Maximus Excitus Entertainius.

Rating: 9/10 (27 April 2018)

In the event of his death, ageing Emperor Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris) intends to leave his trusted Hispano-Roman general Maximus Decimus Meridius (Russell Crowe) in charge of Rome, instead of allowing his son Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix) to become his successor. Commodus has other ideas: he murders his father and orders Maximus to be executed. Maximus, not one to give up quietly, makes a daring escape, and, badly wounded, heads for home, where he discovers that his wife and son have been crucified on Commodus' orders. Passing out from the pain of his injury, Maximus is captured by slavers, nursed back to health and forced to fight as a gladiator. This new life eventually leads him to the Colosseum of Rome, where he finally comes face to face with the man who betrayed him.
From director Ridley Scott, Gladiator is a historical epic to rival the classics from the 'golden age' of Hollywood. Opening in 180 A.D., with a brilliantly orchestrated battle between the Roman armies and the tribes of Germania, Scott's film grabs the viewer's full attention from the outset and doesn't let go until the end, having delivered an Oscar-winning central performance from Crowe, a memorable score by Hans Zimmer, excellent supporting roles from the likes of Harris, Phoenix, Connie Nielsen and Oliver Reed, and some of the most impressively bloody scenes of hand to hand combat ever filmed.
If I were to choose my favourite scene, it would be the 're-enactment' of the battle of Carthage, a savage piece of action cinema in which Maximus and his fellow gladiators are ushered into the arena like cattle to the slaughter, only to turn the tables on their attackers, winning the hearts of the Roman masses in the process. A rousing, blood drenched spectacle, it's a fine example of Scott's expert direction, a masterclass in camera placement and movement, editing (the violence is extreme, but the film doesn't wallow in the gore), sound design and special effects, which still thrills even after all of these years.