A hero, denied his rightful reward, is cast out of society, and makes his way back to his rightful place.

Rating: 7/10 (14 May 2000)

The Roman Empire is back, in all its glory and filth. The plot is simple and mythic: A hero is denied his rightful reward, is cast out of society, and makes his way back to his rightful place. Russell Crowe's Maximum oozes honor and dignity, even when all he knows is destroyed around him. Joaquin Phoenix's Commodus is his antithesis -- an insecure, scared, and malevolent ruler. You know good will triumph in the end (it always does in such blockbuster films), but the hows and wherefores are worth watching nonetheless. Ridley Scott has created a visual masterpiece in his recreation of ancient Rome (the cityscapes reminded me, oddly, of Naboo in the Phantom Menace; surely my imagination was running overtime?). Depicting the Roman circus in all its gore (although most of the truly awful stuff is just off camera, leaving too much to the imagination), this movie deserves its R rating. But I enjoyed it, overall.