Perfection in movie-making

Rating: 10/10 (9 May 2011)

There are some movies that move your spirit in an indescribable way - a way that makes you look at life differently. A way that causes you to not take your loved ones for granted, ever. Gladiator is such a movie.
Gladiator is one of those movies that is the ultimate version of good versus evil. In one corner you are cheering on the protagonist, and the other your skin crawls when you see the villain.
Probably Russell Crowe's finest performance, Gladiator brings us back during the time when the Roman empire was at its peak. Maximus (Russell Crowe) is the leader of the army and has just come off of a major victory. His desire is to return to his family, but Caesar's son Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix) has other plans for him - to continue to lead Rome as a world superpower. Where there opinions differ is in the rule - Commodus in an emperor and Maximus believes it should be given to the people The rest of the story involves Commodus's attempts to destroy Maximus because of his "betrayal" to the Roman empire. Maximus becomes traded as a slave and is forced to fight in Gladiator wars, which frequently result in death.
The scene in the movie where I felt the most tension was when Commodus confronted his father about a particular issue.
During this time Maximus forges a few strong relationships with his cell-mates and becomes a symbol of perseverence.
Maximus is bold,courageous, and never backs down. My favorite quote from the movie is "What we do while alive echoes in eternity." Lots of great quotes throughout the movie.
The music is incredible and earned an Academy Award nomination. I would describe it as being hauntingly beautiful. The scenery is breathtakingly exquisite and gives us a good idea of what it looked like at the time The cinematography is probably the best I've seen, in particular during the Gladiator fight scenes. These scenes also got my adrenaline pumping, while anxiously watching to see who would die next.
The final scene of the movie is simply stunning and moving, a fitting end for a film of this magnitude.
As I can't think of one thing to change, my movie review for Gladiator is 10/10 stars.