20 DVD Commentaries You Need To Hear Before You Die
13. Gladiator
Participant(s): Ridley Scott, Russell Crowe Though the Scott-Crowe partnership would make two more films after Gladiator, American Gangster (which was still a great film in its own right) and Robin Hood (not so much) failed to capture the brilliance of the epic exploit into ancient Rome. This commentary to accompany the tale of a loyal Roman who finds himself betrayed by the hateful young Emperor (played fantastically by Joaquin Phoenix) makes it clear why Crowe and Scott make such a good partnership. The chemistry between the two men is obvious after just 10-minutes of the 160-minute commentary and as a result the whole thing is a pleasure to listen to. The pair know when to be silent and give the superb film a moment to speak for itself and when to provide insight. Scott is the more analytical of the two, providing creative insight, analysis and breakdowns of specific scenes while Crowe is the joker; sharing anecdotes and stories from his time on-set. Its extremely hard not to laugh out loud when Crowe who is normally known for being surly gives a hilarious impression of his co-star, Joaquin Phoenix.
Hailing from South East London, Sam Heard is an aspiring writer and recent graduate from the University of Warwick. Sam's favourite things include energy drinks, late nights spent watching the UFC with his girlfriend and annihilating his friends at FIFA.
