![]() Several of the cast complained about the writing quality throughout the nineteen-week shoot in Fort Ricasoli, Malta, forcing many rewrites. Principal photography, which began in January 1999 and wrapped up in May of that year, was known to have a set of problems due to the script being unfinished. Mannix's 1958 book Those About to Die (formerly titled The Way of the Gladiator), the film's script, initially written by Franzoni, was acquired by DreamWorks and Ridley Scott signed on to direct the film. Reduced to slavery, Maximus becomes a gladiator and rises through the ranks of the arena to avenge the murders of his family and his emperor. Crowe portrays Roman general Maximus Decimus Meridius, who is betrayed when Commodus, the ambitious son of Emperor Marcus Aurelius, murders his father and seizes the throne. It stars Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Connie Nielsen, Tomas Arana, Ralf Möller, Oliver Reed (in his final role), Djimon Hounsou, Derek Jacobi, John Shrapnel, Richard Harris, and Tommy Flanagan. DreamWorks Pictures distributed the film in North America while Universal Pictures released it internationally through United International Pictures. ![]() Sure, the low budget is evident in the occasional use of stock footage but nonetheless, CAESAR THE CONQUEROR is an enjoyable, old-fashioned yarn which could stand up with the best of them.Gladiator is a 2000 epic historical drama film directed by Ridley Scott and written by David Franzoni, John Logan, and William Nicholson. I would even go so far as to say that some moments - like a pan over a field littered with the mutilated bodies of the dead - are pretty humbling as the film-makers intended while the action is both stirring and exciting. I found this to be a pretty involving movie in that we learned to care for the characters instead of simply not giving a damn as in so many films. Assorted Italian beauties flesh out the rest of the cast along with good supporting turns from Ivo Payer as the torture victim and various double-crossers and traitorous allies. Battaglia shows us the human side of Vercingetorix which makes him a likable screen villain. Whoever said that BRAVEHEART paved the way for historical war violence was obviously mistaken! The supporting cast is a strong one and the film gives Mitchell a worthy opponent in the form of Rik Battaglia, an Italian actor who would enjoy relative success later on in his career. Arrows drive into heads and through necks and bodies are impaled and stabbed on swords, so this definitely isn't a movie for children. This is a surprisingly grisly film for the time in which it was made, with some strong moments of torture via red-hot pincers and scenes like when a soldier is axed in the head with blood pouring down his face which act as a forerunner to the atrocity movies they were making in the early '80s. Bloody battles are done in style on wide grassy plains and with good choreography and lots of bloodshed and death. The costumes and sets are immaculate, giving the film a really authentic look which is one of the strong points, and there's plenty of action to keep the drama moving along nicely. Mitchell's character is actually explored in the movie and given motivation, while the scriptwriters go behind the scenes to show the powerful, occasionally cruel, but just, man that he was (being an Italian movie this is obviously on Rome's "side" and depicting the Gaul as bloodthirsty barbarians). There's one difference - for a change we have a strong acting performance from Cameron Mitchell, resplendent in a grey wig as Julius Caesar. Now to many people this will just seem like another typical peplum movie with not much to distinguish it from dozens of others. ![]() Here's a low-budget but epic-looking peplum movie which begins with lots of suspenseful court intrigue as the Roman senate conspire against Caesar, and ends with a predictable but rousing battle sequence which leaves bodies strewn asunder.
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