Product Details

• Actors: Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Connie Nielsen, Oliver Reed, Richard Harris
• Directors: Ridley Scott
• Writers: David Franzoni, John Logan, William Nicholson
• Producers: Branko Lustig, David Franzoni, Douglas Wick, Laurie MacDonald
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, NTSC
• Language: English
• Subtitles: Spanish
• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Dreamworks Video
• VHS Release Date: March 13, 2001
• Run Time: 155 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1,759 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00004ZEPN
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #68,272 in Video (See Bestsellers in Video)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #10 in	Video > Action & Adventure > Action Stars > Russell Crowe
  #14 in	Video > Action & Adventure > Action Directors > Ridley Scott
  #39 in	Video > Drama > By Genre > Action & Adventure

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com essential video

A big-budget summer epic with money to burn and a scale worthy of its golden Hollywood predecessors, Ridley Scott's Gladiator is a rousing, grisly, action-packed epic that takes moviemaking back to the Roman Empire via computer-generated visual effects. While not as fluid as the computer work done for, say, Titanic, it's an impressive achievement that will leave you marveling at the glory that was Rome, when you're not marveling at the glory that is Russell Crowe. Starring as the heroic general Maximus, Crowe firmly cements his star status both in terms of screen presence and acting chops, carrying the film on his decidedly non-computer-generated shoulders as he goes from brave general to wounded fugitive to stoic slave to gladiator hero. Gladiator's plot is a whirlwind of faux-Shakespearean machinations of death, betrayal, power plays, and secret identities (with lots of faux-Shakespearean dialogue ladled on to keep the proceedings appropriately "classical"), but it's all briskly shot, edited, and paced with a contemporary sensibility. Even the action scenes, somewhat muted but graphic in terms of implied violence and liberal bloodletting, are shot with a veracity that brings to mind--believe it or not--Saving Private Ryan, even if everyone is wearing a toga. As Crowe's nemesis, the evil emperor Commodus, Joaquin Phoenix chews scenery with authority, whether he's damning Maximus's popularity with the Roman mobs or lusting after his sister Lucilla (beautiful but distant Connie Nielsen); Oliver Reed, in his last role, hits the perfect notes of camp and gravitas as the slave owner who rescues Maximus from death and turns him into a coliseum star. Director Scott's visual flair is abundantly in evidence, with breathtaking shots and beautiful (albeit digital) landscapes, but it's Crowe's star power that will keep you in thrall--he's a true gladiator, worthy of his legendary status. Hail the conquering hero! --Mark Englehart

Amazon.com

Stills from Gladiator (Click for larger image)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

394 of 426 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars WAIT FOR THE RERELEASE, August 23, 2009

By	Cemetery Mink - See all my reviews

This review is from: Gladiator (Sapphire Series) [Blu-ray] (Blu-ray)

I've just examined some of the fullsize screenshots over at AVS and this 'blu-ray' looks terrible.

It uses DNR and EE throughout.

DNR - In 2008, a lot of studios were using this process. Basically, it digitally 'smudges' the image to hide any evidence of film-grain and, predictably, blu-rays with DNR look like s--t. Most studios have stopped using DNR. But Paramount, apparently, is continuing to release this smudgy garbage and trying to pass it off as 'high definition'
(If you want the DNR experience at home; you can get the same effect by smearing vaseline all over your TV set. Yes, that's about what it looks like)

EE - Edge Enhancement; in DVD days, when everyone was watching on tiny televisions, studios would use EE which basically messes with the colors a bit and adds bright white halos all around the edges ('enhances' them) That might have made sense on a 10" screen, but on a decent sized television it looks terrible.

There should be a proper release of this soon. Wait for that.

325 of 353 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars A Total Mess, August 23, 2009

By	Jay - See all my reviews

This review is from: Gladiator (Sapphire Series) [Blu-ray] (Blu-ray)

This review refers to the blu-ray picture quality only. The movie itself is an absolute classic. Unfortunately this blu-ray was a victim of considerable DNR and EE that has actually removed and distorted picture detail. Here's a good example. At the beginning of the movie where we see Maximus as a General leading a final battle, you see an amazing wide shot of flying, flaming, arrows. It should look amazing, right? Wrong. The picture was DNR'd so badly that it actually removed arrows and the ones you can see are a blurred mess! Absolutely terrible. Don't waste your money on this. Wait until they release a quality blu-ray because "this is not it!"

254 of 280 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars DO NOT BUY WARNING!!!, August 23, 2009

By	Don Dougherty (Halifax, NS) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Gladiator (Sapphire Series) [Blu-ray] (Blu-ray)

This movie has been ruined by DNR and EE. Do not support studios ruining the picture of movies through noise reduction and artificial sharpening. They think they can take the easy way out and upscale and DNR and EE the DVD version then sell it to you for $30+. IF YOU BUY THIS YOU ARE BEING SCREWED BY THESE CROOKS.