Gladiator [DVD]

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More tangible evidence of the gladiators themselves in Britain is harder to come by. But some recent discoveries allow us to flesh out the picture. In 1853, a Roman vase was found being used as a container for ashes in a grave outside Roman Colchester. Dating to the later second century AD, it depicted four gladiators with their names scratched into the surface of the vase.

More convincingly, pieces of pottery with representations of gladiators have been recovered from both Chester and Cirencester – both places with amphitheatres. These were in red gloss pottery mass produced in present-day France. Perhaps they were imported as souvenirs for people attending gladiatorial spectacles. Pompeii is set in the Roman city, but doesn't really feel like a historical drama. The gladiator characters provides a reason for scene after scene filled with hand-to-hand combat sequences, and the neighboring volcano justifies some big-scale fire-and-flood destruction. Somewhere in there, the filmmakers manage to squeeze in an improbable love affair between a handsome gladiator and the daughter of a local nobleman, and their courtship unfurls like a modern-day dramedy, complete with a star-crossed lovers storyline, stereotypical parents (the dad complains of her having too much luggage, a complaint that doesn't feel like it belongs in a period movie) who may not understand their affections; a best friend to confer with, and a lecherous politician (Sutherland, not his best role) who wants what he can't have. How to interpret them? Given that the age range is that for service in the Roman army, one hypothesis was that they were soldiers executed for serious offences. But further research has shown evidence that they suffered blunt force trauma, often to the head. Could they have been gladiators?

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Most amphitheatres in Britain were not constructed in stone, but were instead large banks of earth carrying timber seating, a little like American “bleachers”, either side of an elliptical arena with entrances at either end. Large examples such as that at Cirencester could have sat several thousand people. They showed off the assimilation to Roman ways of the local nobles who financed their construction and the games.

Commodus: Your fame is well deserved, Spaniard. I don't think there's ever been a gladiator to match you. As for this young man, he insists you are Hector reborn. Or was it Hercules? Why doesn't the hero reveal himself and tell us all your real name? You do have a name.

Gladiatorial combat’s strong links with the army explains why the two major stone amphitheatres in Britain were at the legionary fortresses of Chester and Caerleon. Colchester was a colony for military veterans, so an amphitheatre there would be expected, though archaeologists have not yet located one. Evidence of gladiators in Britain Human remains showing evidence of blunt force trauma unearthed at York’s Driffield Terrace. Courtesy of York Archaeological Trust All classification decisions are based on the BBFC’s published and regularly updated Guidelines. The Guidelines are the product of extensive public consultation, research and the accumulated experience of the BBFC over many years. They reflect current views on film, DVD and video game regulation. Earlier, standing in the cathedral’s crypt, Ace tells me about the mass grave of Roman gladiators that was unearthed nearby. Whether physical or psychological, a gladiator always pays a price. Ace recalls standing on the arena floor during the 2015 Gladiators reunion. “It was melancholy,” he says. “We were all ringing each other afterwards and saying: ‘Remember when we were young?’” The sex and age profile of the buried bodies was very unusual. They were almost all males and aged from their late teens to their early forties.

The money for Gladiators was pathetic’ ... Wolf meets fans at Stoke Con Trent. Photograph: Fabio De Paola/The Guardian Ace, 47, became a born-again Christian five years ago and is charmingly self-aware about his conversion. “The other gladiators think I’ve completely lost my mind.” I like Ace – he is hilarious and sincere and doesn’t try to convert me. He tells me about his 2017 appearance on This Morning, in which he announced he was a “gladiator for the gospel”. He had originally turned it down, until he realised it would be live. “I thought: ‘I can share the gospel live on telly!’ I’m in.” Films for cinema release are usually seen by at least two of our Compliance Officers, and in most cases, their age rating recommendation is approved by the Compliance Managers. While most games are suitable for players of all ages, others are only suitable for older children and young teenagers. A specific portion of games on the market contains content that is only appropriate for an adult audience.

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Note! If you already watched the series, please inform us about the parental guidance here with your support, we can bring out a better vision to everyone. Recommendations are made by our Compliance Officers based on the BBFC’s published Guidelines. These are the result of extensive consultation with people right across the UK, research, and the BBFC’s more than 100 years of experience. They reflect people’s views on film, DVD, Blu-ray, video on demand (VoD) regulation and are regularly updated. The process The PEGI rating considers the age suitability of a game, not the level of difficulty. A PEGI 3 game will not contain any inappropriate content, but can sometimes be too difficult to master for younger children. Reversely, there are PEGI 18 games that are very easy to play, yet they contain elements that make them inappropriate for a younger audience.