]

Richard Harris, the old emperor, was a famous actor. 'A Man Called Horse' is really good. I saw him on stage 40 yrs ago as King Arthur in the musical Camelot.

[@digitalintent]

The guy who plays Tigris of Gaul is one of Arnold Schwarzenegger's good friends. His name is Sven-Ole Thorsen and besides Arnold himself, he's been in more Schwarzenegger movies than any other actor. You've already seen him in a few of the Arnold movies you've watched. He's one of the Klane brothers in Twins (appears at the cowboy bar), fights Arnold in the snow in Red Heat, executes a hostage and gets blown out a window in Predator ("Knock, Knock"), is Richard Dawson huge bodyguard in The Running Man, tells the crowd not to shoot during the funeral scene in The Last Action Hero, and most famously is the giant hammer wielding henchman who gets impaled by the trap in Conan the Barbarian.

[@Madbandit77]

Sven Ole-Thorsen is his name. He also played security guard LaFours in Kevin Smith's "Mallrats".

[@keyumajackson99]

Thorsen also appeared in Red Sonja and Conan the Destroyer both times covered in black armor.

[@Daniel-Strain]

TBR's comment about not feeling the emotional parts as much when he was a kid: I've noticed this too. The empathy centers of the brain don't fully form until about age 26. That's why children can often be so cruel. Their brains aren't fully formed yet.

[@weldonwin]

Fun History Fact: Commodus was a real Roman Emperor and really did fight in the arena as a gladiator, where the fights would be rigged. There is an infamous incident, where he had hundreds of disabled and elderly people rounded up from the city, brought to the arena and dumped there. Out comes Commodus, dressed as Hercules and armed with a club, and proceeds to batter them to death. He got his though, when he left out a list of names of people he was going to have killed, his mistress found it and saw her name on the top of the list and talked Commodus' personal trainer into assassinating him by throttling him in the bath.

[@leonmrs16]

06:55 "you can see you eney across the batllefield" DAMN THATS A GOOD LINE

[@ladygeekgirl]

Best quote ever... "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." This is one of my top 5 films! So glad you guys watched it and enjoyed it!

[@javix2013]

if you have already seen Gladiator, now it is mandatory that you see: Braveheart and The Last Samurai, all the KZbinrs of reactions that have seen Gladiator, see those other 2 shortly, because they are the best movies of this genre along with Gladiator, and people they are recommended, that trilogy of epic movies is unmissable.

[@samantha_schmitt]

We’ve both seen Braveheart but The Last Samurai is on our list!

[@paintedjaguar]

💫I guess you've never seen "Ben-Hur" (1959) or "El Cid" (1961) or "The Wind and the Lion" (1975) or "Spartacus" (1960) or "Rob Roy" (1995) or "The Fall of the Roman Empire" (1964) or "Doctor Zhivago" (1965) or "Gone with the Wind" (1939). The point is, cinema history didn't start with the 1990s.

[@guymorris6596]

Master and Commander.

[@paintedjaguar]

@@guymorris6596 Probably the best Age of Sail movie I've seen, but also "Mutiny on the Bounty" (all 3 versions), "Damn the Defiant", and "Captain Horatio Hornblower".

[@jeffreydavid6794]

Yea the Roman Empire was a very technologically advanced and sophisticated civilization. They had running water, and their engineering skills were amazing when you look at the structures they were able to build. They were known for their roads. And their warfare tactics and equipment was state of the art at that time. They even had the coliseum set up where they could flood the bottom of it so they could have shows that involved ships and things. I would love to go back in time and see what it was like for just a second.

[@houseofaction]

they also had heated houses and heated floors.

[@jeffreydavid6794]

@@houseofaction Yea I forgot about that.

[@spddracer]

This qualifies as an Epic. It is so good. Glad yall enjoyed it.

[@JeffOfTheMountains]

This is one of a few movies I'll never hesitate to watch, even after having watched it dozens of times. Everything just works in it. The music is fantastic, the fight scenes are epic, and its legacy even 22 years later speaks for itself.

