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@ADifferentVibe in the late 90s, when the film was being produced, I don't think CGI was even an option. Maybe in generating the composite shots, but for the most part, it was traditional film editing. These days we'd know, " Look at wonky this scene looks, this was the facial replacement after Reed died."
For a long time I've kinda just accepted "movie magic" as a glib reference to SFX for the sake of SFX but.. wow. What they did here is a shining example of what the phrase should mean.
Really enjoyed these Gladiator breakdowns! Remarkable to see how so much of the movie came together through happenstance, improvisation and last-minute decisions, a true cinematic miracle
Thank you Tom! Like two weeks ago, Henry from The Closer Look messaged me and was like, hey, you should make a video on Oliver Reed’s death in Gladiator. And I was like, hah, I’m literally making that video right now.
I feel the same way about Ray Stevenson for the show Ahsoka. He was brilliant as Baylan Skoll and he deserved the love of Star Wars fans at conventions for years.
He died having a blast of a time, arm wrestling and steaming drunk in the Pub,Valetta. He wasn't interested in films (work) while living it up with new found friends. Legendary socialiser
I walked out of the theater, turned to my Girlfriend at the time and said "isn't it interesting, forty years ago Reed would have been Maximus." Crowe and Reed onscreen together was a gift.
Too bad Reed was a raging asshole lol. Spectacular performance, but I personally dislike him enormously. I have family members in Ireland who knew him personally and he absolutely sucked. Huge douche to women in particular. Sometimes necessary to separate art and artist.
@@karlwaller7337 That was really the only movie I've seen Oliver Reed in. He's sort of before my time. But his performance in that movie is about as good as it gets. Same with everyone else.
@@TheAmazingest Watch the classic The Three Musketeers and The Four Musketeers from the 1970s directed by Richard Lest, with Reed as Athos. It's one of the best Musketeers adaptations, with plenty of humour but none of the ridiculousness of many more modern adaptations, and a stunning cast. Reed nails every aspect of Athos perfectly.
Thank god Ridley Scott's shooting ratio is so high, with lots of Material as the cameras are always rolling. THIS proved to be VERY helpful here. You never know when you capture something that will save your movie at a later point.
I had never really thought about it, but i like how Maximus's intro with the bird shows us two sides of Maximus without any dialogue. We see the stoic, contemplative general about to go into battle. But then, for a moment, he sees a bird and he smiles. We see a man who can find joy in nature and the beauty of the world. A man who doesn't love war or combat. Then once the bird is gone and his moment over he locks back into being the stoic general. In this brief scene we see Maximus as the man and the soldier. He can't be the man for too long because he has a war to fight and only soldiers win wars. So much information conveyed with two shots and Crowe's acting. Incredible
In writing it's called "saving the cat". You want your character to be viewed with sympathy in spite of the absolutely horrific things we will see him do, so you make him save a cat first. It's cheap and manipulative.
A bit like in James Clavell's Shogun (the book, I don't know if they included this in the series) where the first time we meet Toranaga he is tending to a bird with a broken wing.
@@krismctopher7haha, if you haven’t noticed by now, humanity IS actually manipulative. Better get used to it. Nothing cheap about using a writing resource as… well, you know, a resource. Maybe that’s why they exist in the first place?
When he looks at the bird fly away and he smiles, its a simbolism of freedom, his goal and purpose for freedom. And the battle is the conduit to achieve it.
Even though his part is relatively small, to me Oliver Reed anchors the whole film. I’m glad they kept his performance, and the restructuring of the ending doesn’t seem to have hurt the film. Great video as always!
Same. His "rises like... like a storm" line gave me shivers in the theater and to this day. I did not say I knew him, I said he touched me on the shoulder once. And the only real character growth arc in the story, if you really think about it. Magnificent last performance (tragedy of his death notwithstanding)
I wish this was 45+ min and went through everything involving Oliver Reed and his decision to act in the movie, his passing and more info on how they decided to change the movie and how they did it. It's so interesting, and may be the best execution involving an actor's death of all time.
Agreed. That stuff probably should’ve been an entire video, but I felt like making three videos in a row on Gladiator would be pushing it. I remember as a kid just being told he passed during filming, and that they used CGI to finish his scenes. I just thought huh, wow. But only years later did I learn, or pay attention to, how much more interesting the whole process of what they did really was.
@@CinemaStix I know it’s too late to tell you this, but I know the name of that body double that stood in for Oliver Reed as Proximo after passed away during filming. His name is Ian Walker. (He is of course credited as one of the stunts for the film in the scrolling end credits but it did not mention him being the late Ollie’s stand-in). There have been some films where an actor became unavailable during filming of a scene and the filmmakers sometimes use a body double to finish the scenes but they never reveal the name of the said body double before or after the films were released. Their names can be revealed somewhere else by searching hard if having the urge of wanting to the name and then you finally found it somewhere that is completely rare for films. And this film “Gladiator” is one of them. Do you want me to tell you how I found out about the body double’s name?
@@CinemaStix I remember watching and knowing he was dead thanks to the CGI, and when I saw the shadows and dust death moment I knew they reused the previous shot, and thought they were genious.
As a child of 7 years, I remember watching Oliver Reed in the 3 musketeers series … he was the quintessential actor, swashbuckling sword-fighter and his gravitas filled the screen. I’m so grateful this legend past away with this as his final film. It was an honor to watch him.
