My Sterling Rendezvous
The Sterling Theatre in Mumbai is an exquisite landmark and holds a special place amongst cinegoers in the city. The Sterling, established in 1969 and owned by the TATA Group has been soaked in tradition and a favourite amongst connoisseurs. Ever since its debut with the musical, Doctor Dolittle, Sterling has been ahead in Technology compared to the rest and has premiered some epic Films mainly from Hollywood. My every visit to Sterling is etched in my memory, never to be eroded. The last time I visited the spectacular Sterling was in 2001 for a show of the epic, Ridley Scott-directed ‘Gladiator’.
Gladiator: The Story
The Gladiator is the story of the tribulations, the pain and the revenge of General Maximus Decimus Meridius, the leader of the Roman Army and favourite of Emperor Marcus Aurelius. With his family eliminated, Maximus is sentenced to be executed by Commodus, the Emperor’s son who takes over the throne after killing his father Aurelius. An injured Maximus escapes and is taken in as a slave by Proximo, a Gladiator trainer.
Maximus lives under the garb of ‘ Spaniard ‘ and fights in local contests to gain popularity. Commodus, who is under the impression that Maximus has died, announces games to commemorate his father’s death and his elevation. Proximo travels to Rome to participate in the games with his group of Gladiators, led by ‘ The Spaniard ‘. Maximus with his great fighting skills wins the hearts of the public in the Colosseum and eventually reveals his true identity, giving a rude shock to Commodus. The wily, evil Commodus again plans to eliminate Maximus, his eternal adversary but fails yet again. Though Maximus dies, he gets his revenge.
The Unblemished Feel
Even after 22 years of the Gladiator, and having seen it several times, I still get goosebumps watching it. The film has great visual appeal. The cinematography is incredible, the sets look so true representing 180 AD. The action is riveting. The direction is flawless and the acting is drenched in the characters giving an extremely real and unblemished feel.
Russel Crowe : The Valiantly Exceptional Maximus
Russel Crowe as Maximus played the role of his life. The physical appearance and vulnerability of Maximus were brought out exceptionally well by him. The portrayal of the pain in Maximus’ eyes and his only desire to meet his family in the afterlife, were extraordinary. His deep voice too lent immense credibility to Maximus, the leader. Deservingly Russel Crowe, won the Oscar Award for Best Actor ( beating Tom Hanks who was nominated for Cast Away, the same year ).
Joaquim Phoenix : The Intensely Vicious Commodus
All the actors played their roles to perfection, but along with Russel Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix elevated himself to legendary status by playing Commodus extremely convincingly. A Villain so evil, so brutal and so cunning, without shedding a speck of blood himself, was a revelation, an ideal foil for Maximus.
Ridley Scott
Ridley Scott : The Torchbearer of his Community
This Historic Spectacle of a Film was masterly helmed by Ridley Scott. The film got tremendous critical acclaim along with massive Box Office success. The vision in the large canvas of Gladiator was expertly brought out by Ridley Scott. The technical finesse and the fluidity in storytelling were simply outstanding. No wonder the critics hailed Gladiator as one of the finest period dramas of all time. Ridley Scott who had already established himself as one of the best directors in Hollywood ( Aliens, Black Hawk Dawn, Martian, Thelma & Louise, Blade Runner, G.I.Joe etc ) elevated his stature to Greatness.
Joaquim Pheonix
Napoleon
Ridley Scott and Joaquim Phoenix have teamed up again for another period film ‘ Napoleon ‘. The title role has been played by Joaquim Phoenix and understandably so, he is getting rave reviews for it. Ridley Scott is again in fine form with his beautiful storytelling, massive canvas, brilliant cinematography and of course some indelible performances.
Napoleon is in theatres and is a must-watch, though I am just unable to get over Gladiator even now.
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Featured Image : Russel Crowe as Gladiator
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