Crowe was superb; Joaquin Phoenix deserved an Oscar - Contains Spoiler

Rating: Null/10 (17 October 2002)

Russell Crowe was PERFECT for the role of Maximus, and he created a character so memorable and life-like that it actually makes me sad when I think of Maximus and remember that he died after his struggle. No. I'm not delusional, and I'm not a tough-guy wannabe, but I have to admit that the character reached me.
Joaquin Phoenix was SO good, and the role was such a departure for him, yet he played it flawlessly. He deserved the Oscar for Best Actor in a Supporting role. He brought Commodus to life as Crowe did Maximus. This is definetly one of my all time favorite movies.
My only complaint: the fight scenes were choreographed too fast. At times it seemed like 3 people were dead with one swing of Maximus' sword. The movie had a cast member from "Braveheart" (Tommy Flanagan, a.k.a Cicero). He should have given the director some input on how more realistic the battle scenes in "Braveheart" were; the action could be seen in more detail. But, I still give "Gladiator" 9.9 out of 10. It's tough to beat.