The opening is brilliant. Without a word being said, we know the main character dreams about going home, doesn't like war, is committed to doing the battle, and he is respected and loved by his men. Now that's cinema.
The actor Omid Djalili, who was also in Malta at the time of Oliver Reed's death filming Gladiator, said during an interview in 2016: "He hadn't had a drink for months before filming started... Everyone said he went the way he wanted, but that's not true. It was very tragic. He was in an Irish bar and was pressured into a drinking competition. He should have just left, but he didn't." Having made a number of promises to Ridley Scott prior to filming, including that he would not drink during production, Reed worked around this by only drinking on weekend. so sad :( that people in that bar may have been the cause of his death
@@QuantumHistorianHe hadn't drank for months before filming and then starting drinking at the weekend during filming. Not rocket science to understand what that comment said.
@@TPJH850 Seriously. The inability to comprehend the most basic, obvious statements by such a massive proportion of our modem society... is truly troubling.
Literally was today years old learning that the actor for Proximo was literally dead and was not there to finish the film!! 😮 they handled the edits in this movie masterfully! 💯💯 this is why this movie will always be a CLASSIC
Ditto. Loved the movie. Used to fall asleep watching it (that, or Attack of the Clones; of the prequels that was my preference). I never knew, either. Never could tell the scenes with him composited in were even edited! I honestly miss CRTs and the early-HD days where the TVs quality improved but the movies weren't yet in a definition to easily tell these details. Because self this now, yea, it was so obvious since the lighting is hard to fake. I still have my 32in Samsung Widescreen CRT ""HDTV"", which is 720p/1080i, but progressive looks like ass so I always watched stuff interlaced 😅 LotR trilogy looked amazing on it, though. Those same DVDs look like trash on a modern truly-HD screen. The Hobbit looked so fake that I couldn't even watch it all, despite adoring LotR! All of that is WHY I've held onto that heavy bastard, as the old stuff just looks better on it. Plus, you can't beat the refresh rate on a CRT, though the ultra-high Hz screens now DO finally give them a run for their money. [/super ramble]
Gladiator was one of my favorite movies as a 14 year old when it came out, and I had been fascinated by how they finished it with Reed's death for almost 25 years - and this is what I always wanted to see: the step by step breakdown of how it was done, in what order, what was taken from what... the movie magic explanation. Thank you.
It is a greater realization, that usually when there are this many changes to the script, shooting, acting, actors, etc, in nearly every instance, it dooms a movie. Look at what has happened in a lot of Disney's recent endeavors for examples of that. But in this case, something magical happened. This is still a trap movie for me, if I'm flipping through channels, I get stuck if Gladiator is on. Such a great flick.
You're right. I make movies and I can't imagine making a movie that way. We have a script, and that is our blue print. If we tried improving as we're filming, we'd end up with a inconsistent mess. It's sometimes inconsistent when we HAVE a script, let alone not having one.
1:54 This is why I could NEVER be a serious actor. Imagine being a fully grown adult, waking up, driving to location, stopping to get gas, maybe buying a soda on the way, getting there at 6 o'clock, putting on an uncomfortable armoured costume standing in front about 500 people in the cold, surrounded by crew, cameras, equipment, and then having to convince at least SOME part of your brain you're an actual roman general in order to deliver an honest to god good performance. That sounds ABSOLUTELY INSANE. If you stop to think and overanalyze your current situation (like I do every second of my life) I'd probably just freeze up. Like "what on god's earth are we doing here?!?"
I just love how ROYAL and Stunning Connie looks in every shot. She has those Ultimate Royalty looks. Idk her face is made for EMPRESS roles.... She's mesmerizing
@@lavatr8322 so true love Connie! In Three Days to Kill. She still looks great with no obvious plastic surgery? She aged well what a gorgeous older woman!
That must've been ROUGH for Ridley and the cast. 😕 Gladiator was already "an improvisation" in many ways. But when Reed died, you can tell that Scott REALLY cared to make his performance count. He literally spared no expense.
I think the most powerful line of the whole film is spoken by Lucilla... "Today I saw a slave become more powerful than the emperor of Rome." They used it in the trailer because it's not only the line that draws you into the theater, it's also the line you leave with.
Appreciating the beauty of how Gladiator was made has come through your being able to appreciate, research and beautifully explain such details and nuances. Salute to you @CinemaStix ! I hope we'll one day be able to see a movie you make
Thanks for sharing. I love "The Gladiator" but never knew Reed had passed during filming. Amazing how seamless it still plays out to the average movie-goer.
I just want to thank you for your work on this channel. These videos they are simply really great. Your insight, attention to detail, your voice, which I really enjoy listenig to, it all combines into entertaining and educational videos which make me fall in love with movies (and related stuff) even more. So thanks, great job.
Been a _real_ rough 30 days for me, so I've just now mustered the motivation to get to this, but dang Danny... Editing together that interview with the opening scene footage was friggen 😘👌
This is like the only movie I've ever heard of making it out of production hell to be an actually excellent movie, to the point that you don't even realize it was ever in production hell. What are some others?
@@CinemaStix The way you told it is indeed magic- movie making magic! The "shadows and dust" line connects the two gladiators with the overriding theme of eternal life (Elysium, burying the figures, etc) it just made total sense- before knowing it was filmed for something completely different! Reminds me of the DVD special features from the cutting room floor where they combined near random scenes (all beautiful cinematography!) with Zimmer's beautiful score into something more like a mini-movie.
