My First Movie Review: Gladiator

I know I am reaching back into the vault a little bit for this one, but it's constantly on tv, and i watched it tonight, so it is fresh on my mind.  Gladiator has to be in the top ten movies of all time!  In fact, on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being so lame I wouldn't even waste my time burning it in a bonfire just to keep warm, and 10 being so amazing that I'm made to curl up in the fetal position rocking back and forth because I feel so small and weak after watching it...I give it a 10!

Every emotion imaginable exists in this film; I laugh, cry, get angry and yell at the screen, and feel the love.  With all the twists and turns, it plays with my mind like a jigsaw puzzle even though I've seen it nearly a hundred times. 

I strongly suggest the full, not cut for tv audiences version, simply because I am a guy and find the bloodshed to be AWESOME!  (it's fiction, people!) 

The message in the story is way more than revenge...in fact, it's not necessarily about revenge at all.  It is a story about loving others so much, you are willing to sacrifice your life for their good.  So there are a couple of Biblical examples I see lightly being an inspiration for this movie; The story about Joseph being sold out by his own brothers into slavery, ending up in jail because of the dreams he told, and then eventually saving the empire from death by famine and earning himself a seat next to Pharoah to lead the people into peace, AND the story of Jesus, knowing He is God's One and Only Son, being sent to this earth to experience our joys and pains, to lay His life out on the line so that we may be saves, watching as His Father's creation turns their back on Him in the name of violence and greed, and yet still finding the good in people to allow Himself to be sacrificed for our salvation!

In the end, the people of Rome are given back their empire instead of being ruled by a dictator.  It reminds me that I have my own choice to make, a relationship with God because His Son gave His life for me, or be dictated by my own selfish ways.  I choose Christ!

And I give Gladiator a healthy 10 out of 10.