8.6 | / 10 |
Users | 4.8 | |
Reviewer | 4.5 | |
Overall | 4.8 |
A former Roman General sets out to exact vengeance against the corrupt emperor who murdered his family and sent him into slavery.
Starring: Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Connie Nielsen, Oliver Reed (I), Richard Harris (I)Action | 100% |
Adventure | 78% |
Epic | 65% |
History | 35% |
Drama | 10% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
French: Dolby Digital 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1
English, English SDH, French, Spanish, Korean
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (2 BDs)
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (locked)
Movie | 4.0 | |
Video | 5.0 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 4.5 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
Unleash hell.
It was a time unparalleled in human history. One of the great Empires of modern
civilization ruled much of the globe, and despite a landscape littered with primitive
technology and a knowledge base far less impressive than that of today, the same ideas,
emotions, deceptions, loves, and hates influenced every decision, every waking hour, every
breath, every moment of life and, ultimately, death. With such lesser knowledge and lesser
understanding came heightened dangers for those less fortunate than others; it was a place
where the well-to-do preyed on the weak and saw fit to buy and sell them not only for labor but
for
pleasure. Assembled from all corners of the Empire came the Gladiators -- often those of a
"lesser"
heritage, the poor, or even fallen heros -- men tasked with fighting to the death not for God,
country,
honor, or love, but for the enjoyment of others and the hope of seeing another day. It was a
time when sport took on a
life-and-death importance for the competitors. A time before contracts, memorabilia, product
endorsements, and statistics on the back of trading cards, these athletes were bought and sold
and fought and died unceremoniously, painfully, and with no remorse from those that would
profit from their demise either financially or emotionally through the rush of the sport and the
excitement of the kill. As witnessed in Ridley Scott's Oscar-winning epic Gladiator, it was
brutal, bloody, unforgiving -- and the stuff of legend.
Maximus hovers over the corpse of his old copy of 'Gladiator.'
Better late than never. After much ado about Paramount's first Blu-ray release of Gladiator -- one littered
with
unsightly edge enhancement and digital scrubbing that left the image flat (not to mention with arrows and fireballs
that magically disappeared mid-flight); absent a natural grain structure; and
generally unattractive beside many other Blu-rays, including some of Paramount's other first-class offerings like Transformers, Iron Man, and fellow Sapphire Series
release
Braveheart -- the studio has re-issued
Director Ridley Scott's Oscar-winning picture in a proper, beautifully filmic 1080p, 2.35:1 transfer that's sure win back
fans to the film, the studio, and the Sapphire Series label. Best to leave the past where it belongs and not question
why
such a subpar transfer was used in the first place when the results with this fresh release are so positively striking, but
the important thing is that Gladiator is now available to be seen as it was intended, and its sparkling "new"
transfer does what Blu-ray does best: it yields a breathtaking image that seems straight off the theater screen,
allowing
viewers to see Gladiator in a state that more closely approximates the cinema experience and the innate
quality of film versus the
lessened quality of lower-resolution formats and, yes, harmfully scrubbed and digitally "enhanced" Blu-ray
presentations.
Viewers familiar with Paramount's previous release will notice an immediate difference when this release of
Gladiator begins. Aside from the absence of heavy digital scrubbing and overzealous edge enhancement run
rampant, viewers may notice that this version of Gladiator takes on a much warmer tone; contrast has been
altered a great deal between releases, and no longer does the film look quite as cold and uninviting as it did in the
previous release, even in those harshly bright and sandy outdoor sequences. Even the picture's opening minutes
during the
battle in the cold, gray, war-torn forrest against the Germanic barbarians don't look quite as inhospitably cold as they
did in the previous release. Even considering the differing contrast levels, the other changes between releases are
readily
identified. The egregious edge enhancement is gone; note the absence of thick halos around the circle of
guards in the "Final Words" screenshot in this review versus its counterpart in the original release's review. Better yet, no longer
does Gladiator look artificially smoothed over and, by extension, absent fine detail. This release enjoys
superior texturing and depth to an almost unfathomable degree over the previous release; the differences are striking
to say the least, and viewers will now note the finest nuanced scratches and dirt on armor; the natural texture of
faces, pores, and wrinkles; and even the minute detailing on the golden wheat over which Maximus walks and grazes
his hand in one
scene.