It is wild that the end result of all this incredible creativity and patchwork may well have reaulted in a character whose arc was not only more appealing but memorable as well. IMO they not only kept the character but crafted a tribute and send off of the actor as well.
This answered why a couple scenes in the movie looked kind of odd to me. Having seen them again in this video shown multiple times, now I know why. The one I did notice even the first time watching the film was why the people there to kill Proximo just stopped right behind him, as if they were waiting for his final words. And both they and the lighting look off. Like they're in a different room and wearing different armor. I just passed it off as a continuity error or they wanted to use a specific take. And in that way, I'm glad they put the actors performance ahead of getting the perfect lighting or whatever. But in reality, they literally were doing something in post. And I'm so glad they did it.
Love your work! I will watch EVERY video you make and I will learn and be entertained. I watch some parts over and over, I watch some of your videos again and again as needed pick me ups. When I have enough money I will support you better, but for now- Thank you. You make my life better.
Not sure if you take requests or even suggestions but I urge you to watch a film called "no one will save you" There are literally 5 lines of dialog in the whole film but it has a coherent story and clearly does the "show not tell" type of exposition. I was genuinely surprised by it but have recommended it to everyone since.
As someone who writes short stories on his free time, the amount of times where stuff you felt like was secondary sets up a perfect storyline. Sometimes things just fit if you move around enough pieces. I don't think the story would have worked that well without the need to improvise
through all its faults the movie is a work of art and the final result is as beautiful as it could've been for the time. and the way every star aligned to produce the perfect cast just makes it all the more perfect. a classic.
The "insurance funding cost of replacing and reshooting an actor" bit, you know,... you had an easy way to connect that hypothetical to what happened on ANOTHER Ridley Scott film, you know. ;-)
I know that I’m late to the game but the death of Oliver Reeve is so sad… and that he played an intro part of probably one of his best movies that he ever acted in, a fine actor in almost everything that he did…. It breaks my heart that he did not get the recognition while he was still alive…
Gladiator is one of the best movies to come out of Hollywood, I had though the when Oliver Reed died he had done so after he had finished his part in the movie, to hear that the Director took the high road to finish the movie with the magic of Hollywood rather than re-shooting the scenes with a different actor, shows that sometimes the easy way out is not always the best way out. I loved the movie so much I waited for the directors cut to come out on DVDafter watching Gladiator at the movies. Some movies must be watched on the big screen, Gladiator was one such movie, I watched it twice at the movies. I have only done this with only a handful of movies in the past 50 years.
Excellent coverage of how Oliver Reed's character arc was completed. He was one of my all time favorite actors and I'm glad he wasn't cut _out_ after being cut down in such bad timing. You know how they say never meet your heroes? With favorite movies, never for the rest of your life look up the true history behind it, if you can help it. It's ok that Maximus was made up, but to rewrite history to include _incest_ as "spice", taints the movie entirely.
I love how Oliver Reed's unfortunate passing actually made this possibly an even better film. His performance is sublime, and while they could have recast and reshot, it would still have set back the schedule of the film, especially when - in hindsight - they probably would have realised they could no longer imagine anyone else as Proximo, and might have ended up doing the same thing over again, doing clever editing and compositing to finish his character arc. I didn't know until many years later that Oliver Reed actually died during the making of the film. It's not perfect, but most of the film is full of amazing storytelling. One of my all-time favourites.
The bird scene in Gladiator adds more depth to the movie and to the Maximus character than everything that happend to the main character (I cant even remember his name) in the Gladiator 2.
when Ridley Scott actually cared about what he was creating... Gladiator 2 is such a stark difference compared to the first one, and not in a good way...
The more I watch Ridley's works, the more I like them, but in quite a twisted way. I would skip most of the stories and watch shots just, go. It's not that his stories and scripts are bad, they are just not terribly engaging and interesting. The quality of his visual artistry though is undeniable. The man is a master and good producers should know where to put him, allowing him to channel his vision. I would rewatch just Gladiator opening scenes and the wheat field , Kingdom of Heaven from Messina to the army marched out in support, Alien opening scene or Bladerunner murder, Tears in Rain. The man is a damn magician in the right places.
I'm still holding out hope that Danny will do a Kingdom of Heaven video 🤞😌🤞 And I'm so thankful Ridley did a Director's Cut that was WORTHY of that title, vs the usual which only have *maybe* 3 minutes of new footage, making it not worth buying. Whereas KoH, or LotR, both added 40+min of GOOD content (the latter did so for each movie!), which _definitely_ makes it worth buying again!
1:40 Commodus doesn’t pull his nephew in front of him to protect himself. The exact opposite happens. At the beginning of the scene, while there is no perceived danger, Commodus stands behind Lucius, who’s eager to meet the gladiator. The moment the exchange escalates is when Commodus says “how dare you”, which is also when he pushes his nephew aside. The subtext you’re referring to isn’t there. I think you’re reaching too far for these character moments.
I find it humorous that Max lives in the previous script, as I've never heard anyone say that they wish he lived or that they were disappointed that he died or the like.
I think that's because we know he's now with his loved ones, and THAT gives us a happy ending to such a tragic story... even though it meant Maximus meeting *his* end... Which, that _Gladiator_ had a 'happy ending' is not something I would've considered before having thought about it just now! 🤯 heh
Another change from script to screen I can recommend looking into is Kill Bill. the difference is wild, but all the pieces of what made up Tarantino's finest are still present.