[@timothyhedrick5295]

Oliver Reed, the actor who played Proximo owner of Maximus and the other gladiators, actually died unexpectedly during filming and they had to CGI his face onto a stand-in for the final scene where he was killed by the Roman soldiers for not opening the gate to his compound. You can barely tell but they actually did a pretty good job with it. One of my favorite films. Great reaction!

[@Stogie2112]

Joaquin Phoenix gave the best performance of his life, IMO. His portrayal of Commodus is second to none.

[@FuryOfCalderon]

We used to make movie like these. Damn. "Not yet." gets me every time.

[@eliasb8]

46:03 "A Beautiful Mind" from 2001 is another great Russell Crowe movie. It has a stellar cast and won 4 Oscars. I love this movie! Based on a true story.

[@BertonMelch]

Such a good movie

[@cmstone5178]

The chanting from the enemy army at the beginning was taken directly from the movie Zulu. Another classic definitely worth a watch.

[@DamagedButManaging]

Saw this in theaters because Ridley Scott has an eye for cinematography that is so incredible on the big screen. And the cheers when Maximus pulled off the mask and faced down Commodus were fantastic. One of my many favorites!

[@lockekappa500]

I saw this in the theatres randomly, with no comprehension of what to expect. And I can wholeheartedly state that I believe the experience there is the cornerstone for my love for films and tv. I'll never forget how surprised and enamored I was with what I saw.

[@1972dsrai]

I’ve visited the Colosseum when and its truly an amazing feat of architecture for its time and to still be standing. When inside you do get a real sense of what it must have been like in its heyday.

[@batmanvsjoker7725]

No matter how many times I watch this, I still cry at "I will see you again... but not yet" 😭

[@TheLanceUppercut]

Talking about how elaborate the Colosseum was: they used to be able to flood the floor of it, and stage mock naval battles. It was a true wonder of engineering.

[@waterbeauty85]

If you ever rewarch "The Nice Guys", notice that, when Russell Crowe fights Keith David, he uses the same punch combination that he used on Joaquin Phoenix in "Gladiator." "The Nice Guys" has lots of little homages to other movies.

[@Bar-Lord]

I caught this when it came out on DVD in 2000. Little did I know I’d be standing outside the Colosseum that coming summer (sadly the interior was closed to the public at the time). I appreciated it way more having recently seen this film. If anyone ever gets the opportunity, don’t skip out. I guarantee you’ll regret it down the line.

[@Čangrizavi_Cinik]

I was close to the few coloseums: in Croatia, Tunisia, North of Italy... But never was in the main one, Rome.

[@CYB3R2K]

I mean dealing with Rome's traffic

[@Drizzl1335]

I love this movie! I saw this in the theater and I held it together until what is one of my favorite quotes/lines in movies........." He was a soldier of Rome..... honor him." Gets me every time. That along with the score playing in the background. Definitely one of those movies that no matter where I come in on it, I watch it until the end! Great reaction as usual.

[@ryanhampson673]

Marcus Aurelius was one of if not the greatest of Rome’s emperors. He was very introspective. He told a servant to whisper in his ear everyday “You are just a man” to remind him to not to get carried away with power. He wrote his philosophy and his idea for living a noble life down and it was compiled into a book that you can still read today “Meditations”

[@paulieluppino1856]

I was 12 when this movie came out, I've seen it a bazillion times, and still gives me the chills when I hear Maximus's speech in the arena..... One of my favourite cinema moments.......

[@sullyfox4993]

A little bit of Gladiator trivia: The actor who plays Proximo (the legendary Oliver Reed) passed away suddenly while filming, leaving director Ridley Scott in a bit of a situation since all of Oliver Reed's scenes had not yet been shot. For several of his scenes in the movie, Proximo was replaced by a digital double, using a combination of out-of-context previously shot scenes and CGI, making it one of the earliest (if not first) digital doubles used in film history. You'd never know it just casually watching the movie, but once you know, those scenes begin to stand out.

