An amazing journey

Rating: 10/10 (12 May 2000)

I have seen near-perfection, and it is "Gladiator".
Others have said more eloquently what I could here, so I will not go into any detail. In summary:
Russel Crowe: The 'rising star' who deserved a little gold statue for "The Insider" had better nab one for this role. Maximus is a typical soldier - powerful presence, quiet confidence, emotional yet controlled (especially when Commodus tells him his son "squealed like a girl") and ultimately, dignified in victory.
Oliver Reed: A classic as always. We will miss his screen presence. The CGI used to recreate his face for some scenes is faultless.
Joaquin Pheonix: Develops a character we can really learn to hate. Others have said there was not enough screen time for Commodus, but I thought there was nearly too much!
Connie Neilson: Suitably whimsical as a princess in the beginning, we see her develop into a strong mother figure, discarding all for her son's safety
Fight scenes: Not the best I've seen, but they would have to come close. The first battle against the Germanian horde contrasts sharply with the gladiatorial arena. The skip frame effect serves to enhance the confusion of real battle, while the slower, more elegant shots of the arena display the game of death fought between essentially large men wearing silly hats. :)
Costume, Sets, Design: Faultless - there are more gold statues up for grabs here.
CGI for scenery: At points it was just a tiny bit fake (especially when they put birds into the frame), but overall the effect was superb.
Some people have criticised the film for not being historically accurate, but what is it you people want? Truly there is no way to satisfy some of you, and you've lost the ability to just enjoy a movie for what it is. If you want to see history, watch a documentary.
Personally, I shall be very interested to watch the Oscars next year and see if, once again, a movie gets snubbed because one of Hollywood's darlings isn't at the helm. We know Australian actors can grab the gold (Geoffrey Rush for "Shine"), but how long before we get another?
10 out of 10, but it was worth at least 12...