Product: Gladiator [VHS] (2000)
Rating: 5.0
My Favorite Movie
The best thing about Gladiator is the acting. I can't imagine anybody other than Russell Crowe playing Maximus. His performance is absolutely perfect. Russell earned his Oscar for this role, and it had nothing to do with his not winning for The Insider. If I had to describe Russell's performance in one word, it would be "subtle." Russell always holds your attention and makes himself clear, but he is never flashy or exaggerated. He conveys Maximus' intelligence, sense of humor, warmth, courage, dignity, intensity, and all the other facets of his personality. He is also very [good looking]! Joaquin Phoenix should have won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Commodus. Connie Nielsen is superb as Lucilla and has excellent chemistry with Russell. The rest of the cast is also brilliant. The music, by Hans Zimmer and Lisa Gerrard, is magnificent and should have won the Oscar. The writing and directing are good, but not great. Seeing Gladiator made me curious about the Roman Empire, and I have been doing some reading. The movie has been criticized for its historical inaccuracies. I think if people want to know the facts about the Roman Empire, they can read a history book. The movie is intended to be entertaining, not educational.