02-08-2006, 10:13 AM
Quote: I agree with all of your second paragraph, Quinton, but I have to challenge the notion that the plot of "Gladiator" was original. To an enormous degree, it was a rip-off of "The fall of the Roman Empire" starring Sophia Loren, Jeff Chandler and (I think - it's a long time ago) Laurence Harvey as the Commodus character. Alec Guinness played Commodus' father, Anthony Quayle his real father and James Mason a Greek philosopher. "Gladiator" wasn't bad entertainment, but it was spoilt for me by the fact that they had done a remake and refused to admit it.
I do seem to dimly remember that movie... I'll have to see if I can find it. What I'm getting at is that "Gladiator" didn't attempt to pass itself off as a retelling of a mythological or historical event and was so well done that it sparked interest in the ancient world for the general public.
What did you think of "Alexander?" I thought the costumes were good, the battles pretty well done and the acting not bad, but its omissions and the overall presentation were bad - contributing to its flop at the box office. Another project that fell short of its immense potential.
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Quinton Carr
Quinton Carr