THE GLADIATOR
US, 1986, 94 minutes, Colour.
Ken Wahl, Robert Culp, Nancy Allen, Stan Shaw, Rosemary Forsyth.
Directed by Abel Ferrara.
The Gladiator is a vigilante telemovie directed by Abel Ferrara, director of such exploitation violent films as Driller Killer, Angel of Vengeance, China Girl.
However, the message of this film is the staying within the law and the surrender of the highway vigilante. It is also a strong message film against drunken drivers.
Ken Wahl portrays a mechanic whose brother is killed by a vicious driver on the highway. He becomes the gladiator with a reinforced truck, making citizen's arrests and forcing speedsters and drinkers off the road. Nancy Allen is the host of a talkback show. Robert Culp is the police inspector.
The ingredients of the film are familiar: the taciturn hero, the death of his brother, the demand for vengeance, the wariness of the police against a vigilante, the friendship of the radio announcer, her campaign against the gladiator. Scenes are inserted where the gladiator comes to his senses - especially as he almost kills a husband taking his wife to the hospital for the birth of their child.
There are a lot of car action sequences, especially in the final confrontation between the hero and the killer. Entertaining of its kind - for the widest audience; and for its message.
1. Entertaining telemovie? Action thriller? Vigilante film?
2. Los Angeles settings, the highway? Action sequences? Musical score?
3. The title, the memories of the Roman gladiators? Fighting to the death? The hero and his choice of title? Reaction to the gladiator, pro and con?
4. Rick and his work, his skills with cars, bringing up his brother? Going for the ride with him? The death? His injuries? Clash with the police? Friendship with Susan because of the cars? Friendship with Joe? His decision to become the gladiator? Citizen's arrests? Frightening people, his becoming more violent? His hook on cars? The rich man drawn out of his garage? Public opinion against him? The police against him? Susan and her antagonism? His almost killing the husband and wife on the way to the hospital? His pausing? The decision to give himself up? His seeing the killer, the chase and the pursuit, taking him out of the burning wreckage, giving himself up?
5. Susan, her friendship, the car? Her talk show, the focus of public attention on the gladiator? Her own antipathy?
6. The police, their frustration with so many accidents and hit-runs? Not being helpful to Rick? Against him, thinking the gladiator was the killer? The finale and the confrontation? The picture of the police?
7. Joe and his friendship? The brother and his easy way, baseball, bond with his brother, death? The salesman and his patter? Friendship?
8. The opening with the message about drinking, the anonymous driver of the black car, killing people? The series of murders on the highway? The victims?
9. The message about vigilantes? Working within the law? Venting angers? Making mistakes and victimising the innocent?
10. The theme of drunken drivers? The presentation of the drinking drivers in the film? Rick's action against them? The screenplay and its warnings against drunken driving?
11. The blend of popular action film for the television audience, along with significant message?
