Best of the Decade Nominee:
Gladiator (2000)
Directed by Ridley Scott

It seems only fitting to kick off this series with a hit movie at the beginning of the decade. Gladiator is the film that catapulted Russell Crowe to super stardom and won him Best Actor at the 2001 Academy Awards. The film also nabbed a Best Picture statuette as well.

After nine years, does Gladiator still hold up? Absolutely. The story of Maximus (Crowe) and his descent from general to slave to gladiator and finally to Roman Emperor killer is as entertaining as it was in 2000. Crowe superbly protrayed Maximus as a badass on a mission of revenge following the murder of his family. Other actors like Joaquin Phoenix as the evil Emperor Commodus, Derek Jacobi as Senator Gracchus, and Djimon Honsou as his slave pal Juba contribute greatly in supporting roles.

The movie's battle scenes are still good from the beginning one pitting a Roman legion against Germanic barbarians to the battles in the Colosseum. Maximus's battles against CGI lions might show some of the limitations of the technology back in 2000, but it doesn't detract.

Let's not forget Hans Zimmer's wonderful score which elevates Maximus's battles to mythic proportion. Gladiator's score is right up there in quality with Braveheart and The Last of the Mohicans.

Does Gladiator have any significance beyond being a wonderful piece of Hollywood entertainment? The soon-to-be dead Emperor Marcus Aurelis says: "There was once a dream that was Rome. You could only whisper it. Anything more than a whisper and it would vanish...it was so fragile. And I fear that it will not survive the winter." Following eight years of President George W. Bush, many fear America's standing in the world will falter in the 21st century. Perhaps Ridley Scott had America in mind when he depicted this Roman world.

Bottom Line: Gladiator might seem to be only a high-tech update to those sword-and-sandal epics from the '50s and '60s, but Ridley Scott elevates the material to be a stirring, emotionally rich drama filled with great action and good acting. Hans Zimmer also contributes a memorable score.
Rewatchability: Very High
Best Line: Maximus: "Brothers, what we do in life... echoes in eternity"

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0172495/