I’ll just say it, few movies get me as cinematically aroused as Gladiator. It is THAT good. THAT GOOD. I never saw the movie in theaters. No, my introduction to this epic tale of machismo and honor occurred on VHS. My imagination and interest were immediately captured even through the grainy quality and tracking issues. Ridley Scott was at his directorial best. Russell Crowe radiated emotion and bad-assery. Joaquin Phoenix oozed diabolical creepiness to the point where I still have trouble seeing him in any other capacity. The massive splendor of the Roman empire and the filthy hardship upon which it was built jump off the screen thanks to the awe-inducing settings and set pieces. All this is woven together by a tale of murder and revenge appropriate for the ancient world.

I’ve had a DVD copy of Gladiator for a long time, since DVDs were the main version of video media. It has always been one of those movies I’ve felt I should upgrade but have never dropped the coin to do so. Whilst randomly browsing digital offerings on Vudu, I came across my old friend and couldn’t resist. My hesitancy to re-purchase something I already own could not overcome the lure of seeing the movie in shiny, lush 4K HDR. I’m not completely sold the 4K “revolution” is actually worth it nor do I necessarily feel HDR provides any noticeable value unless doing a side-by-side comparison, but the movie was gorgeously crisp regardless.

Gladiator is another movie made before everything became green screen CGI bonanzas, though it certainly makes use of the technology to create the stunning vistas of the Roman empire. In fact, if you look into the production facts about the movie, this may be one of the first, if not the first, uses of CG character replacement. One of the key characters unfortunately passed away during production, and the filmmakers had to get creative with how his remaining scenes were completed, a predecessor to the most notable recent use in Furious 7 after Paul Walker’s passing. The mixture of technology and the visceral allows Gladiator to achieve the epic scale necessary to provide the film its magnitude.

This post would need to be longer to fully encompass everything positive. There is action, drama, and a great story wrapped together in a hearty package. Gladiator opens with a bloody battle against a barbarian horde and never really slows. The direction and cinematography provide rich shots that draw out colors, emphasize characters, and melt your eyeballs. When a movie can grab hold on the first shot and not let go until the credits, that is a movie to get and stay excited about. I just finished watching and want to jump back in.