A grim and gritty classic

Rating: 7/10 (6 September 2001)

I love a good melodrama, and this is a grim and gritty classic, full of vengeful tooth-gnashing and visceral battles. Crowe's performance is moody and believable (his Richard Burton impression is very impressive), and he's backed by some great acting from Phoenix and Nielson. Veterans Richard Harris and Oliver Reed make the whole affair that bit classier, and it's a fine swan song for the latter.
So what if the plot is an old chestnut, we haven't seen this kind of film for a while, and it's done very well. Protestations of historical inaccuracies should be ignored  it's a sad day when we can't enjoy a spirited yarn without being force-fed a history lesson, for no other reason than to keep the pedants happy.
Mention should be made of the effective CGI utilised to bring ancient Rome to life, and the impressive (if vaguely familiar) score. Lots of little touches combine to make this superb entertainment, the best film Scott has given us in some time. It's very much a movie that should have been seen at the cinema, but if you missed it there the DVD version is great and reasonably stocked with extras. Pull the chair closer to the TV and enjoy.