A film so good it hurts

Rating: 10/10 (3 November 2000)

Most films are 'quite good'. That, as a critical comment, is applied to the kinds of films that are well-made, thoughtful, etc. Gladiator is not 'quite good'. It is beyond goodness. Watching it, on the first weekend it came out, in a packed cinema and the volume turned up to the max, it actually felt like the Christmas you've always wanted as a child.
Russell Crowe is 50% of the reason the film is so great, as he actually makes you believe in, and care about, the character. The other reason it's so good is Ridley Scott; this is easily his best film, by a mile and a half. Buy the soundtrack, DVD, poster...it's the best film of the year, and the best film I've seen since Face/Off (1997).
What begins in life, echoes in eternity.