"Just standing there and getting hit" used to be pretty much the definition of masculine courage in many cultures, as well as SOP military tactics. (This does not make it any less stupid)
The behind-the-scenes of this film are INSANE. There were growing tensions on set due to a lack of a script actors and director could agree on. For the earlier days of CG, the colosseum looks pretty good filling the sections that weren't built. Joaquin Phoenix was great in his first Oscar nominated role crafting into a multidimensional villain that can be kind one moment and terrifying at the turn of a switch like in the bee monologue. Russel Crowe was amazing though bts friction would suggest the opposite. For his contributions in acting and leading this epic, I feel he deserved the win in lead actor at the Academy Awards. Crazy how Ridley Scott didn't win for best director or even get a nomination, if memory serves me well, but either or, I hope he gets a chance to compete. He is a prolific director and filmmaker.
In the first battle scene in Germania, the "barbarians" stood there under the first barrage of fire and arrows to show that they wouldn't back down despite the odds (otherwise, why not just surrender to Rome already). It was a show of strength. Then they only moved forward when the Roman infantry (the footsoldiers with shields) moved forward because: 1. They couldn't move through open ground before that or they'd get slaughtered by the Roman archers. They were defiant, not suicidal. So the Roman infantry moving forward meant the Roman archers would have to stop firing into the battlefield. They could finally fight. (The Romans couldn't just keep using the archers because that would have been viewed as cowardly.) 2. The initial volley of fire was meant to intimidate them AND burn their forest, ie. their cover. They had to finally move out of cover because, you know, fire hurts. Oh and a fun little note for that scene where Commodus tries to goad Maximus after the tiger fight: when Maximus bows his head and calls him "Highness" before he walks away, he's insulting Commodus because that's not the proper mode of address for the equivalent of a King (though this is technically protocol for English royalty). In English/European royalty, it should have been "Your Grace". He's basically still addressing Commodus as if Commodus were still just the son of the Emperor and not the actual Emperor. Anyway, it's been a while since I watched one of your reactions. This was a fun watch. Also I agree that while Juba's role wasn't big, I think it was extremely important to humanize Maximus and get him through the nightmare of living after what happened to his family. Him closing the movie by burying the figures in the sand and saying he'll see Maximus again was the perfect note to end on. Juba, I think, represented the legacy Maximus had even better than on the Roman public -- here's a good man who can finally go home to his family, the one wish Maximus had. (The original plan for the end scene was Proximo burying Maximus' sword in the sand but the actor died before they completed filming so they changed it. For the best imo. Juba as Maximus' closest friend deserved to have the closing scene more than Maximus' slaver.)
If you watch Commodus training at the beginning of the movie (when hes shirtless in the forest), all the men are attacking on at a time and he is blocking stuff behind his back he couldn't have seen coming. He's just going through me motions and not actually sparring cause he's a coward and bad at combat lol
"Just standing there and getting hit" used to be pretty much the definition of masculine courage in many cultures, as well as SOP military tactics. (This does not make it any less stupid)
15:36 Yes, that is where the line is from.
22:09 I don't think it's originally from this movie. I think it's something they actually did in Ancient Rome.
Yeah and its not clear if thumbs down means kill or not.
Hans Zimmer did re-use that section in Gladiator and Pirates because it fit so well.
I also love this movie the acting the music the story are all so good the actor for Maximus got a award for being such a great actor.
The behind-the-scenes of this film are INSANE. There were growing tensions on set due to a lack of a script actors and director could agree on. For the earlier days of CG, the colosseum looks pretty good filling the sections that weren't built. Joaquin Phoenix was great in his first Oscar nominated role crafting into a multidimensional villain that can be kind one moment and terrifying at the turn of a switch like in the bee monologue. Russel Crowe was amazing though bts friction would suggest the opposite. For his contributions in acting and leading this epic, I feel he deserved the win in lead actor at the Academy Awards. Crazy how Ridley Scott didn't win for best director or even get a nomination, if memory serves me well, but either or, I hope he gets a chance to compete. He is a prolific director and filmmaker.
If you haven't seen "A Beautiful Mind", it's an excellent film with Russell Crowe as the lead. Thank you for sharing your reaction to this film.
In the first battle scene in Germania, the "barbarians" stood there under the first barrage of fire and arrows to show that they wouldn't back down despite the odds (otherwise, why not just surrender to Rome already). It was a show of strength. Then they only moved forward when the Roman infantry (the footsoldiers with shields) moved forward because:
1. They couldn't move through open ground before that or they'd get slaughtered by the Roman archers. They were defiant, not suicidal. So the Roman infantry moving forward meant the Roman archers would have to stop firing into the battlefield. They could finally fight. (The Romans couldn't just keep using the archers because that would have been viewed as cowardly.)
2. The initial volley of fire was meant to intimidate them AND burn their forest, ie. their cover. They had to finally move out of cover because, you know, fire hurts.
Oh and a fun little note for that scene where Commodus tries to goad Maximus after the tiger fight: when Maximus bows his head and calls him "Highness" before he walks away, he's insulting Commodus because that's not the proper mode of address for the equivalent of a King (though this is technically protocol for English royalty). In English/European royalty, it should have been "Your Grace". He's basically still addressing Commodus as if Commodus were still just the son of the Emperor and not the actual Emperor.
Anyway, it's been a while since I watched one of your reactions. This was a fun watch. Also I agree that while Juba's role wasn't big, I think it was extremely important to humanize Maximus and get him through the nightmare of living after what happened to his family. Him closing the movie by burying the figures in the sand and saying he'll see Maximus again was the perfect note to end on. Juba, I think, represented the legacy Maximus had even better than on the Roman public -- here's a good man who can finally go home to his family, the one wish Maximus had. (The original plan for the end scene was Proximo burying Maximus' sword in the sand but the actor died before they completed filming so they changed it. For the best imo. Juba as Maximus' closest friend deserved to have the closing scene more than Maximus' slaver.)
One of my favorite movies ❤
Bit teary eyed there …. Everytime I see this movie I’m a teary mess
If you watch Commodus training at the beginning of the movie (when hes shirtless in the forest), all the men are attacking on at a time and he is blocking stuff behind his back he couldn't have seen coming. He's just going through me motions and not actually sparring cause he's a coward and bad at combat lol
The director cut is the best
The theatrical version is the director's cut. Ridley Scott said so himself.
Did not realize you branched off into movie reactions. Looking forward to you watching things like Monty Python or Mel Brooks classics.
The action in this movie is great, but it's all about the ending for me.
The extended cut is not as good as the theatrical cut.