I believe if Reed had lived he would have had an Oscar nomination and with the right campaign may have won,Bafta did nominate him,he was the best he'd been on film in years and this films success would have revitalised his career,heck he could have been Dumbledore or played any of Michael Caine's 00's roles.
Have you seen his Alien sequels? All terrible as well. The last one, Covenant, being even worse than Prometheus. Ridley Scott is in his 80s and hes rushing through movies, there is an over dependance on CGI. He takes one shot of a scene and hes done. As you can surmise, due to his age, he doesnt film, (in Alien, he did most of the camerawork), and even if he could, CGI demands multiple cameras filming at once. Modern filmmaking seems to be ruining auteurs.
It is as Russell Crowe says in this video at 2:52: "Ridley is primarily a visual artist". I guess that's the one thing that's consistent throughout his carreer; good visuals. Scripts and story is not something he does himself :)
@@aussiepassenger Yeah. It's just remarkable how good Gladiator and Aliens were, and how bad the follow ups to those films are. I mean, Gladiator and Aliens are both absolutely fantastic films, two of the very best mainstream big-budget movies ever made. But Gladiator 2 and the other Alien films he made are ultimately utter dross. It's bizarre.
Personally, I never liked Gladiator. I hated that they killed him off in the end. If he had lived and maybe remarried, specifically Lucilla, then it would be in my top hundred. However, that said, I must admit that I really like watching your videos because I always learn something interesting.
Phoenix is so goood in Gladiator, he stole the show, the tension he created helped drive the movie and make us like the Spaniard more, rooting for Maximus because Phoenix was soo good as this tortured, sick, yet sensitive slimmy villain
Hey, I've been here, saw your channel growing, and I adore your content, but I have a question How do you feel knowing you sort of started a trend in TH-cam? I mean, you had your style for titles with the "when the director" and such, and now everyone seems to be doing it
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The way they handled Reed’s passing with the patchwork cuts, reusing old takes and minimal CGI, is nothing short of masterful.
I honestly liked that better than full CGI for the entire actor. I couldn't tell the difference because they used actual shot footage.
@ADifferentVibe in the late 90s, when the film was being produced, I don't think CGI was even an option. Maybe in generating the composite shots, but for the most part, it was traditional film editing. These days we'd know, " Look at wonky this scene looks, this was the facial replacement after Reed died."
I. Never. Knew. That’s how well it was handled.
If it had happened today they would have race and gender swapped the actor, and reshot everything on CGI backgrounds.
@@Clint52279 they used CGI. this was post Matrix.
Love the way you have the ability to really admire a film yet still admit when there are faults. Makes me really value your analysis.
Americans think that if you like something you have to swear an oath to defend it against all challengers.
Oh? Look everyone, he wants us to know he understands what he is watching 😮
Unlike Stuckmann
@@krismctopher7 I dont and Im American, Im SO SORRY😢
@@justicejuiced262 Good. More Americans should be sorry for being Americans. It's only right.
For a long time I've kinda just accepted "movie magic" as a glib reference to SFX for the sake of SFX but.. wow. What they did here is a shining example of what the phrase should mean.
Editing/ patching magic.
Kuleshov effect is a classic example of movie magic
Really enjoyed these Gladiator breakdowns! Remarkable to see how so much of the movie came together through happenstance, improvisation and last-minute decisions, a true cinematic miracle
Thank you Tom! Like two weeks ago, Henry from The Closer Look messaged me and was like, hey, you should make a video on Oliver Reed’s death in Gladiator. And I was like, hah, I’m literally making that video right now.
It's devastating that Oliver Reed never got to see his incredible performance on screen. RIP
Agreed
I feel the same way about Ray Stevenson for the show Ahsoka. He was brilliant as Baylan Skoll and he deserved the love of Star Wars fans at conventions for years.
It's ok... He found himself alone, riding in green fields with the sun on his face, and he was not troubled!! For he was in Elysium!!
Look the fact is Reed drank himself to death on production
He died having a blast of a time, arm wrestling and steaming drunk in the Pub,Valetta. He wasn't interested in films (work) while living it up with new found friends. Legendary socialiser
Oliver Reed’s death displaces most of my other thoughts around this film. Thank you for exposing how they salvaged his performance in his absence.
Ditto. What a production story. What an unnecessary tragedy. And what a final performance and role.
I walked out of the theater, turned to my Girlfriend at the time and said "isn't it interesting, forty years ago Reed would have been Maximus." Crowe and Reed onscreen together was a gift.
Too bad Reed was a raging asshole lol. Spectacular performance, but I personally dislike him enormously. I have family members in Ireland who knew him personally and he absolutely sucked. Huge douche to women in particular.
Sometimes necessary to separate art and artist.
@@karlwaller7337 That was really the only movie I've seen Oliver Reed in. He's sort of before my time. But his performance in that movie is about as good as it gets. Same with everyone else.
@@TheAmazingest Watch the classic The Three Musketeers and The Four Musketeers from the 1970s directed by Richard Lest, with Reed as Athos. It's one of the best Musketeers adaptations, with plenty of humour but none of the ridiculousness of many more modern adaptations, and a stunning cast. Reed nails every aspect of Athos perfectly.
Thank god Ridley Scott's shooting ratio is so high, with lots of Material as the cameras are always rolling. THIS proved to be VERY helpful here. You never know when you capture something that will save your movie at a later point.
