A movie made the way movies should be made

Rating: 10/10 (5 May 2000)

Anyone incredibly disappointed by Star Wars Episode I should do themselves a favor and see Gladiator. This movie recalls the greatness of the original trilogy. Like Star Wars, Gladiator has no big stars, opting instead for very talented actors who do not happen to be famous. Gladiator has a terrific hero and villains worthy of the name. The battle that Maximus wages is both personal and epic, and the amazing backgrounds that the story occupies create a very real world. This movie is immersive unlike any other movie in a very long time. Where Episode I failed to give the audience characters they could care about or a plot they could decipher, Gladiator keeps things simple, elegantly depicting the conflict without clutter. The plot is a combination of a royal drama similar to Shakespeare's plays, and an Anglo-Saxon battle epic. Everything works, and just as Lawrence of Arabia makes you thirsty, this movie makes your pulse pound.