Ridley Scott's best ever film!

Rating: 10/10 (21 November 2006)

Gladiator was a truly amazing film. Aside from beating LOTR on the visual and action scales (well, in my opinion), this film really recaptures the Roman era well, and is far more than just standard sword-and-sandal fare - it has a complex story, a complex script, complex characters and complex situations. The character of Commodus was done best - his spite, cunning and villainy was brought to the screen well by actor Joaquin Phoenix. Russell Crowe's Maximus was also a well-played and strong character, and one that you really felt for and understood - his humanity, love and sacrifice made him a true cinema hero. This is Ridley Scott's finest hour - his true talent is historical action films (Kingdom of Heaven is also one to be reckoned with). The best ever sword-and-sandal epic made! 10/10