[@monsterkhan3414]

Another great team up of Ridley Scott and Russell Crowe is "American Gangster" (2007).

[@YoureMrLebowski]

31:19 "...that was badass." 😆 doing an impression of a teenage Schmitt. sounds about 12. 🎂

[@TheNOJUSTICEJUSTUS]

“Honor him” always gets me 😢

[@stratocruising]

One tiny little detail I just noticed. For years, architects were perplexed by some odd features in the design of the colosseum. Engineers finally determined they were the supports for cantilevered awnings used as sunshades for the attendees. If you notice on the exterior shots of the colosseum, they included those awnings.

[@LudusAurea]

The colosseum actually had a system linked to the city plumbing where it could literally be flooded to have mock naval battles. In addition to the various trapdoors and pulley systems and stuff. It was absolutely amazing by all accounts, engineering genius. You can see it in that first shot, it also had retractable awnings all around the top too.

[@houseofaction]

correction the ground would open up

[@Mamarozan]

The trap doors for the tigers were actually elevators, which says a lot about the engineering of the Colosseum. They also used the aqueducts to hold naval battles inside on rare occasions.

[@RABartlett]

I like the arc of Samantha asking (very fair!) questions about some early plot issues to just going with it and in tears by the end.

[@s0me0ne1se]

“You watched this as a kid?” Yeah, us 80’s and 90’s kids ARE built different.

[@paulg123]

As soon as the end credits rolled in the theatre, I knew this movie would most likely win Best Picture. I saw this at the Cinerama Dome in Hollywood and it was a great experience. This film was put together so well. The spot-on casting, the production design, costume design, the editing, the CG effects, the score and the acting......all incredible performances from every angle. The ending, my gosh, it always gets me in tears.

[@stretch4872]

Yes, the coliseum was a genius work of construction. Not only did it have the features that you see in this movie, it was also watertight and would be filled with water for mock naval battles. We studied detailed architectural drawings of several structures of ancient Rome that are truly amazing.

[@2mon249]

Everytime I watch this movie I'm reminded at how truely blessed I am to have served overseas and come back to my wife and child. I felt his pain though.

[@jean-philippedoyon9904]

Ridley Scott touch so many different genre, it's pretty amazing when you think about it...If you want another similar movie of his, Kingdom of Heaven director's cut is pretty epic too !

[@swesr]

The sound of the Commodus sliding off the dagger, then the thud, and the silent crowd makes for maybe the most satisfying death in movie history Cinderella Man, A Beautiful Mind, and 3:10 to Yuma are 3 TOP tier Russel movies I didn't hear you mention and would very much recommend

[@davidspellman2566]

When I saw that you two were going to watch this movie, I said "Yes!😅" And you didn't disappoint! One of my favorite movies, along with Godfather 1 & 2 and maybe a handful of others, such as Forrest Gump, Shawshank Redemtion & The Green Mile. "He was a soldier of Rome, honor him!"... Gets me every time💔❤ GREAT REACTIONS!!!!

[@jinchoung]

maybe my favorite movie quote of all time, "what we do in life echoes in eternity!"

[@Nimzzeee]

4:10 she's also in the devil's advocate. A movie that would make for a great reaction

[@huliohuliohamijo]

9:49 In that time when politicians or military leaders got killed in power struggles between families they usually killed their family as well, not just them. They did that to prevent reprisals from their family members in the future. It's like the beginning of The Godfather 2, when the boss had a dispute with Vito's father, after killing him he went for his sons as well, and later we see why he did that when a grown up Vito comes back and brutally kills him as revenge.

[@catherinelw9365]

You guys would probably be surprised by how technically advanced Rome was. They had central heating (radiant floors), sophisticated aqueducts still standing today, spas, and they developed a concrete that gets harder the longer it is in water (used for building ports).

[@michaelsegriff3362]

Great to see TBR’s reaction as an adult, after first seeing this as a young teenager. Very deep and nuanced film. Sam was very invested. Great job, guys. This was Oscar winner for Best Picture 2000.

