Bread and spectacle: 10 movies about gladiators

Gladiatorial fights for the amusement of the public have gone down in history as one of the most brutal and bloody entertainments. In fact, the rich patricians organized such fights to find a way to distract the common people from economic problems and political intrigues. While the people watched the arena with excitement, the authorities decided their fate.

However, the fate of the gladiators themselves was almost a foregone conclusion – few of the warrior-slaves lived to an advanced age. Gladiatorial fights have not once become the subject of film adaptation, and, frankly speaking, despite all the cruelty of fights, even on the screen fights look exciting.

We have collected a selection of the most spectacular, unusual and controversial pictures about gladiatorial fights.

“Gladiator”, USA, UK, Malta, Morocco, 2000.

Genre: drama

Director: Ridley Scott

Main actors: Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Oliver Reed.

Age limit: 18+

This epic can safely be called the ultimate gladiator movie. This historical drama won the Oscars in 2000. As many as five coveted statuettes, including for “Best Film” and “Best Actor” (Russell Crowe from that moment from the category of Australian stars grew into the scale of the world).

The script of the movie was worked on for almost 20 years! Ridley Scott first planned to take on the role of Mel Gibson, but the budget was already almost spent on sets, costumes and computer graphics. Then casting directors began to search for a less starry actor with a colorful appearance. Their choice fell on Crowe. Russell had to literally sweat to lose excess weight (the actor admitted that he is prone to obesity) and gain muscle mass. Running, barbell, strength training and nutrition allowed the actor for a few months to bring himself into the shape of a real gladiator.

As we remember, according to the plot, General Maximus turns out to be loyal. After the death of the Roman emperor on the throne sits his son – cruel and treacherous Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix). Although the screenwriters were accused by historians of historical inaccuracies, the authors were right in describing Commodus as a schemer and villain. According to the archives, the emperor was paranoid and obsessed with conspiracy theory. He saw danger everywhere and suspected an assassin in everyone. During his reign, many people were executed, including nobles. Even his own wife, whom he suspected of adultery, Commodus did not spare.

For filming fights in the arena was built a real Colosseum, but it still had to be expanded by computer special effects. But the tigers fighting Maximus were real! The trainers stood at the ready with darts loaded with sleeping pills. In case the striped stars got cranky and wanted a piece of Russell Crowe’s Australian body. In the plans of Ridley Scott was involved and fighting rhinoceros. But the animal is known for the fact that practically can not be trained, and the virtual rhino looked cheesy and funny.

In 2024, Ridley Scott begins work on the sequel to Gladiator. Filming should begin in Morocco, and the movie will take place 20 years later. This time on the throne of Emperor Caracalla (in his role Joseph Quinn, star of the series “Very Strange Things”). The main character is Commodus’ nephew Lucius (played by Paul Mescal), the son of Lucilla (played by Connie Nielsen again). It is also known that Denzel Washington and Pedro Pascal will star in the sequel.

“Pompeii”, USA, Canada, Germany, UK, 2014

Genre: Drama

Director: Paul W. S. Anderson

Main Actors: Kit Harington, Emily Browning, Adewale Akinnoye-Agbaje

Age Limit: 18+

Milon (Kit Harington) is the son of the chief of a nomadic tribe. 17 years ago, his people and parents were exterminated by the Romans and the boy was taken prisoner. Years later, Milon’s new owner decides to expose him to gladiatorial fights in Pompeii. On his way to the city, Milon rescues Cassia (Emily Browning), a girl from a noble family, from trouble. Naturally, the young people fall in love with each other at first sight.

Upon arriving in Pompeii, at first the newcomer is met with hostility by the veteran gladiators. But, seeing the guy’s strength and desire for freedom, they decide to organize a revolt and escape. The first attempt fails, but Cassia begs the Roman senator to spare her lover. In return she agrees to marry the senator.

Milon does not give up hope of freeing himself from captivity and finding happiness with Cassia. Fighting, escape, fierce struggle – and all this against the background of the rebellious volcano Vesuvius, which, as we know, wiped Pompeii off the face of the earth.

“The Eagle of the Ninth Legion”, USA, 2010.

Genre: action

Director: Kevin Macdonald

Main actors: Channing Tatum, Jamie Bell, Donald Sutherland.

Age Limit: 12+

The Roman centurion Marcus Flavius Aquila (Channing Tatum) is a valiant warrior who has defeated many Celtic tribes on the battlefield. Because of a wound, he receives an honorable discharge. But Mark is not up to the honors, he is worried about the fate of his father-general, missing 20 years ago.

