Gladiator, Oliver Reed and Lisa Gerard
Reed and Gerard connect via Gladiator, one of the great movies of the past half century. Reed died, apparently bloated by spirits, during filming, Gerard lent her incomparable voice to the soundtrack.
Lead star Russell Crowe doesn’t even have to open his mouth in the movie’s opening scenes for the audience to know that he is a masterful leader. The way he strides through the ranks as they prepare for war radiates confidence and easy trust. Crowe has majesty in his movement, just as Olivier did in Henry lV and Othello. Using music, snowflakes, mud and slow motion, director Ridley Scott, (Blade Runner, which also contains great music) deftly choreographs the initial battle sequence which prompts a startling range of emotion; rapid frenzied anger, rabid dogs, bloody carnage, then slow, detached melancholia. It’s the music, on top of all, that makes Gladiator a classic. Hans Zimmer’s powerful melodies embody themes of loss, duty and honour with memorable authority. In fact, this soundtrack stands out in its own right, as inspiring as any ever written. Combined with Lisa Gerard’s yearning, mournful, emotive cry, heard in the clip embedded above, the effect is unforgettable.
Reed was a favourite actor of mine during teenage years. Two movies stand out in my memory. First, I’ll never forget What’s his Name, which has Ollie in the opening frames striding through the streets of London, axe over shoulder, on his way to burying it in Orson Welles’ desk. I’ll never forget the music that accompanies this march. A brash, aggressive anthem, Take this Job and Shove it. See the trailer here.
Second is Women in Love which features Reed and Alan Bates slapping each other around, naked by a roaring fireplace in one of the most memorable wrestling sequences in film history, parts (private ones) of which can be seen here, along with some amusing comments on how sheepish the boys felt about the whole affair.