[@frankgesuele6298]

The Up/Down thumbs are historically in dispute. They are from the 1872 painting Pollice Verso(Turned Thumb) by Jean Leon Gerome. The thumbs down meant life as it signaled the Victor to put his sword or spear tip into the sand, whereas death was a horizontal thumb signaling the Victor to give the death blow. As with other things what becomes popular is not always true.

[@ridleysaria]

Commodus spot on reminds me of narcissists I’ve known in real life. They’re awful in every way and just can’t comprehend why no one loves or admires them. Amazing performance from Joaquin.

[@PapaMojo75]

15:31 Shout out to Shawn Carter....what more can I say......

[@chadwickvon8019]

Super pumped for this, Joaquin Phoenix does a superb job in this movie.

[@andreshernandez6434]

Tbr and Sam. This movie means a lot for me cause my mom. She lived part of her young life in Rome. I was 10 when we watched this at the cinema. Its difficult to me watch this movie nowadays, cause I miss her too much. Thaks a lot guys!

[@KreshDraven6]

Favorite film of all time. Incredible performances, direction, cinematography, fantastic narrative and a superb score by Zimmer. Chills AND tears every single time I watch this masterpiece, Gladiator has one of the most powerful endings that I've ever seen

[@shainewhite2781]

20:44, such a badass moment in film history!

[@patriciarp9686]

I saw Gladiator twice in the cinema in 2000. The first time, I didn't know anything about history, but I got involved in such a way that it was unforgettable until today. The movie theater was full of high school students, I could see the emotion in all those teenagers and I couldn't hold back tears myself. So I took my husband (then boyfriend) to see the movie with me again and he loved it so much. Gladiator is a super work. Your reaction is fantastic.

[@Uncle_T]

Just a note: The chariot racing was not part of gladiator games but took place in Circus Maximus which was purpose built for the races. Though they too could be extremely deadly, the turns were purposefully built to be very sharp to increase risk of accidents and "action", the drivers were not gladiators. :)

[@Imzadi76]

Watched it twice in theaters and had the biggest crush on Russell Crowe after this. It also led me to another favorite of mine: L. A. confidential. Something that was unusual for this type of movie, the audience consisted pretty even between male and female audience.

[@davidlexen1817]

The actress that played Caesars daughter and Joaquin, Phoenix‘s sister, Angie Everhart was a sports illustrated model in the 1990s as well as posing for playboy as well and she also played a gladiator in the live action contest type TV show called American gladiators

[@catherinelw9365]

Enjoyed your reaction and discussion, as always. One of HBO’s greatest mini-series is Rome, which depicts the fall of the Roman Republic, the rise of Julius Caesar, and the beginning of the Empire. You guys would love it. Great writing, acting, sets, costume, plus historical accuracy in terms of customs, beliefs, culture, etc. The politics reminds that nothing has changed. Well worth watching!

[@michaeljames6817]

It wasn't a mini-series as it went two seasons, it was just cancelled early because HBO needed the budget for Game of Thrones.

[@skylar7740]

As an archaeologist there are so many historical inaccuracies but my God this movie is truly amazing and epic.

[@CMinorOp67]

17:18: “Then, kiss me…” Samantha’s reaction made me chuckle. (The coliseum IS amazing in person.) I absolutely love this movie. One of my fave action flicks. And, Maximus’ death ALWAYS makes me cry.

[@bankbarcomo806]

28:30 this is just reused film from the earlier "shadows and dust" scene, because the actor unfortunately died during filming.

[@mikeortiz6008]

Russell Crowe and Joaquin Phoenix were so awesome in their interactions with each other. The direction, the music I don't say this too much about certain movies but this was an epic motion picture! Great reaction!