Love a good CinemaStix multi week hyper fixation
:)
I had never really thought about it, but i like how Maximus's intro with the bird shows us two sides of Maximus without any dialogue. We see the stoic, contemplative general about to go into battle. But then, for a moment, he sees a bird and he smiles. We see a man who can find joy in nature and the beauty of the world. A man who doesn't love war or combat. Then once the bird is gone and his moment over he locks back into being the stoic general. In this brief scene we see Maximus as the man and the soldier. He can't be the man for too long because he has a war to fight and only soldiers win wars. So much information conveyed with two shots and Crowe's acting. Incredible
In writing it's called "saving the cat". You want your character to be viewed with sympathy in spite of the absolutely horrific things we will see him do, so you make him save a cat first. It's cheap and manipulative.
A bit like in James Clavell's Shogun (the book, I don't know if they included this in the series) where the first time we meet Toranaga he is tending to a bird with a broken wing.
@@krismctopher7haha, if you haven’t noticed by now, humanity IS actually manipulative. Better get used to it. Nothing cheap about using a writing resource as… well, you know, a resource. Maybe that’s why they exist in the first place?
@@s0me0ne1se I'm 73 kid.
When he looks at the bird fly away and he smiles, its a simbolism of freedom, his goal and purpose for freedom. And the battle is the conduit to achieve it.
Even though his part is relatively small, to me Oliver Reed anchors the whole film. I’m glad they kept his performance, and the restructuring of the ending doesn’t seem to have hurt the film. Great video as always!
Exactly. The film is actually pretty thin. Reed's story arc is as important as anyone else's, and he has some of the best lines.
The "restructuring" seems to have enhanced the movie. I much prefer this than the "Hollywood" ending where (almost) everyone lived happily ever after.
Same. His "rises like... like a storm" line gave me shivers in the theater and to this day. I did not say I knew him, I said he touched me on the shoulder once. And the only real character growth arc in the story, if you really think about it. Magnificent last performance (tragedy of his death notwithstanding)
I thought he had a very important part in the film. As you say, an anchor.
I think it worked perfectly. Juba burying the statuette was exactly what was needed. I can't imagine Proximo doing that.
I wish this was 45+ min and went through everything involving Oliver Reed and his decision to act in the movie, his passing and more info on how they decided to change the movie and how they did it. It's so interesting, and may be the best execution involving an actor's death of all time.
Agreed. That stuff probably should’ve been an entire video, but I felt like making three videos in a row on Gladiator would be pushing it.
I remember as a kid just being told he passed during filming, and that they used CGI to finish his scenes. I just thought huh, wow. But only years later did I learn, or pay attention to, how much more interesting the whole process of what they did really was.
@@CinemaStix I know it’s too late to tell you this, but I know the name of that body double that stood in for Oliver Reed as Proximo after passed away during filming. His name is Ian Walker. (He is of course credited as one of the stunts for the film in the scrolling end credits but it did not mention him being the late Ollie’s stand-in). There have been some films where an actor became unavailable during filming of a scene and the filmmakers sometimes use a body double to finish the scenes but they never reveal the name of the said body double before or after the films were released. Their names can be revealed somewhere else by searching hard if having the urge of wanting to the name and then you finally found it somewhere that is completely rare for films. And this film “Gladiator” is one of them. Do you want me to tell you how I found out about the body double’s name?
@@aidanlang961
I do, I do!
@@CinemaStix I remember watching and knowing he was dead thanks to the CGI, and when I saw the shadows and dust death moment I knew they reused the previous shot, and thought they were genious.
@@aidanlang961 speak !
As a child of 7 years, I remember watching Oliver Reed in the 3 musketeers series … he was the quintessential actor, swashbuckling sword-fighter and his gravitas filled the screen.
I’m so grateful this legend past away with this as his final film.
It was an honor to watch him.
On a platform filled to the brim with stolen content and asshattery, it's amazing to see high-quality real content being posted...
true words, thanks Danny
This is definitely one of the few good channels on this platform.
I agree but in fairness pretty much all the visual content is just taken from someone else. I know lots of channels do it, not only this channel.
The opening is brilliant. Without a word being said, we know the main character dreams about going home, doesn't like war, is committed to doing the battle, and he is respected and loved by his men.
Now that's cinema.
The actor Omid Djalili, who was also in Malta at the time of Oliver Reed's death filming Gladiator, said during an interview in 2016: "He hadn't had a drink for months before filming started... Everyone said he went the way he wanted, but that's not true. It was very tragic. He was in an Irish bar and was pressured into a drinking competition. He should have just left, but he didn't." Having made a number of promises to Ridley Scott prior to filming, including that he would not drink during production, Reed worked around this by only drinking on weekend.
so sad :( that people in that bar may have been the cause of his death
Everybody has a choice, he chose to not leave
Which was it: he only drank on weekends during filming, or he hadn't had a drink for weeks?
@@QuantumHistorianHe hadn't drank for months before filming and then starting drinking at the weekend during filming. Not rocket science to understand what that comment said.
@@TPJH850
Seriously. The inability to comprehend the most basic, obvious statements by such a massive proportion of our modem society... is truly troubling.
@@HeyItsStephxseems crystal clear to me. Have you switched to weekend-only drinking yourself?
