Epic.

Rating: 9/10 (31 July 2011)

Gladiator is one of the most epic movies ever. Grand, bloody and violent, you will be drawn to Maximus Decimus Meridius' struggle for the entirety of the film.
It starts with a concept, and Gladiator is prime film material. Historical fiction? Good and evil? Betrayal and revenge? Action? Some film concepts work, some don't. This does.
The action sequences are intense, with the creative team asking themselves, "What can make this fight more nuts than the last? Chariots? Tigers?" And we look to see it. Visceral and well done, the many battles are the best part of Gladiator.
Characters in Gladiator are well designed. We root for Maximus, the good guy who lost it all. We hate Commodus, the coward. We don't feel pity for the bad gladiators: they're meant to kill our hero! Maximus is well-developed for an action hero, he believes in the afterlife and has rituals.
Have I mentioned how epic Gladiator is? It's size is intimidating. The gigantic opening, the first fight, and the entrance to the Colosseum... magnificent.
Gladiator is one of the best pictures of the last decade, one of the best epics ever, and a deserving Best Picture winner. 9.3/10