Man or Dumpling? Taking Jabs at Crowe, ‘Gladiator’

Regarding “Gladiator” (“Into the Arena,” reviewed by Kenneth Turan, May 5): Here we had Russell Crowe, a lowbrow Richard Burton with, oh, what burdened brows, carrying all of Rome’s hopes in his eyes, producing nary a smile or even a kiss for the girl, save one that sufficed (ha!) for lovemaking we never saw.

We were given a pure, unmitigated Man, uncommonly affecting in his moody chunkiness, gladiating in an arena whose course was defined by phallic towers and a paean of ghastly noise, drowning out fairly good music. This is a man’s film all the way, although women were thrown a sop in the figure of the benevolent sister to the young emperor.

Delivering pure action, blood and hacking death and, oh, those brooding eyes of Crowe, “Gladiator” will be a moneymaker as an export to the global economy. Most of our big movies are now made this way, for export, and hence stripped of depth, breadth--and life.

JANE W. PRETTYMAN

Santa Barbara

*

How can a guy who is soft and smooth enough to be a Winchell’s doughboy cop play a Roman gladiator? If this dumpling had been in “Spartacus,” Woody Strode would have treated him like hors d’oeuvres. The only out-of-shape gladiators are dead ones.

TIMOTHY O’SULLIVAN

Los Angeles

*

As much as I enjoyed “Gladiator,” I was disappointed--again--that despite the modern ability to create a sense of spectacle and action, it, like so many other films, had lost an opportunity to provide a movie that could also be thought-provoking.

KEN MARCUS

Los Angeles

*

In his story about box office receipts for “Gladiator,” Richard Natale states that “[a]nother problem the film encounters is its lack of appeal to women” (“ ‘Gladiator’ Has Roman Holiday at Box Office,” May 8). Natale doesn’t have a clue. I loved the movie and had tears rolling down my cheeks in the sentimental parts (yes, there are several).

Besides, Russell Crowe exudes a certain sensual masculinity that has every woman I know in a swoon.

LISA VIDRA

Mar Vista