Literally was today years old learning that the actor for Proximo was literally dead and was not there to finish the film!! 😮 they handled the edits in this movie masterfully! 💯💯 this is why this movie will always be a CLASSIC
Ditto. Loved the movie. Used to fall asleep watching it (that, or Attack of the Clones; of the prequels that was my preference).
I never knew, either. Never could tell the scenes with him composited in were even edited! I honestly miss CRTs and the early-HD days where the TVs quality improved but the movies weren't yet in a definition to easily tell these details. Because self this now, yea, it was so obvious since the lighting is hard to fake.
I still have my 32in Samsung Widescreen CRT ""HDTV"", which is 720p/1080i, but progressive looks like ass so I always watched stuff interlaced 😅
LotR trilogy looked amazing on it, though. Those same DVDs look like trash on a modern truly-HD screen. The Hobbit looked so fake that I couldn't even watch it all, despite adoring LotR!
All of that is WHY I've held onto that heavy bastard, as the old stuff just looks better on it. Plus, you can't beat the refresh rate on a CRT, though the ultra-high Hz screens now DO finally give them a run for their money.
[/super ramble]
0:50 you can see camera guy top left. one of my fave film oopsies hehe
Ha! Jeans and a white tee shirt next to the camera peeking out too! That's awesome
Gladiator was one of my favorite movies as a 14 year old when it came out, and I had been fascinated by how they finished it with Reed's death for almost 25 years - and this is what I always wanted to see: the step by step breakdown of how it was done, in what order, what was taken from what... the movie magic explanation. Thank you.
Appreciate you noting where Mr Reed died in filming, and the way they kept him going in the film. Always wondered. Thanks
Wow, I always wondered how they managed to finish Reed’s scenes that’s so cool and very impressive how they were able to put that all together.
Same here, I knew they had done some scenes but to see how the shots were sourced from other scenes was interesting.
It is a greater realization, that usually when there are this many changes to the script, shooting, acting, actors, etc, in nearly every instance, it dooms a movie. Look at what has happened in a lot of Disney's recent endeavors for examples of that. But in this case, something magical happened. This is still a trap movie for me, if I'm flipping through channels, I get stuck if Gladiator is on. Such a great flick.
Also none of that happened in real history but as a film it's wonderful.
You're right. I make movies and I can't imagine making a movie that way. We have a script, and that is our blue print. If we tried improving as we're filming, we'd end up with a inconsistent mess. It's sometimes inconsistent when we HAVE a script, let alone not having one.
The little bird is such a powerful thing. It expressed so much and carried so much weight. This film is perfect.
the Reed bits are staggering, I would never have known
1:54 This is why I could NEVER be a serious actor. Imagine being a fully grown adult, waking up, driving to location, stopping to get gas, maybe buying a soda on the way, getting there at 6 o'clock, putting on an uncomfortable armoured costume standing in front about 500 people in the cold, surrounded by crew, cameras, equipment, and then having to convince at least SOME part of your brain you're an actual roman general in order to deliver an honest to god good performance. That sounds ABSOLUTELY INSANE. If you stop to think and overanalyze your current situation (like I do every second of my life) I'd probably just freeze up. Like "what on god's earth are we doing here?!?"
I just love how ROYAL and Stunning Connie looks in every shot.
She has those Ultimate Royalty looks.
Idk her face is made for EMPRESS roles....
She's mesmerizing
@@lavatr8322 so true love Connie! In Three Days to Kill. She still looks great with no obvious plastic surgery? She aged well what a gorgeous older woman!
Gladiator has been one of my favorite movies for a long time. Never knew all this about Reed/Proximo for the ending. Talk about movie magic.
That must've been ROUGH for Ridley and the cast. 😕 Gladiator was already "an improvisation" in many ways. But when Reed died, you can tell that Scott REALLY cared to make his performance count. He literally spared no expense.
Everything counts
Sorry that shadows amd dust quote gives me shivers. Good job, editors. I love that part as a farewell to a good man. ❤
"'It feels like it was part of the fabric of the story when, in fact, it was just patchwork."
Really love that line, just wanted to shout it out
I think the most powerful line of the whole film is spoken by Lucilla... "Today I saw a slave become more powerful than the emperor of Rome." They used it in the trailer because it's not only the line that draws you into the theater, it's also the line you leave with.
Appreciating the beauty of how Gladiator was made has come through your being able to appreciate, research and beautifully explain such details and nuances. Salute to you @CinemaStix ! I hope we'll one day be able to see a movie you make
Thanks for sharing. I love "The Gladiator" but never knew Reed had passed during filming. Amazing how seamless it still plays out to the average movie-goer.
ANOTHER video that makes me love Gladiator even more... thanks for that, man. Love your channel.
I just want to thank you for your work on this channel. These videos they are simply really great. Your insight, attention to detail, your voice, which I really enjoy listenig to, it all combines into entertaining and educational videos which make me fall in love with movies (and related stuff) even more. So thanks, great job.
I am glad they used composite footage. Oliver Reed is irreplaceable.
"They're going to understand the relationships between the Emperor and Maximus, because of the implication."
Gladiator a true "lightning in a bottle"
im rlly happy i found a new channel to watch. i been rlly burned out with my feed
Been a _real_ rough 30 days for me, so I've just now mustered the motivation to get to this, but dang Danny... Editing together that interview with the opening scene footage was friggen 😘👌
Idk how they went from in depth storytelling and character arcs like this to whatever dumpster fire they pumped out as the sequel.
