Il Colosseo: l'arena della morte

This drama documentary was included as a DVD extra on Pompeii: The Last Day (2003) TV. I started watching it with little expectations and actually ended up liking it better than the main movie on the DVD.

One of the main reasons I enjoyed Coloseum: A Gladiator's Story is that the spoken dialog was in Latin. I studied Latin in High School, but have never heard it spoken on screen before. I think the movie would be understandable to someone who did not study Latin, as the narration is in English.

I liked the references to Martial (who I have not read) and Seutoneus (who I am just starting to read).

This story was not just about Gladiators, but about the political climate of the time and the reasons for building the Flavian Amphitheatre (known today as the Colosseum).