Before we reviewed any other new or classic movies, we decided that our first review needed to be for our consensus favorite movie, Gladiator. While myself and Diomedes disagree on some movies and agree on others, we both are madly in love with Ridley Scott's sweeping Roman epic. Gladiator is a film about a Roman General who is betrayed, sold into slavery, forced to fight for his life and freedom, and eventually given his shot at the ultimate vengeance. Russell Crowe gives an Academy Award winning performance as the title character, Maximus. From subtle humor to heart breaking sadness, Crowe portrays Maximus in a way we have never seen a character portrayed on screen. Joaquin Phoenix gives an almost equally great performance as the villain and new emperor of Rome, Commodus. Commodus is weak, defensive, self conscious, and paranoid. Phoenix shows how good of an actor he can be as he portrays Commodus as a perverse yet sympathetic villain. Late actors Oliver Reed and Richard Harris have small but impressive roles as the man Maximus is sold to and the Emperor Marcus Aurelius respectively. The film won multiple academy awards including Best Picture, Best Actor for Russell Crowe, and Best Visual Effects. If you have seen the sweeping shots of Rome in all its glory and the full and complete coliseum, you can understand the reason for the visual effects award. From the Hans Zimmer score to the cinematography to great supporting performances from Reed, Harris, Phoenix, Connie Nielsen, Djimon Hounsou, Derek Jacobi, and Ralf Moeller, Gladiator is a start to finish brilliant ride.
Maximus
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