While it’s been around since the dawn of the film medium itself, the historical “Sword-and-Sandal” (S&S) sub-genre enjoyed its heyday from 1949 through 1965 in the form of frequently religious-based big-budget period epics.
Notable “S&S” standouts of this period include “Samson and Delilah,” “Quo Vadis,” “The Robe,” “The Ten Commandments,” “Ben-Hur,” “Spartacus,” “Cleopatra,” and “The Greatest Story Ever Told.”
Coined by early 20th-century critics as a largely derogatory term, inferring B-movie quality, the “S&S” label was ultimately embraced by fans of these films in much the same manner as those falling into the latter “chick flick” and “blaxploitation” categories.
Although it pulled in major box office coin and won a slew of industry accolades, the 2000 “S&S” “Gladiator” had its fair share of detractors and, in retrospect, was one of hugest financial gambles in Hollywood history.
Not only were DreamWorks and Universal bankrolling a $100 million ($173M+ in today’s dollars), long-out-of-favor throwback, they were counting on the drawing power of lead Russell Crowe who, at the time, hadn’t starred in anything that could be remotely regarded as a “blockbuster” hit.
A Gamble That Paid Off
A revisionist drama with hard R-rated violence, “Gladiator” is arguably the most realistic of all “S&S” epics. It crushed at the box office (the second highest-grossing film of 2000, only behind “Mission Impossible 2”), won over the majority of critics (79 percent on Rotten Tomatoes), and was awarded five Oscars (including Best Picture and Best Lead Actor).The movie opens with a spectacular battle scene with the Roman army staving off enemies of the state somewhere in second century Germania. They are led by Maximus Decimus Meridius (Crowe), the favorite general of Emperor Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris), and former flame of the emperor’s daughter, Lucilla (Connie Nielsen).
After thwarting his assassins, Maximus is captured by Antonious (Oliver Reed in his final role), a man who makes his living kidnapping men and training them for battle as (mostly sacrificial) gladiators fighting superior foes back in Rome. This sub-plot was so close to the main plot in “Spartacus” that it was worked into multiple season three episodes of “The Sopranos.”
From this point forward, “Gladiator” essentially follows the same narrative trajectory as the second act of “Ben-Hur.” This is not so much a rip-off as it is an homage (intended or not) and adds another valued layer of emotional investment for the viewer.
Real Versus Fictional
It is worth mentioning that Crowe’s character is fictional (although likely something of a composite), but those portrayed by Harris, Phoenix, and Nielsen are not. Theirs are real characters whose actual lives and fates vary greatly from those portrayed in the film: hence the label: “historical fiction.”
When the dust finally settled, “Gladiator” pulled off a few minor miracles. It catapulted Crowe into super-stardom, removed any doubt that Scott could work within any particular genre with success, and took a dusty old genre and made it new again.
It also came with important messages, which required more than a small degree of reflection that, thankfully, most people grasped: stick to your guns, maintain your morals while standing your ground, don’t cave into your enemies, and fight for your cause. You might not be rewarded for your efforts in this life but chances are, you will be in another.