The Roman decides to go in search of him far to the north – the homeland of the hostile Celts. He is helped only by the Celtic slave Eski (Jamie Bell), who hates the Romans but is grateful to Mark for his rescue from the gladiatorial arena. Aquila tries to find out what happened to his father, as well as to find the symbol of the Ninth Legion – a battle banner in the form of a golden eagle.

By the way, the movie is a kind of free interpretation of the mystery of the disappearance of the real-life IX Spanish Legion – a combat unit of the Roman army. British writer Rosemary Sutcliffe conducted a whole historical investigation and in 1954 wrote a novel “The Eagle of the Ninth Legion”, on which and was filmed the movie of the same name.

“Spartacus”, USA, 1960.

Genre: Drama

Directed by: Stanley Kubrick, Anthony Mann.

Main actors: Kirk Douglas, Laurence Olivier, Gene Simmons.

Age Limit: 0+

Stanley Kubrick disavowed this movie to the end of his days. The famous director was never a supporter of the mainstream, and here he had to, he said, cater to the needs of producers and big-name actors.

It all started with the fact that Kirk Douglas learned about the filming of “Ben-Hur” and asked for the lead role, confident that he would get it. But the director offered Kirk only a supporting role. Offended Douglas decided to produce another historical epic. starring himself in the title role. However, it turned out that another film company wanted to screen “Spartacus” under the tentative name of “Gladiators”. For the script unfolded a whole war, full of intrigue. In the end, Douglas managed to win the right to shoot. But now there was a new problem – the search for a screenwriter for adaptation, director, who is not afraid to spend competently huge budget, and of course, actors.

Douglas didn’t like the original script. He hired Dalton Trumbo, blacklisted for his anti-American activities. The disgraced screenwriter agreed to work only if his name was in the credits. So, Kirk Douglas had to persuade people from the government to return Dalton’s honest name and remove it from the banned list.

The government man turned out to be President Richard Nixon – Douglas even got as far as him! Dalton set about scripting, and Douglas set about finding directors. The first was the famous creator of westerns Anthony Mann. But he was so afraid of the venerable actors Peter Ustinov and Laurence Olivier, that made edits to the scenes on their instructions. And this turned the filming process into chaos. Mann eventually got the reckoning, and the picture was again left without a director.

Kirk Douglas and Stanley Kubrick were buddies, often flip poker. And for one of the games Kirk offered a 30-year-old unemployed director to head the project. Stanley agreed. Douglas expected that the newcomer will be grateful to him, in connection with which he can easily manage it. But Kubrick proved himself in an unexpected way.

Perfectionist to the bone, meticulous, straightforward and picky about details drove everyone crazy – from assistants to actors. He interfered in the work of illuminators, cameramen, props, dismissed in disgrace German actress Sabine Betman, who played a slave Varinia – beloved Spartacus. He doubted her acting ability and demanded to play on camera strong emotions. Discouraged Sabine and a word could not mumble and was sent home. And Kubrick offered the role of actress Jean Simmons. The director showed categorical in everything. He also mercilessly cut scenes in the montage. For example, the frame with the crucifixion of Spartacus was cut in half. Even Douglas could not stand and wailed on the set: “Do you know how much I had to hang on that damn cross!? And now it’s all cut out?”.

As difficult as the film was to make, it became the first high-budget movie in the history of cinema and was included in the National Film Registry. “Spartacus” won four Academy Awards and a Golden Globe Award.

“Arena”, Italy, USA, 1973

Genre: adventure

Director: Steve Carver

Main actors: Margaret Markov, Pam Grier, Lucretia Love.

Age Limit: 18+

Yes, this movie is not a masterpiece. But if you are still nostalgic for “Conan the Barbarian”, “The Barbarian Brothers”, “Sheena the Queen of the Jungle”, then “Arena” is quite watchable. Especially memorable in the role of gladiator dark-skinned beauty Pam Grier, who in this movie is only 24 years old. It is much later she will shoot the role of Jackie Brown in the eponymous film by Quentin Tarantino and will receive for her “Oscar”.

In the 70’s Pam more famous for work in the so-called exploitation films. Half-naked beauties, a sea of blood, more mainstream and medium budgets – all this quickly paid off at the box office, and producers were profitable to produce a pack of such “masterpieces”. And so it is in “Arena”: half-naked female gladiators engage in a fierce battle for their honor and freedom.

“The Last Gladiator”, Germany, Austria, 2003.

Genre: drama

Director: Yorgo Papavasiliou

Main actors: Stefan Hornung, Andrea Kleven, Tanja Wenzel.