It's amazing how a movie that had so much improvisation became so succesful.
This is like the only movie I've ever heard of making it out of production hell to be an actually excellent movie, to the point that you don't even realize it was ever in production hell.
What are some others?
Reed's charisma and dominance in a scene cannot be overstated. I'm glad he was kept in the movie.
Thank you so much for the Proximo story, I never heard that one before and it is pure genius!
Right? I was always told “they used CGI to finish his scenes”. And like, yeah, some. But that wasn’t at all the magic of it.
@@CinemaStix The way you told it is indeed magic- movie making magic! The "shadows and dust" line connects the two gladiators with the overriding theme of eternal life (Elysium, burying the figures, etc) it just made total sense- before knowing it was filmed for something completely different! Reminds me of the DVD special features from the cutting room floor where they combined near random scenes (all beautiful cinematography!) with Zimmer's beautiful score into something more like a mini-movie.
Wow HOW many times have I seen this movie, and never once noticed those composite shots??? Fantastic editing!
It is wild that the end result of all this incredible creativity and patchwork may well have reaulted in a character whose arc was not only more appealing but memorable as well. IMO they not only kept the character but crafted a tribute and send off of the actor as well.
Gladiator is so remarkable that not even ridley scott could copy himself.
This answered why a couple scenes in the movie looked kind of odd to me. Having seen them again in this video shown multiple times, now I know why. The one I did notice even the first time watching the film was why the people there to kill Proximo just stopped right behind him, as if they were waiting for his final words. And both they and the lighting look off. Like they're in a different room and wearing different armor. I just passed it off as a continuity error or they wanted to use a specific take. And in that way, I'm glad they put the actors performance ahead of getting the perfect lighting or whatever. But in reality, they literally were doing something in post. And I'm so glad they did it.
When Maximus looks upon the little bird, he is looking upon a sparrow. Sparrows are messengers between our lives and the afterlife.
Was there a sparrow standing in front of that robin?
@@domhuckle Sure.
This made me cry… absolutely beautiful
I'm all for this multi week coverage for this movie, and as usual I feel compelled to watch the movie after these videos
Love this. Forced improv is a whisper from the gods 👏🏾
Love your work! I will watch EVERY video you make and I will learn and be entertained. I watch some parts over and over, I watch some of your videos again and again as needed pick me ups.
When I have enough money I will support you better, but for now- Thank you. You make my life better.
Not sure if you take requests or even suggestions but I urge you to watch a film called "no one will save you" There are literally 5 lines of dialog in the whole film but it has a coherent story and clearly does the "show not tell" type of exposition. I was genuinely surprised by it but have recommended it to everyone since.
As someone who writes short stories on his free time, the amount of times where stuff you felt like was secondary sets up a perfect storyline. Sometimes things just fit if you move around enough pieces. I don't think the story would have worked that well without the need to improvise
through all its faults the movie is a work of art and the final result is as beautiful as it could've been for the time. and the way every star aligned to produce the perfect cast just makes it all the more perfect. a classic.
When I watched it for the first time in 2018, I didn’t even know Oliver Reed was CGI edited into his last scene.
The "insurance funding cost of replacing and reshooting an actor" bit, you know,... you had an easy way to connect that hypothetical to what happened on ANOTHER Ridley Scott film, you know. ;-)
I know that I’m late to the game but the death of Oliver Reeve is so sad… and that he played an intro part of probably one of his best movies that he ever acted in, a fine actor in almost everything that he did…. It breaks my heart that he did not get the recognition while he was still alive…
Oliver Reed is the actor’s name
I found this peek behind the scenes fascinating; and Danny is such a chill guide.
Gladiator is one of the best movies to come out of Hollywood, I had though the when Oliver Reed died he had done so after he had finished his part in the movie, to hear that the Director took the high road to finish the movie with the magic of Hollywood rather than re-shooting the scenes with a different actor, shows that sometimes the easy way out is not always the best way out.
I loved the movie so much I waited for the directors cut to come out on DVDafter watching Gladiator at the movies.
Some movies must be watched on the big screen, Gladiator was one such movie, I watched it twice at the movies. I have only done this with only a handful of movies in the past 50 years.
Such great performances by not only the main actors, but the many role players (think of the announcer in the Colosseum, for example).
Great video, Danny! Merry Christmas and a happy new year man!
Excellent coverage of how Oliver Reed's character arc was completed. He was one of my all time favorite actors and I'm glad he wasn't cut _out_ after being cut down in such bad timing.
You know how they say never meet your heroes? With favorite movies, never for the rest of your life look up the true history behind it, if you can help it.
It's ok that Maximus was made up, but to rewrite history to include _incest_ as "spice", taints the movie entirely.
Oliver Reed can't be replaced, he's like Keith Moon !
Seen this movie multiple times and i never realised this. Mind blown
I love how Oliver Reed's unfortunate passing actually made this possibly an even better film. His performance is sublime, and while they could have recast and reshot, it would still have set back the schedule of the film, especially when - in hindsight - they probably would have realised they could no longer imagine anyone else as Proximo, and might have ended up doing the same thing over again, doing clever editing and compositing to finish his character arc.
I didn't know until many years later that Oliver Reed actually died during the making of the film.
It's not perfect, but most of the film is full of amazing storytelling. One of my all-time favourites.
