A Movie That Everyone Will Watch At Some Point

Rating: 10/10 (21 October 2016)

Ridley Scott's Gladiator is and always will be one of my all time favourite movies and I have a problem with anyone who calls this movie overrated. The story in this movie is simple but it works perfectly it allows you to easily get behind Maximus played masterfully by Russell Crowe. Russell Crowe is amazing in this movie he turned a simple character into a compelling and damaged character and he earned his Oscar I could not have seen anyone else playing this character. Joaquín Phoenix was also fantastic here he just is so perfect at making you despise him while also being able to understand his inner turmoil and motives. Thought this movie is much deeper than a bunch of Gladiator matches it is what many casual movie fans will watch this for and their filmed perfectly, Ridley Scott did an amazing job at filming these sequences they feel gritty and realistic. Both the physical and psychological warfare that goes on between Phoenix and Crowe is riveting to watch and always puts you on edge to see what either one of them will do next. You really feel like the crowd in the arena are the true enemy, as if they are the deciders of who will live or die and creates for some very intense sequences. The quieter scenes between Phoenix and Neilson really gives you incite into Commodus' mind you really see a whole other side to him and you see that he's not just a character for the audience to hate but a wounded broken man weighed down by the life thrown upon him. One of the greatest scenes in movie history is the ending to this movie it is just masterful, few times has a character arc come together so perfectly. The final fight between Protagonist and Antagonist is riveting you truly feel as if this is the decider and really showcases both their skills. When Maximus finally lets go and dies instead of feeling sadness you feel happiness that he has achieved what he had to and is now ready to be with his family once more and it is beautiful to watch. Djimon Honsous last scene is also beautiful it gives you one last chance to truly see how their friendship has blossomed.
Gladiator is a masterpiece it's, in my opinion, Ridley Scott's best movie every thing about it works and I hate the fact that so many people have turned against this movie and I will never understand why they do.
A+-100%