In addition to the superior texture, detailing, and lack of obtrusive edge enhancement, Gladiator also
sports fabulous blacks -- some of the richest, deepest, and most honest ever seen on a Blu-ray release -- and the
accompanying shadow detail, too, is breathtakingly gorgeous. A scene between Maximus and Commodus in chapter
four is a fantastic example of the transfer's exquisite blacks and rich shadowing. Detail in this dimly-lit sequence
remains incredibly strong, too,
with every pore on both characters' faces revealed almost to a fault. Almost any scene in a rather long stretch inside
the shadowy, candle-lit interiors in the film's first act look marvelous and, even in the absence of better lighting,
contend for the prize as the transfer's finest-looking stretch. The only real problem here is the presence of a handful
of white
speckles that pop up on occasion, but suffice it to say, this release of Gladiator is worthy of both the Sapphire
Series label and the Blu-ray format; suddenly, Gladiator is reference material through-and-through, and this
remastered release is easily one of 2010's finest.
Though not the most earth-shattering, record-breaking, eardrum-busting mix out there, Gladiator's DTS-HD MA 5.1 lossless soundtrack is well above average across the board. The opening battle sequence sets the stage nicely. Arrows that fly through the soundstage during the picture's intense opening action sequence are accompanied by a continuous whoosh as they fly through the air towards their targets. Explosions pack a good wallop, and the general mayhem of the battle, which includes screaming soldiers and clanking swords, does well to place the listener in the midst of the carnage. Much like Braveheart, Gladiator reveals a superbly-nuanced presentation during the quieter segments. A brief scene taking place inside a carriage in chapter three features a fine sensation of being in the cart, with the wheels churning on a rough road outside, the carriage rattling about, and the sound of the horse galloping directly ahead. In chapter six, a breeze blows through Caesar's room and the structure seems to ever-so-slightly sway and creak as a result. As with most any action-heavy soundtrack, it's the little things during the less-intense moments that truly define the quality of the listen, and in that regard Gladiator doesn't disappoint. Still, the action segments feature a full-blown surround presence that places listeners in the arena and may even have them ducking for cover as weapons whirl and fighters maneuver in a virtually seamless 360-degree sound field that's the norm for every fight throughout. Rounded out by pitch-perfect dialogue reproduction, Gladiator sounds fantastic on Blu-ray.
Gladiator arrives on Blu-ray as a two-disc "Sapphire Series" special edition. Disc one
sports
a pair of commentary tracks, one for each cut of the film. The extended cut track features
Director
Ridley Scott and Actor Russell Crowe in a solid and straightforward effort that begins with a
discussion revolving around the sets and shooting locations and moves on to cover the
characters and their motivations, the performances, the rigors of the shoot, shooting the action
scenes, the themes of the film, and more. The theatrical cut commentary features Scott
accompanied by Editor Pietro Scalia and Cinematographer John Mathieson. A drier and more
technical offering, each participant shares a wealth of knowledge on their particular areas of
expertise
but tie many of the observations together and in the process reveal how their work intertwines to
make a final product.
A collection of 13 deleted scenes are to be found on the theatrical cut main menu, presented in
1080p, and
most
available with optional director commentary. The Scrolls of Knowledge (available on both
cuts of the film) allows viewers to select items from a "history" scroll and leave the movie to view
the selected piece (each presented in 480i standard definition). Additional content, marked
"Visions from Elysium," are found under the "production" scroll, and may be added to a queue,
and
later
viewed upon inserting disc two.
Disc two begins with the option to view the "Visions of Elysium" material carried over from disc
one. The pieces are presented in 480i standard definition. Strength and Honor: Creating the
World of 'Gladiator' (480i, 3:16:50) is a massive seven-part documentary that covers an
extensive range of topics, including Tale of the Scribes: Story Development (34:04),
The Tools of War: Weapons (12:56), Attire of the Realm: Costume Design
(19:41), The Heat of the Battle: Production Journals (1:05:55), Shadows and Dust:
Resurrecting Proximo (24:32), The Glory of Rome: Visual Effects (20:12), and
Echoes in Eternity: Release and Impact (18:26). This documentary is also available in
an "enhanced viewing mode" that allows viewers to select additional material created exclusively
for the Gladiator Blu-ray release.
Image and Design (480i/1080p) is a five-part feature that covers an additional but more
finely-detailed
set of topics. First up is Production Design, itself divided into three segments.