[@aaronmm71]

15:21 ..Samantha’s reaction when Maximus cuts guy’s head off 😂😂😂

[@CineRam]

A very under-rated Russell Crowe drama is "The Next Three Days". Elizabeth Banks plays his wife...but you shouldn't know any more about the movie before you see it. Another fun movie from early in his career is the western "The Quick And The Dead", five years before Gladiator. His co-stars are Sharon Stone, Leonardo DiCaprio and Gene Hackman. My favorite Ridley Scott film is "Thelma & Louise" I hope you'll see that one too.

[@jillfromatlanta427]

The Next Three Days was excellent. Brian Dennehy and Liam Neeson contributed. Usually ignored but a really good role for Crowe.

[@Stogie2112]

Commodus had Maximus's family killed for two reasons: His need for personal vengeance against Maximus and to prevent Maximus's family (especially his son) from seeking revenge in the future.

[@hannahprose]

Fantastic! Been looking forward to this all week!

[@abc123tiktok]

One of my favorite movies and loosely based on two historical events. Spartacus a gladiator/slave that lead a rebellion and was pretty successful but is believe to have died in Third Servile War. Commodus who was real emperor that fought as a gladiator though believed often to cheat. Was not to far off of not being a good person. He was eventually assassinated by Narcissus, believed to be a wrestler and personal trainer of Commodus to help him prepare to become a gladiator. While Commodus did have a sister that tried to assassinate him she failed and was executed. Marcia, Commodus concubine did play a heavy role in the assassination of Commodus but in roman fashion was killed herself not too long after.

[@ktotheramer]

SUCH AN EPIC FILM! It made the careers of Crowe and Phoenix!

[@broodhunter2]

The maggots are a medical treatment. See, Maggots only eat dead flesh, so by eating the dead flesh they also help prevent infections. Believe it or not, this is (rarely) still done today in some cases as maggots are cheap and amazingly efficient at it.

[@tomaskennedy]

I love how Maximus' vision of the afterlife is the road leading downhill toward his farm, with his wife and son waiting for him.

[@coreyhendricks9490]

Cool reaction as always Schmitt & Samantha, you both take care

[@maingate7672]

You have to watch ''Spartacus'', the original, 1962 adaptation, starring Kirk Douglas, Sir Laurence Olivier and Tony Curtis (Father of Jamie Lee Curtis). It's a true classic.

[@IntenseSarcasm]

Sams narrowed eyes every time Commodus is being creepy with his sister had me laughing my ass off!

[@cstephen98]

I always get a kick out of the scene where he names out his horses, 'Silver' and 'Trigger', lol.

[@waterbeauty85]

Killing off Maximus and his family is sort of like Tokugawa killing off the Toyotomi family even after he had seized power from them and the surviving members of the family had made concessions to him so he would allow them to live. Even if they completely cooperated with him, their name alone could be used to rally people who still had lingering loyalty to the Toyotomi or people who just wanted to overthrow Tokugawa, so Tokugawa believed it was necessary to eradicate the Toyotomi lineage, their name and legacy.

[@chefskiss6179]

One of those gems you click "Like" on principle alone.

[@genghisgalahad8465]

So elevated that you guys are finally getting to experience Gladiator! It is almost an annual tradition for me now to watch it! The arc! Now it's on your reaction channel! And TBR recalling the necessity of forward movement from Band of Brothers in opening battle! The journeys on your channel!

[@BoxOKittens]

I think you meant 'elated' not 'elevated', friend.

[@genghisgalahad8465]

@@BoxOKittens elated too, sure, but I actually meant "elevated" to greater heights of thrill and edification! It's not like a bloody thrilling epic is accurately uplifting like Coco or Moana or A Christmas Carol. I meant what I said, and I said what I...mint. But elated works! Thanks!

[@BoxOKittens]

@@genghisgalahad8465 Ah, I see. No worries!

[@genghisgalahad8465]

@@BoxOKittens oh I wasn't worried at all about your concern that I might not have been elevated to new heights by seeing Gladiator reaction on TBR Schmitt's channel. And why I'm not necessarily elated. Glad you're not too put off by it. Uplift wouldn't totally be the right word either. But I'm ELATED now you're okay with it...