A terrific film.

Rating: 10/10 (4 June 2012)

To me, Ridley Scott's Gladiator does not fit the description of Oscar. To me it sounds like something that would be nominated for MTV movie awards. So when it won Best Picture back in 2000, I was a little surprised because I thought it wasn't going to go to Steven Soderbergh's terrific drama Traffic. But I must say that Gladiator is better, but only a little better.
The emperor (Richard Harris) does not feel that his son (a terrifying Joaquin Phoenix) is the right choice to be king; he feels that Maximus(Russell Crowe in his Oscar Winning performance), a super macho soldier, is the right fit. So when his son realizes this, he kills his father and pits the blame on Maximus. Maximus, having lost everything, sets out for vengeance, and becomes a gladiator.
Gladiator is long, and requires your full attention. But trust me, that shouldn't be a problem. I couldn't take my eyes off of it. It's a sprawling, big, blood bath of an epic that always holds you and is far from reaching boredom.
The film really belongs to Crowe and Phoenix. Every moment with Crowe is enthralling, and every moment with Phoenix, well, any time Phoenix is on screen in any movie, he sends chills down my spine. Crowe is good, but he doesn't deserve the award here as much as he did in 2001's Best Picture winner, A Beautiful Mind.
This is one of Scott's best works. It's up there with Alien, Blade Runner, and American Gangster. It would not have been my top choice though. Personally, I would have chosen Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon or Erin Brockovich over this. But Gladiator is terrific entertainment nonetheless.
A