A visual masterpiece

Rating: 8/10 (10 March 2003)

If you LOOK at Gladiator, you are immediately transferred back to Ancient Rome; everything seems so real and in place, it's hard to believe that it's a set with added on CG.
I liked this film. A little long, perhaps (hey, I wasn't into Spartacus that much, either) but entertaining. The battle scenes were the best and Russell Crowe was as magnetic as ever.
Saying that, however, it wasn't his best performance. The trouble with films like this where the speech and setting is "old", the performances tend to get a little wooden, as the actors can't act "naturally" in the role.
Although the history is a little innacurate (commodus was killed in his bath not in the arena) but a movie is nothing more than just that, and so history should not really be taken into account and the movie can just be enjoyed.
One thing I did like was the soundtrack. Well written and worth more than a few listens.
Overrall 8/10