Modern classic

Rating: 10/10 (23 June 2013)

This is a wonderfully filmed classic about a roman general turned gladiator who lives to avenge the death of his wife and child.
It's a long film but it rarely drags thanks some great fight scenes and a towering performance from Russel Crowe as the gladiator Maximus. There are great performances throughout from Oliver Reed as the slave seller and an amazing performance from Joaquin Phoenix as the sniveling and cowardly Commodus.
Gladiator is similar to another epic Spartacus but thanks to a superior dialogue and better fight scenes this even eclipses that great movie. It has all the ingredients a great film needs, a great cast, good story, believable dialogue, great cinematography and a great ending. There is very little you can fault this film for. Maybe it's running time but even though I watched the extended version no scene seemed superfluous.
Without doubt of one of the best films of the modern era and a film that will be much loved for years to come.