Casey Chong on the best sword-and-sandal movies of the 21st century…
With Ridley Scott returning to Ancient Rome this month in the long-gestating sequel Gladiator II [read our review here], it looks as if the sword-and-sandals epic is making yet another comeback. The last time the genre made a splash, for better or worse, was in the 2000s, when Scott defied the odd by bringing the sword-and-sandals epic with strength and honor in Gladiator. That movie went on to earn big money and even led to multiple Oscar glory. Below is our list of the best sword-and-sandals movies from the 2000s onwards…
Gladiator (2000)
Ridley Scott single-handedly revived the long-forgotten sword-and-sandals genre, dusting it off to make way for the epic Gladiator. This is especially true after the genre came crumbling down with the pricey flops of Cleopatra and The Fall of the Roman Empire. The result is one of his most celebrated works in his otherwise erratic career, transplanting the old-school storytelling with a contemporary vibe. He retains the dirty politics of the Roman Empire era but doesn’t let it get in his way of focusing on what resonates the most: the emotional beat of Russell Crowe’s Maximus’ quest for vengeance to avenge the death of his family. He is the heart and soul of the movie, playing his iconic role with gravitas – a result that earned him a well-deserved Oscar for Best Actor.
The movie also features Joaquin Phoenix’s cold-blooded antagonist turn as Commodus while Scott’s flair for propulsive visuals can be seen right from the beginning – a large-scale battle sequence between the Roman soldiers and Germanic tribes. Graphic violence and brutality continue to dominate in the gladiatorial arena of the majestic Colosseum, a seamless combination of a replica and state-of-the-art visual effects.
300 (2006)
Zack Snyder’s style-over-substance direction is put into great use in 300, bringing Frank Miller and Lynn Varley’s comic book limited series of the same name to vivid life. It was the movie that catapulted him to Hollywood’s A-listers after previously impressed with the 2004 remake of Dawn of the Dead. 300 is a one-of-its-kind spectacle brimming with highly stylized visuals, surrealistic slo-mo and a whole lot of bloodshed and graphic violence like a free-flow massacre. The story isn’t the strongest forte and purists expecting historical accuracy surrounding the Battle of Thermopylae are best to stay clear since it’s more of an alternate reality-like historical epic.
Besides, 300 is pretty much first and foremost, an immersive and distinctly pulpy cinematic experience. The kind of visceral entertainment best seen on the big screen, complete with musclebound actors led by Gerard Butler’s King Leonidas – the role that earned him a breakthrough with his gruff, tough-guy exterior has since become synonymous with the Scottish actor. His character, of course, is best known for his iconic line “This is Sparta!”
Kingdom of Heaven: Director’s Cut (2005)
Those who have seen Kingdom of Heaven’s theatrical version and walked out disappointed wondering what the studio (then-20th Century Fox) was thinking at the time. It was an ill-fated move for the studio demanding 45 minutes’ worth of footage to be trimmed, resulting in a hasty and disjointed 144-minute cut. But thanks to Ridley Scott’s insistence to restore his original version meant to be seen all along, the director’s cut was subsequently released to positive responses.
The three-hour-plus length helps a lot to smooth out what has been curiously missing on its narrative front, namely Orlando Bloom’s Balian of Ibelin’s clear-cut motivation that leads him to murder his half-brother priest (Michael Sheen) in the first place. Bloom himself isn’t the most stellar one, despite shouldering the weight of leading the movie. He’s serviceable at best and thankfully backed by a solid supporting cast from Liam Neeson’s no-nonsense Barisan of Ibelin to Jeremy Irons’ commanding Tiberias and Eva Green’s mesmerizing Sibylla of Jerusalem. Scott made good use of its $130 million budget with plenty of technically impressive action set pieces while John Mathieson’s arresting cinematography shot on location in Morocco and Spain deserves equal praise.
Troy (2004)
Summer 2004 saw the battle of expensive sword-and-sandals epic between Troy and King Arthur, both movies that stripped off the fantastical classic mythology in favor of grounded realism. In the case of Troy, Homer’s Iliad-inspired story is devoid of Greek gods, relying solely on the brawny men-in-the-skirt action heroes led by the charismatic Brad Pitt as Achilles. Troy also gets the upper hand over the disappointingly drab King Arthur, benefitting not only from Pitt’s lead performance but also Eric Bana as the ill-fated Prince Hector.
