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Mr_Evil_Dr_Porkchop t1_j9h48y1 wrote

You’ll understand it just fine. Overall it’s not really that deep, historically wise, and everything is explained throughout the plot

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gangmasterfader t1_j9h4idx wrote

It's not 100% historically accurate, the story itself isn't rooted in a specific real event. Great film IMO.

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sheeplewatcher t1_j9hdnfz wrote

I was surprised it was nominated and won an Oscar for Best Picture. At the time it seemed to be out of left field for a summer movie to win.

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ItsMeTK t1_j9j0rj6 wrote

If a summer movie win feels weird, consider that Silence of the Lambs came out in February. Though I suspect videocassette helped that film.

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ehzog t1_j9h4pet wrote

Yes you will understand it. I think it’s actually worse if you’re a Roman history fan because of the inaccuracies. It’s a great movie, enjoy!

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[deleted] OP t1_j9h6fuv wrote

no, you're too uneducated and stupid

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bekilledoff t1_j9h4qgu wrote

You will love the movie and you'll end up knowing even less about Rome !

(this is a joke about the film's historical inaccuracies, not a dig)

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NoHandBananaNo t1_j9h77m6 wrote

You won't be lost at all. Its a Ridley Scott film, the point of it is to tell you a damn good story, the setting is just incidental really.

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karma_dumpster t1_j9h6l7j wrote

I managed to understand Coneheads without a degree in Remulakian history, so I think you should be fine.

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Vahkeh t1_j9h7bag wrote

Take into account that it's a very realistic movie. Crowe rides a horse from Germany to central Spain like nothing.

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UnderwoodsNipple t1_j9h4s8j wrote

It's basically a fantasy version of ancient Rome anyway, so actual knowledge of it would just hurt.

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Select_Action_6065 t1_j9h96hz wrote

The filmmakers didn’t know anything either and it worked out fine.

Believe in yourself

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_herenorthere66 t1_j9h4fqg wrote

You’ll be fine, a lot is explained in monologues/dialogue

2

NoThankYou2U t1_j9h6572 wrote

Yes. It is historical fiction meant to entertain and won an Oscar when it came out. My guess is Oscar voters aren't history buffs.

It is also not very accurate to history, which is 100% okay

2

PureImplosion t1_j9h8lg5 wrote

The less you know, the more you will understand it.

2

basscubed t1_j9hcmro wrote

I own a Gladiator and the user manual is fairly straightforward.

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truckturner5164 t1_j9hkh1k wrote

It's a fictional film set during a real era, so it's not based on a true story as such. You'll be fine. It might be worse the more knowledge you have.

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RabidJoint t1_j9h4mol wrote

Watch the movie, though it does reference historic period of the Roman Empire, it is not a true story. It’s a good watch through and through, definitely deserves top 250 all time

1

ogjondoe t1_j9h5t3f wrote

You gotta get on it! You’ve been missing out

1

FlashMcSuave t1_j9h6epp wrote

Fun fact - they originally intended to include advertising for things like olive oil but cut it because it seemed too unrealistic.

In reality the Colosseum and gladiators did advertise things like olive oil.

https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/8qdba1/til_ridley_scott_tried_to_make_gladiator_2000_an/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

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Ghost273552 t1_j9hhprv wrote

We like to think crass commercialism is a modern invention.

1

KelMHill t1_j9h8r98 wrote

Yes, it's just a well-made blockbuster. It bears little relation to history or reality.

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sonder_ling t1_j9h9zqk wrote

It's a Blockbuster movie that doesnt expect a PhD to be entertaining. Have fun, it explains everything important.

1

Expensive-Cow5368 t1_j9hbr5v wrote

It's the kind of movie that could have been set on an alien planet with laser swords and giant space insects instead of lions and horses and it would pretty much have been 99% the same movie.

1

BYEBYEBADGUY t1_j9hcuk7 wrote

Your missing the point of a movie it's not a documentary or a history lesson I've seen it 20 times one of my favs

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TheCaramelMan t1_j9heev2 wrote

Don’t worry about it, it’s an excellent movie and one of my favourites. You don’t need to know how WW2 started to enjoy Saving Private Ryan, so you’ll be fine. Wish I could watch Gladiator for the first time again! Enjoy!

1

Jeep_Girl_2000 t1_j9hm30d wrote

I was lost in that movie. The whole time I thought they were in Florida.

1

Badmojo68 t1_j9hn9ee wrote

You snooze you lose.

1

Streets-Ahead- t1_j9hreg6 wrote

All you really need to know is that the Roman Empire was a big deal a long long time ago.
And the opening crawl has you covered anyway.

1

Vinomadd4877 t1_j9hro8f wrote

HAHA, yeah, you'll do fine. It's in no way a representation of reality.

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Councilist_sc t1_j9i4h2e wrote

Yeah for sure, it’s not very historically accurate, it’s just a damn good movie. I knew virtually nothing aside from knowing who Marcus Aurelius was (didn’t know anything about him other than that he was a leader of Rome at some point) and I loved it.

1

GreatCaesarGhost t1_j9i64vx wrote

You’ll have no trouble understanding the movie, but it’s very historically inaccurate, fyi.

1

Ebolatastic t1_j9i6uje wrote

Rome had a dictator in charge and spent a lot of time on conquest. They had gladiator arenas where people fought to the death.

That's all you need.

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Rayeon-XXX t1_j9ifzsv wrote

You will be entertained.

1

kiwi-66 t1_j9is3rc wrote

SPOILER ALERT:

Gladiator is literally a remake of a 1964 epic called The Fall of the Roman Empire.

Anyway, both movies take lots of liberties with the facts. The central plot is one example. In both movies, Commodus has a rivalry with Livius/Maximus and ends up duelling him to the death (this didn't happen in real life). Also, the rival has a romance with Lucilla (Commodus' sister) which is also fiction.

Nevertheless, both movies are worth a watch if you're not that interested about historical accuracy and just want a decent movie.

1