The Best Historical Epic of this Generation.

Rating: 10/10 (13 November 2004)

Sure, a lot can be said for older historical epics like Spartacus, 300 Spartans, Ben-Hur, etc., but the fact of the matter remains that these are simply not entertaining for the majority of people under the age of 30, intellectual or not. The production is simply not good by today's standards. That said, I would like to justify my comment that Gladiator is the best historical epic from the 70s to present. The movie has impeccable acting from Russell Crowe, for which he won the Oscar as a lead. In many people's opinions, Joaquin Phoenix deserved the Best Supporting Actor nod for his wonderful performance as Commodus - to this day, whenever I see a picture of him, I see the evil character he portrayed in this great movie. The rest of the supporting actors were just as good, particularly Djimon Hounsou as Juba, Oliver Reed as Proximo, and Spencer Treat Clark as young Lucius.
Whether you love or hate Ridley Scott, it is hard to deny that he directed this movie to near perfection. Of course, there were a few mistakes, such as the now-infamous crew member in blue jeans behind the horse after the opening battle, when Maximus and Lucilla are speaking. That said, this movie flows beautifully. I have watched it upwards of 20 times, and it still makes me cry each time, one of only 3 movies to ever do so.
The script is above average for a historical epic, and this imperfection can easily be forgiven by the sheer beauty of the movie. The plot, however, is topped by none - the quest for vengeance for the slaughter of one's family. Although it may seem cliché, Gladiator reinvents the plot and the result is a movie superior to any with a similar plot before it. The action sequences were both engaging and thought-provoking as to the culture of the time and place. Russell did very well in these sequences.
Not to mention the score by Zimmer matched the mood and intensity of every scene perfectly. To conclude, I for one have not seen a better historical epic, and every historical epic that I will ever see will be subconsciously compared to this masterpiece. Troy paled in comparison for many reasons. I expect great things of Alexander, but somehow I just don't think a movie will come along that replaces Scott's "Gladiator" as my favourite historical epic.