Historical war par excellence

Rating: 10/10 (13 December 2015)

One of the early "historical epics" to set off a still-current wave of ancient adventures, this is epic, grand stuff spoiled only slightly by a twinge of Hollywoodian uneasiness and a little overloading of sentimentality. It isn't as bad as in something like, say, ROBIN HOOD: PRINCE OF THIEVES but it isn't mastered to the extent it was in GLADIATOR either. Although history is sometimes rewritten and distinctions are blurred, this is a moving masterpiece with a sweeping score and splendid visuals to boot.
War is hell here, literally; bloody and violent, with limbs flying and bodies torn asunder. Yet for a film chock full of gruesome violence and obscene torture, it's remarkably good-natured, focusing on the characters foremost and being successful with it. Gibson is fine in the leading role – if a little too old – and the supporting cast are great. The plot is complex and wide-reaching and the characterisations and script are both spot on. A perfect blend of heroic escapism and back-stabbing politics, this is a modern classic of the genre and it proves Gibson's worth not as a star but as a director because his direction is exemplary.