Product: Gladiator [VHS] (2000)
Rating: 5.0
Terrific
A wonderful film. Russell Crowe plays the great general, Maximus, who is sentenced to execution after the failing Caesar, Marcus Aurelius, chooses him to govern the empire rather than his son, who is morally unfit for the job. His son takes the news poorly, and takes steps to ensure he succeeds his father. Maximus escapes his executioners, but ends up enslaved and sold to an ex-gladiator (Oliver Reed) who now sends men into the pits to fight as their owner. Crowe is terrific, Reed turns in a solid, workmanlike performance (in his last role, he died during the filming and at least the last scene he is in was a neat bit of computer/camera trickery). An unapologetically violent film with the trademark Ridley Scott atmospheric direction. A must see.