Over spring break, I chose to watch the movie Pompeii because I have always been a fan of disaster movies. This movie mainly takes place in 79 AD and is based on the eruption of Mount Vesuvius that destroyed the city of Pompeii. The film opens showing a tribe of Celtic horsemen being slaughtered by an army of Romans led by general Corvus in northern Britannia. A young boy, Milo, is the only survivor of the massacre and is eventually captured by slave traders. The next scene features a grown up Milo and it is evident that he has been trained in gladiator fighting. Known as the Celt, Milo performs well and is taken with other slaves to Pompeii. On the journey, a horse falls and injures itself while carrying Princess Cassia. Milo ends the horse’s suffering and it is obvious that Milo and Cassia are drawn to each other. Once he arrives in Pompeii, Milo is taken to the dungeons and befriends fellow gladiator, Atticus, who needs only one more victory in order to earn his freedom. The gladiators are then taken to a party, in which Corvus is in attendance. It is clear that Corvus wishes to marry Cassia.

At the party, Milo and Cassia are caught on a horse ride together and Corvus only spares Milo’s life at the request of Cassia, although he still receives fifteen lashes as punishment. The following day, the gladiators are chained and forced to fight dozens of Roman soldiers in the arena. Atticus and Milo survive, however, Cassia is forced to agree to marry Corvus during the battle. Shortly after, Mount Vesuvius begins to erupt, spewing ash and fire everywhere. In the chaos that ensues Milo finds Cassia and a tsunami forms, further devastating the city. Atticus finally reunites with Milo, while Cassia is captured by Corvus. In the midst of the eruption, Milo and Atticus fight a group of Roman soldiers as Corvus attempts to flee with Cassia. Milo saves Cassia from Corvus and the two try to escape to the hills. However, it soon becomes clear that they cannot outrun the destruction and Milo and Cassia die in each other’s arms as they are enveloped in fiery ash.

In this movie, it is evident that love cannot transcend such disasters, as none of the characters manage to escape the destruction of Mount Vesuvius. Pompeii lacked an original plot and there was minimal character development. Although I started this movie with low expectations, somehow I was still disappointed with this disaster film. Of all of the disaster movies I have seen, this one was probably the worst. The three natural disasters that ravaged Pompeii and intense fight scenes did little to improve this cheesy romance and the film’s subpar acting. I would not recommend this movie to anyone, unless they are prepared to sit through two hours of an unsatisfactory and overplayed story of two unlikely, yet lovestruck characters.

During spring break, I watched the movie Gladiator with my family. Released in 2000 and directed by Ridley Scott, this historical epic received critical acclaim. Taking place in 180 AD, the movie begins with a scene of the main character, Maximus, leading the Romans to victory against the armies of Germania. After this success, the Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius declares that he wants Maximus to succeed the throne, not his son Commodus. Marcus Aurelius does not believe that his son is moral and capable of ending political corruption and restoring Rome to its former glory, emphasizing the Roman values of virtue and honor. Riddled with feelings of anger and betrayal upon learning of his father’s plans, Commodus suffocates and kills Marcus Aurelius. Maximus manages to escape execution at the order of Commodus, but soon finds his home destroyed and his wife and son brutally killed. 

Maximus is then captured and sold into slavery to a man named Proximo. To conceal his identity and former glory, Maximus removes his SPQR tattoo and goes by the alias of the Spaniard. Proximo trains Maximus to fight as a gladiator and when offered the opportunity to fight in Rome, Maximus is eager to find Commodus and enact revenge for the slaughter of his family. In his first fight in the Colosseum, Maximus encourages the gladiators to work together and they are victorious. However, after the battle, Maximus shocks Commodus and his sister Lucilla by revealing his true identity, as they thought he was long dead. Seeking to kill Maximus, Commodus has him fight the notorious Tigris of Gaul. In an act of defiance, Maximus refuses to kill his competitor, further angering Commodus. Simultaneously, fearing for their lives and the future of Rome, the Roman senator, Gracchus, Commodus’s sister, Lucilla, and Maximus plot to overthrow Commodus and end his dictatorial reign. Nonetheless, their rebellion goes awry when Commodus learns about the scheme through Lucilla’s son, Lucius. In the chaos that ensues, Maximus is captured by Commodus and Gracchus is imprisoned. Commodus then declares that he will fight Maximus in the Colosseum, but first stabs and weakens him. Despite being injured, Maximus defeats and kills Commodus in the arena. Maximus soon dies, but not before declaring the reinstatement of Senator Gracchus and Marcus Aurelius’s wish to restore the Roman Republic. Although the ending is unfortunate, it is not completely clouded in sadness, as Maximus is finally able to get revenge and reunite with his wife and son.

I enjoyed watching this movie and found the fight scenes especially interesting. The intense and graphic nature of the battle scenes reminded me of fights in the Lord of the Rings, specifically the Battle of Helm’s Deep and the Battle of Gondor. I also thought that the soundtrack was fantastic because it really captured the emotion and loss of characters, especially during the scene when Maximus returns home to find that his wife and son have been killed. Overall, I would definitely recommend this movie to a friend!