I have been watching some historical movies at random recently, and Pompeii is one of them. And what caught my attention while watching is the ability and combination of gladiator fights, romance and the the historical disaster about the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. I already pictured how everything would go in the movie due to the history that lies behind it, yet, I was so curious to actually see it for myself and how the movie would bring everything together.
The movie follows the story of Millo. He was a very young Celt who got captured and was sold into slavery after he lost his family. And after years of slavery, he fought his way into becoming a very skilled gladiator and had no choice but to be transferred to Pompeii to fight and entertain the people as they usually do. And I like how I saw through his anger in the movie before he was being put into the arena for entertainment.
While he was being taken to Pompeii, he met with Cassia. She was also a very young woman and also going back home, not as a slave, though. And when they first met, it was a very short meeting, but in the long run, it became significant.
I got so much more interested in these two because they cared so much for each other despite the fact that there was this social position that kept standing between them.
While I was watching, Milo made me like and enjoy the gladiator scenes he was because I saw those he was not just fighting to win. I saw a man who was determined and had something personal towards what he was fighting for. And from the fighting in the arena, it shows how those who are suffering can easily become outrageous entertainment for those who have nothing to lose, especially those who are watching them because the gladiators always get injured seriously and some even lose their life.
When the mountain, Mount Vesuvius, began to erupt, it gave the movie another complete dimension. Starting from the scene where people were trying to run for their lives, buildings collapsing, and ashes ending up filling the city, some were unable to escape, turning everything into a chaotic one. At watching closely, everything that I've watched earlier became nothing because survival became more important.
And after the city was no longer safe for anyone, I started to see how his dumb characters were behaving. Because what was going on led to fear which made some people to become selfish, while some were selfless and were trying to protect those around them. And while I continued to watch the city getting destroyed, Milo was still determined to look for Cassia, which gave the movie another meaning.
I'll say that the romance I saw happen between Cassia and Milo was one of the things I easily predicted at the beginning, and some scenes and conversations felt like what I've watched happen before. Still, I got hooked by the disaster and romance scenes.
Though I watched it like a real life event that happened some years ago, yet, I can't say it's perfect or call it a perfect historical movie. But no doubt, I really enjoyed most of the scenes, hievtyr story was told, the environment they used which made it look so much realistic, the freedom, the survival of the people, revenge.... everything made the movie quite interesting to watch for me. Because I knew the event was really emotional at the same time.
imdb images
Other images are screenshots from my movie player
Rating: 75/100
