Gladiator

I'm still waiting to learn the secrets of Greek fire.

The high point of Rome is indeed impressive. I always think back to that quotation from "A World Lit Only by Fire":

It says much about the Middle Ages that in the year 1500, after a thousand years of neglect, the roads built by the Romans were still the best ones on the continent.

You can do lots of reading on the current idea about that incendiary horror.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_fire

Joaquin Phoenix describing his terror being in his first major motion picture of such scale


https://youtube.com/shorts/J6FrhU0iXlo?feature=shared

Not sure if I have posted here before, this is a favorite of mine and has a great soundtrack.

The buzz about the sequel is good. I think if people just watch the movie for what it is and not compare it to the first it will have a fair chance.

Joaquin is the only thing I liked about this movie

I think Phoenix is one of those "talents" who isn't really an actor, but a deranged person who has found work in front of a camera. In years past, a mentally distressed person might find themselves venerated as an oracle or elevated to rank of Jester for the amusement of the court. I think Phoenix is the latter (we just kind want to see what he's going to do next), and in this sense he really is "the Joker." Sadly, his new movie still sucks.

Yeah....some actors act by imitating a character, while others act by being themselves and getting chosen for a role that fits who they are. Phoenix reminds me of the latter. It's interesting as a psychoanalytical proposition since, who but someone who has "been there" (mentally speaking) would know how to be some of these deranged characters like Commodus.

Commodus was one of the crazier Roman emperors and that's probably more difficult to portray than it is to be a beefy, manly actor with lots of muscles and bravado portraying a gladiator. The Crowe-styled gladiator would have to be a winner in the arena since most people who went into the ring were slaves, disposable and short-lived. Only a few got to be stars. A few even retired rich.

i watched the first one and i got bored with it :/ so i be watching gladiator 2 on this friday

I really liked the painting. It's really a masterpiece.