Rating of
3.5/4
Indyfreak - wrote on 08/08/14
This is the original Gladiator. Ridley Scott admitted to borrowing the basic plot of this movie, condensing it to a shorter running time, and adding a lot more violence. While I really enjoyed Gladiator and appreciate what it's done to revive the historical epic genre, I cannot help but favor its spiritual predecessor The Fall of the Roman Empire. This movie is incredible in terms of scope, scale, and storytelling. It's on the same scale as a David Lean or a Cecil B. Demille film.
There's a strong cast, an intelligent script, and plenty of action to satisfy both film buffs and whomever happens to be curious.
