I remember seeing the teaser trailer for "Gladiator" in theatre, prior to hearing anything about the movie. The music used was by Basil Poledouris from the "Conan the Barbarian" soundtrack, which boded well.
I had just finished reading "When Death Birds Fly" by Andrew Offutt and Keith Taylor, which deals in part with the Battle of Soissons in 486 and the collapse of the Western Roman Empire, and so was primed.
My wife and I saw "Gladiator" in Montreal with our good friends, Don and Suzanne, (although I was half-expecting the film to culminate in the sack of Rome, and so the ending wasn't quite as epic as I'd anticipated).
I'd visited the Colosseum on my first trip to Italy, a few years earlier, and again on a vacation to Europe with my family in 2011. It's an impressive structure, and easy to imagine oneself as a spectator in the crowds.
The score by Hans Zimmer and Lisa Gerrard (of "Dead Can Dance" fame) is memorable. (A few years later, Luciano Pavarotti released a song called "Il Gladiatore", originally intended for the movie).
"Gladiator" went on to win the Oscar for Best Picture, paving the way for a wave of historical epics. I'm grateful for the types of films made possible by its success. (A sequel has apparently been in the works).
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