Russell Crowe 'Unleashes Hell' at Taormina Film Fest

Russell Crowe, known for his iconic role as Maximus Decimus Meridius in 'Gladiator,' received a star's welcome at the Taormina Film Fest. The actor attended to present his latest film, Derrick Borte's action movie 'The Perfect Revenge.' Hundreds gathered for his appearance, with Crowe engaging generously in a public Q&A session.

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We shot Gladiator in 1999, it was a bit of a shock for me to find myself on Ridley Scott's set and experience the vastness of the scale: there were literally hundreds of horses, dozens of catapults, six hundred or seven hundred Roman soldiers, three hundred or four hundred barbarian soldiers.

During the event, Crowe, sporting a white beard, black hair in a ponytail, and gladiator-like biceps, shared his thoughts on various topics. He drew a stark comparison between Ridley Scott's 2000 film 'Gladiator' and its 2024 sequel, which he deemed "completely wrong." He recounted the intense experience of filming the original in 1999, describing the scale of production with hundreds of horses, dozens of catapults, and vast numbers of Roman and barbarian soldiers. "I was hit in the face with an axe, it wasn't an interesting experience, but the conclusion is that I love the work," he stated.

Crowe also addressed the rise of streaming services, acknowledging their accessibility but emphasizing that the cinematic experience remains distinct. He mentioned Netflix's interest in his films, noting that while they contacted him about his top-ranking movies, they primarily acquired his older titles. He revealed he recently completed a film for Netflix titled 'Unabomber,' set for release in September or October.

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I was hit in the face with an axe, it wasn't an interesting experience, but the conclusion is that I love the work. And this is the most important thing.

Reflecting on 'Gladiator,' Crowe highlighted the immense pressure from the studio and producers to include sex scenes, which he consistently refused. He argued that the story centered on a man avenging his wife and son, making sexual encounters inappropriate for his character's journey. He believes the film, though seemingly for men, is actually the opposite. He attributed the sequel's financial underperformance, relative to the original and considering inflation, to its "destroying that moral center."

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The positive thing is availability, but the cinematic experience remains something else.

Crowe, a known fan of Italy and supporter of the Lazio football club, concluded by unexpectedly quoting Ultimo's song 'Il bambino che contava le stelle' ('The boy who counted the stars'), hinting at his upcoming speech in Italian at the Teatro Antico.

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Netflix contacted me some time ago to tell me that I had the most top-ranked films and I was an actor who had never worked for them, but they continue to buy my old titles.