Age limit: 18+

Germanius (Stefan Hornung) comes from a noble family, but his parents are killed in a Roman invasion. He, his brother and sister are taken prisoner. Germanius and his brother are sent to fight in the arena. As a result of one of the fights, the hero’s brother is killed by the sword of the free gladiator Lagos.

Now Germanius is driven only by revenge. He longs to meet Lagos in battle to punish the murderer of his kin. But here is the horror – Germanius’ sister is in love with the villain. The hero will have to make a difficult choice, and also find a way to escape from captivity.

“Spartacus: Blood and Sand”, USA, 2010.

Genre: historical series, three seasons

Directed by: Jesse Warn, Michael Hirst, Rick Jacobson.

Main Actors: Andy Whitfield, Liam McIntyre, Manu Bennett

Age limit: 18+

The first season of the series could easily compare to “Game of Thrones” in terms of the scale, brutality and frankness of the scenes. The writers spent more time on Spartacus’ early life before he became a gladiatorial slave. After the triumph of the first season, the directors were in full swing to shoot the second and third seasons. But the main star of the project Andy Whitfield reported a terrible diagnosis – lymphoma. Producers made a pause, which was closed by the mini-series “Spartacus: Gods of the Arena” about the life of another gladiator Gannicus. Everyone hoped Whitfield could beat the disease. But unfortunately, after a year and a half of struggle, the 39-year-old actor was gone.

Directors were forced to look for another actor, it became an Australian Liam McIntyre. The actor admitted that he is a big fan of the series, and played in the next two seasons of “Spartacus: Revenge” and “Spartacus: War of the Damned”.

“The Two Gladiators,” Italy, 1964

Genre: adventure

Director: Mario Caiano

Main actors: Richard Harrison, Moira Orfei

Age limit: 18+

Actor Richard Harrison has played in dozens of gladiator movies in his career. A stately young man with no acting training was spotted in a fitness gym where he worked as an instructor. After the first picture about gladiators followed another, then another, and soon Harrison secured the glory of the main gladiator of Hollywood.

One of the most notable projects in the filmography of Richard were “Two Gladiators. In the story after the death of Emperor Marcus Aurelius in power is his son – a cruel tyrant Komatos. The main entertainment of the bloodthirsty ruler is gladiatorial fights. Komatos would have enjoyed bread and spectacle if another heir to the throne, Lucius Crassus (Richard Harrison), had not appeared on his doorstep. He challenges Comatos to a deadly gladiatorial duel.

“Rome”, UK, USA, 2005-2007.

Genre: historical series, two seasons

Director: Michael Apted, Michael Salomon, Allen Coulter.

Main cast: Kevin McKidd, Ray Stevenson, Polly Walker

Age Limit: 18+

A spectacular and quality series that surprisingly lasted only two seasons and closed, to the great regret of its fans. The plot takes place in 52 B.C. Julius Caesar returns to Rome after an eight-year war, but not everyone is happy about the emperor’s arrival. His niece Atia fears the arrival of her uncle and is ready to do anything to prevent his rule.

Creators very carefully approached the filming. And because of their scrupulousness suffered unfortunate five dozen extras who were chosen for the role of Roman legionaries. Poor people were sent to the forest, in a special camp. For almost a month the extras lived in conditions close to the reality of ancient Roman times. There is a strict military discipline, the lack of any amenities (even soap and toilet paper was not, all real), grueling training, lessons in sword and hand-to-hand combat. By the way, not everyone was able to pass the tests – a quarter dropped out in the first week.

And also in the series a lot of familiar faces from “Game of Thrones” – for example, Tobias Menzies (Edmure Tully in “The Game”, in “Rome” – Brutus, Caesar’s killer), Kieran Hynds (Mance the Raiders / Julius Caesar), Indira Varma (Ellaria Sand, mother of the Sand Snakes / Niobe).

“Gladiatrix”, Russia, USA, 2001.

Genre: action film

Director: Timur Bekmambetov

Main actors: Karen McDougal, Liza Dergan, Olga Sutulova, Yulia Chicherina.

Age Limit: 18+

Do not hurry to complain about the low ratings (we agree that quite justified and fair). It is obvious from the entourage and costumes that the movie had virtually no budget. Even the sets were bought on the cheap from the sets of other historical films (it is said that the sets from the filming of Ridley Scott’s “Gladiator” also shone in the frame). Discount the fact that this is Timur Bekmambetov’s first big movie project. Which, to put it mildly, turned out to be a flop. And also – on the fact that the main roles in the movie were played by Playboy magazine models Karen McDougal and Liza Dergan.