Change Your Image
uclub3
Reviews
Gladiator (2000)
Overrated and over-computerized
I saw Gladiator at a sneak preview in New York and I must admit, I walked away disappointed. I felt that the battle scenes at the beginning were too computerized and pixiliated--they just zoomed by so fast that the audience did not have a chance to see what is going on. Someone later made the comment to me that, "Well, isn't that how you would experience a battle?" And I would have to saw, I don't know, I've never been in one. But compared to the opening sequence in "Saving Private Ryan" (not a perfect movie, in my eyes, but the opening battle scene was far superior to Galdiator's), Gladiator's battle was all whiz-bang, wham-bam, with no emotion. I whispered to my seatmate that it was too pixiliated and he whispered back, "That's how they cheat," which pretty much summed it up.
As went the opening battle scene, so went all the gladiatorial scenes--all speed, no substance. I couldn't even tell how the Russell Crowe character won some of the battles, they were whipping by so fast, with such fake, fake computerized effects. To compare, a couple of days after seeing Gladiator, I saw Sparticus on the big screen. There is only one gladiatorial battle, yet it is much more exciting, suspenseful and real than any of the Gladiator scenes. I CARED what happened!
On a postive note, I did think Joaquin Phoenix's performance was fantastic, as were all of the performances. The computerized amphitheater was also pretty cool looking. Too bad the film makers felt that the computer could somehow take the place of realisticly choreographed gladiatorial fights.
Bullfighter and the Lady (1951)
See the 124 minute version!
I recently caught the 124 restored version of "Bullfighter and the Lady," and thought it was excellent. I believe the 87 minute version left out much of the actual bullfighting scenes which is a real tragedy. The bullfighting scenes are shockingly real--almost documentary-like and add quite a bit of texture and reality to the movie. Boetticher was a bullfighter and his knowledge and love of the sport shows through.
I was also quite impressed with the cast, including Robert Stack who, I must admit, I never had really thought was much of an actor. Gilbert Roland, as Stack's mentor, is tremendous as is Joy Page and, especially, the wonderful Katy Jurado.
There is an interesting use of sound also. Boetticher effectively uses thunder as an ominous counterpoint during two key scenes in the movie.
Highly recommended in the 124 minute, restored version.