Under the direction of Wolfgang Petersen, who knows a thing or two about immersive visual spectacle seen in the likes of Das Boot, Air Force One and The Perfect Storm, he pays great attention to the elaborate action choreography. He favors camerawork that is crisply shot, allowing us to see clearly what’s going on the screen. He knows well how to stage epic set pieces, making good use of its sizable budget reportedly cost around $185 million with an equally impressive sound design and James Horner’s monumental score.
300: Rise of an Empire (2014)
When 300: Rise of an Empire was released in 2014, the sequel/side-quel didn’t get the same love as its 2006 predecessor did, even though it still made money at the box office worldwide. Noam Murro, who took over original director Zack Snyder, retains the latter’s hyper-stylized visuals with an orgy of slow-motion violence and gore that made 300 such an immersive cinematic experience in the first place.
Murro, who cut his teeth making commercials before shifting to the world of feature filmmaking in Smart People, directs his first big-budget studio production with an assured pace. The action scenes are thrillingly staged with enough verve, notably the naval battle backed by Junkie XL’s Middle Eastern-tinged pulsating score. 300: Rise of an Empire may lack the kind of commanding presence seen in Gerard Butler’s King Leonidas from the first movie as Sullivan Stapleton’s Themistocles, whose impressive physique isn’t enough to overcome the blandness of his character. Thankfully, the supporting cast fares better with Eva Green stealing the show as Artemisia while Rodrigo Santoro is perfectly imposing as the ruthless King Xerxes.
Centurion (2010)
Centurion was the last time Neil Marshall made commendable genre fare before succumbing to the realm of mediocrity. Too bad this Roman Empire-era sword-and-sandals thriller failed to make money at the time of its release and yet, Centurion has a lot going for it. Marshall keeps the story straightforward, eschewing the political-heavy undertones typically associated with such a genre since the movie is essentially a chase movie. The latter allows him to showcase his directorial prowess in staging muscular action set pieces with a mix of fluid camerawork and Sam McCurdy’s sweeping cinematography. He also doesn’t shy away from brutality and graphic violence, even though the overreliance on CGI tends to rob away its matter-of-fact grittiness.
The action may have been the highlight here but Marshall doesn’t forget to leave ample room for his actors to shine. This includes Michael Fassbender, fresh off from Inglourious Basterds a year earlier, who excels in his engaging lead turn as centurion Quintus Dias while Olga Kurylenko steals the show as the fearless mute scout and warrior Etain.
King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (2017)
The $175 million gamble of King Arthur: Legend of the Sword tried and failed to set the box office on fire, killing off any chances of progressing into a six-film franchise as planned. But it’s hard to deny Guy Ritchie’s ambition in turning the age-old King Arthur tale into a refreshingly contemporary version set in a medieval era. This, of course, isn’t the first time Ritchie modernized the classic literature characters, evidently in his first two Sherlock Holmes movies starring Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law.
Ritchie’s typically showy direction is on full display here – flash-forward montage, quick cuts and slow motion, just to name a few. The movie equally gets a boost from the bulked-up Charlie Hunnam’s charismatic lead as the titular character and also fares well in his physically demanding performance. Ritchie also cast Jude Law, where the latter does a good job playing the remorseless king Vortigern.
Clash of the Titans (2010)
Louis Leterrier’s $125 million remake of the 1981 genre classic of the same name may have been a box-office hit, even though the reviews weren’t kind. Leterrier is no stranger to pulpy entertainment, which can be seen in his first two Transporter movies. Save for the shoddy post-converted 3D effects, which were added at the time of the Avatar craze, he gamely approaches this entertaining epic sword-and-sandals fantasy with visually spectacular action set pieces and swooping camera angles while Ramin Djawadi’s riveting score keeps the cinematic beat alive.
The introduction of the imposing Kraken monster is the result of a technically impressive CGI while the cast led by Sam Worthington’s Perseus is a serviceable action hero. But the supporting roles fare better, beginning with Liam Neeson’s stately role of Zeus, who is best remembered for his iconic “Release the Kraken!” line while Ralph Fiennes deserves equal mention in his sinister antagonist turn as Hades, echoing the actor’s iconic portrayal of Lord Voldemort in the Harry Potter film franchise.
What are your favourite sword and sandals movies? Are there any we’ve missed from this list? Let us know on our social channels @FlickeringMyth…
Casey Chong