Gladiator

Rating: 9/10 (6 September 2005)

This is a great story about a man kidnapped, but still keeps doing what he was born to do. Oscar winning, and BAFTA and Golden Globe nominated Russell Crowe plays General Maximus, he used to be a soldier who fought a war in Germania. He is thought by King Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris) as the son he should have had. Commodus (Oscar, BAFTA and Golden Globe nominated Joaquin Phoenix) is the evil man who kills his own father to become king himself. Unfortunately Maximus was taken by a tradesman and he is given to Proximo (BAFTA nominated Oliver Reed) and trained to become a gladiator. He fights against men and animals in front of some audiences. It's when Commodus witnesses one of the shows that he is reminded that he should kill him. Oliver Reed was the most watchable of the actors, besides Crowe, its a shame he died while filming. Also starring Connie Nielsen as Lucilla, Derek Jacobi as Gracchus, Djimon Hounsou as Juba, David Schofield as Falco, David Hemmings as Cassius and Omid Djalili as Slave Trader. An excellent film from Oscar and Golden Globe nominated Alien and Blade Runner director Sir Ridley Scott. It won the Oscars for Best Costume Design, Best Visual Effects, Best Sound and Best Picture, and it was nominated for Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Music for Hans Zimmer and Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen, it won the BAFTAs for Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Production Design and Best Film, and it was nominated for the Anthony Asquith Award for Film Music, Best Special Visual Effects, Best Costume Design, Best Make Up/Hair, Best Original Screenplay, Best Sound and the David Lean Award for Direction, and it won the Golden Globes for Best Motion Picture - Drama and Best Original Score. Oliver Reed was number 78, and Russell Crowe number 26 on The 100 Greatest Movie Stars, Reed was also number 26 on The 50 Greatest British Actors, General Maximus Decimus Meridias was number 50 on 100 Years, 100 Heroes & Villains, the film was number 98 on The 100 Greatest Tearjerkers for the ending, it was number 24 on The 100 Greatest War Films, it was number 99 on The Ultimate Film, and it was number 6 on The 100 Greatest Films. Very good!