Production Design Primer: Arthur Max (480i, 9:34) offers viewers the chance to learn
the basics of exactly what "Production Design" entails. Also included here are two galleries with a
host material for perusal, presented in 1080p high definition. Storyboarding is another
piece divided into three sections. Storyboard Demonstration: Sylvain Despretz (480i,
13:37) provides viewers with the opportunity to witness the construction of a storyboard.
Multi-Angle
Comparisons (480i) allows viewers to see three comparison pieces, each with multiple
angles and audio streams and optional commentary with Sylvian Despretz. The available
pieces include Germania Battlefront, Chain Fight, and The Battle of
Carthage. Next up in Image and Design is Costume Design Gallery
(1080p), a collection of stills that reveal the wardrobe design for Maximus, Commodus, Lucilla,
Proximo, Gladiators, and Marcus Aurelius, Senators, and Citizens. Photo Galleries is
simply a pair of groupings with varied subject materials. Finally, Weapons Primer: Simon
Atherton (480i, 5:03) looks at the work of creating the thousands of weapons used
throughout the production.
Abandoned Sequences & Deleted Scenes is a collection of five additional scenes, most of
which feature their own subset of options, including director commentary and featurettes.
Scenes available include Alternate Title Design, Blood Vision, Rhino
Fight, Choose Your Weapon, and Treasure Chest. The Aurelian
Archives is another massive collection of extras. Things begin with The Making of
'Gladiator' (480i, 25:03), a solid yet somewhat (at this point) superfluous piece that looks at
the production of several of the movie's major segments, complete with behind-the-scenes
footage, clips from the film, and cast and crew interview snippets. Gladiator Games: The
Roman Bloodsport (480i, 50:04) is an extended piece that features a glimpse into the world
of Gladiator fighting in ancient Rome. Hans Zimmer: Scoring 'Gladiator' (480i, 20:42)
looks at the process of complementing the movie through music. An Evening With Russell
Crowe (480i, 27:15) features the actor at an audience Q&A session. Maximus Uncut:
Between Takes with Russell Crowe (480i, 8:00) contains a collection of candid and
lighthearted moments from the set. My 'Gladiator' Journal by Spencer Treat Clark allows
viewers to peruse the young actor's written memories from his experience while making
Gladiator. Next up is VFX Explorations: Germania & Rome (480i, 23:50), a look
at the creation of the intricate special effects that bring the movie to vivid life. Rounding out this
massive collection of extras is the film's teaser (1080p, 1:15) and theatrical (1080p, 1:35)
trailers and 20 TV spots (480i, 8:55 combined runtime).
Gladiator presents a rather simply story -- one man's quest for revenge -- but adds plenty of combat, several intriguing political layers, and a romantic subtext along the way. Revenge is a tale as old as time, a staple of fiction -- and history -- that seems to bring with it an everlasting allure that, in the right hands, and with the right script, and the right backdrop, makes for some of the best movies out there. Gladiator is no exception. A Best Picture winner and a good watch on several levels, it overcomes a hyperkinetic style that sometimes distracts from the action thanks to a good story and better performances that make it a fan favorite now and, no doubt, for decades to come. Paramount' remastered Sapphire Series Blu-ray release of Gladiator still features the same awe-inspiring lossless soundtrack and wealth of extra content as its predecessor, but it now also delivers on the format's capabilities with a stunning 1080p transfer that's easily one of the best out there. Owners of the original will want to receive this updated version free of charge (details here) and those who are holding out for a superior transfer will want to pick up this release. However, new copies aren't easily identified from older pressings at-a-glance. Buyers will need to look at the back cover's bottom right-hand corner for a Paramount logo, and if the words "2-DISC SET" are present, that's the old copy; the new versions do not contain the "2-DISC SET" lettering. Please see screenshot 20 (click the "Screenshots" tab above) for a photograph of the difference, with the new release on top and the old release on the bottom. Also please note that some buyers are reporting that Paramount has changed the UPC code on the back of the box to a yellow color with the latest pressing of the new release.
Sapphire Series | Extended and Theatrical Cut | First Press
2000
2 Disc Definitive Edition
2000
Paramount 100th Anniversary
2000
2000
2000
2000
Paramount Re-Issue
2000
2000
2000
2000
2000
2000
Director's Cut
2005
Director's Cut
2004
2010-2013
1995
2011
2014
2000
2001
2010
The Ultimate Cut
2004
2010
2010
2014
2011
2003
Director's Cut
2004
2012
2011
Commemorative 20th Anniversary Edition
1998
2006