Product: Gladiator [VHS] (2000)
Rating: 5.0
Gladiator-Deserving of Best Picture
Gladiator is a remarkable film. It lavishly recreates the glory and decadence of the Roman Empire. Gladiator's central character is the Roman general Maximus (Russell Crowe). The ailing Emperor, Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris), decides to pass his powers to Maximus, to the consternation of his son Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix). Upon Aurelius' death Commodus becomes emperor. This is the point in the story where Maximus' livelihood takes a turn for the worse.The action scenes in Gladiator are outstanding. The performances were Oscar caliber. Russell Crowe has the best screen presence of any actor I've seen. His academy award was well deserved. Joaquin Phoenix was riveting as the scheming Commodus. Phoenix was one of the best screen villians I have seen in a long time. It's a shame he did not win an Oscar as well.Many people complain that Gladiator is nothing more than well choreographed action sequences. This could not be further from the truth. I've seen this film five times and I get a little more out of it with each viewing. Gladiator is a story of two men, Maximus and Commodus, vying for the love and respect of their fellow citizens. I highly recommend this dvd.