The bird scene in Gladiator adds more depth to the movie and to the Maximus character than everything that happend to the main character (I cant even remember his name) in the Gladiator 2.
when Ridley Scott actually cared about what he was creating... Gladiator 2 is such a stark difference compared to the first one, and not in a good way...
For folks who love this and want to hear more about the BTS of the making of Gladiator, I can’t recommend enough the podcast What Went Wrong.
The more I watch Ridley's works, the more I like them, but in quite a twisted way. I would skip most of the stories and watch shots just, go. It's not that his stories and scripts are bad, they are just not terribly engaging and interesting. The quality of his visual artistry though is undeniable. The man is a master and good producers should know where to put him, allowing him to channel his vision. I would rewatch just Gladiator opening scenes and the wheat field , Kingdom of Heaven from Messina to the army marched out in support, Alien opening scene or Bladerunner murder, Tears in Rain. The man is a damn magician in the right places.
If you've not done so already check out The Duellists from 1977 which is set in the Napoleonic period.
I'm still holding out hope that Danny will do a Kingdom of Heaven video 🤞😌🤞
And I'm so thankful Ridley did a Director's Cut that was WORTHY of that title, vs the usual which only have *maybe* 3 minutes of new footage, making it not worth buying. Whereas KoH, or LotR, both added 40+min of GOOD content (the latter did so for each movie!), which _definitely_ makes it worth buying again!
Now all we need is a prequel with proximo
1:40 Commodus doesn’t pull his nephew in front of him to protect himself. The exact opposite happens. At the beginning of the scene, while there is no perceived danger, Commodus stands behind Lucius, who’s eager to meet the gladiator. The moment the exchange escalates is when Commodus says “how dare you”, which is also when he pushes his nephew aside. The subtext you’re referring to isn’t there. I think you’re reaching too far for these character moments.
Shout out to Oliver Reed drunk on set but smashing it regardless
I find it humorous that Max lives in the previous script, as I've never heard anyone say that they wish he lived or that they were disappointed that he died or the like.
I think that's because we know he's now with his loved ones, and THAT gives us a happy ending to such a tragic story... even though it meant Maximus meeting *his* end...
Which, that _Gladiator_ had a 'happy ending' is not something I would've considered before having thought about it just now! 🤯 heh
Awesome, as always. ❤
👍💯
Thank ye :)
Another change from script to screen I can recommend looking into is Kill Bill. the difference is wild, but all the pieces of what made up Tarantino's finest are still present.
I believe if Reed had lived he would have had an Oscar nomination and with the right campaign may have won,Bafta did nominate him,he was the best he'd been on film in years and this films success would have revitalised his career,heck he could have been Dumbledore or played any of Michael Caine's 00's roles.
It really is hard to believe the same man made this film and the follow up. Gladiator 2 is such a tedious, cliched, cynical rehash.
He also just made the POS film Napoleon.
Have you seen his Alien sequels? All terrible as well. The last one, Covenant, being even worse than Prometheus.
Ridley Scott is in his 80s and hes rushing through movies, there is an over dependance on CGI. He takes one shot of a scene and hes done.
As you can surmise, due to his age, he doesnt film, (in Alien, he did most of the camerawork), and even if he could, CGI demands multiple cameras filming at once.
Modern filmmaking seems to be ruining auteurs.
Ridley has always been a hack director, but he's been reined in before.
It is as Russell Crowe says in this video at 2:52: "Ridley is primarily a visual artist".
I guess that's the one thing that's consistent throughout his carreer; good visuals.
Scripts and story is not something he does himself :)
@@aussiepassenger Yeah. It's just remarkable how good Gladiator and Aliens were, and how bad the follow ups to those films are. I mean, Gladiator and Aliens are both absolutely fantastic films, two of the very best mainstream big-budget movies ever made. But Gladiator 2 and the other Alien films he made are ultimately utter dross. It's bizarre.
Should've bring in that infamous sopranos clip to show how to do it wrong.
wow, I had no idea the movie was so patched together! It turned out great!
Personally, I never liked Gladiator. I hated that they killed him off in the end. If he had lived and maybe remarried, specifically Lucilla, then it would be in my top hundred. However, that said, I must admit that I really like watching your videos because I always learn something interesting.
One of the finest movies of the modern age. My thanks.
Damn man, I loved this movie as a kid
Watched the movie for the first time recently. Didn't notice that they had to get creative with it
Add a note to clarify that there are no "Gladiator 2" spoilers.
Otherwise some viewers might be extra-cautious, due to the timing... 🙂
There is a quick shot where reed i. Approaching the locked gate that looks like an effect
Phoenix is so goood in Gladiator, he stole the show, the tension he created helped drive the movie and make us like the Spaniard more, rooting for Maximus because Phoenix was soo good as this tortured, sick, yet sensitive slimmy villain
Hey, I've been here, saw your channel growing, and I adore your content, but I have a question
How do you feel knowing you sort of started a trend in TH-cam? I mean, you had your style for titles with the "when the director" and such, and now everyone seems to be doing it
I've wanted to know how exactly they did this for years! great video
I'll take films that REALLY didn't need a sequel for 1000, Alex.
I found the acting in this, absolutely beautiful. The entire film is a masterpiece.
I had no idea that the actor had died while the film was still being made.
Thanks for reminding that guy could shoot some great cinema once
Such exceptional analysis useful for storytellers.
That is amazing how they patched in the actors scenes after his real life death.
I didn't realize you were on Nebula. Now following you over there.
Yesss Nebula!
the music LOL