Twenty-four years ago, the world witnessed Russell Crowe’s Maximus Decimus Meridius become a hero in the arena in Gladiator. After being sold into slavery, Maximus becomes a gladiator, rising the ranks in the arena and setting his sights on avenging the deaths of his family. Directed by Ridley Scott, Gladiator was the second-highest-grossing film of 2000 and won five Oscars, including Best Picture.
This November, Scott will revisit these legendary warriors in Ancient Rome for Gladiator II. The sequel follows Lucius Verus (Paul Mescal), the son of Connie Nielsen’s Lucilla. After the Roman army invades his home, Lucius is sold into slavery and trains to fight as a gladiator. The first trailer for Gladiator II looks spectacular. Only time will tell if Gladiator II lives up to the hype. What isn’t up for debate is the legacy of Gladiator, an action-packed drama that still holds up to this day.
Action scenes remain exhilarating
Scott establishes that Gladiator will be an epic action film from the opening battle, with Crowe leading the way. It’s an appetizer for the gladiatorial fights to follow. The first gladiator fight features Maximus, Juba (Djimon Hounsou), and the rest of Proximo’s slaves chained to a partner as they take on several masked fighters. During this fight, the violence is on full display, with unrelenting violence and gruesome kills. These are fights to the death and therefore must be brutal.
Once Maximus enters the Colosseum, the action intensifies, beginning with the magnificent reenactment of the Battle of Zama. Despite being outmatched, Maximus leads the gladiators to victory. While his showdown against Commodus puts the cherry on top of a great movie, Maximus’ fight against Tigris of Gaul (Sven-Ole Thorsen) is the superior one-on-one fight. Maximus even avoids being eaten by a tiger in this confrontation. Maximus, do not worry. We are entertained.
Revenge is a dish that audiences still eat up
Part of Gladiator’s appeal is its easy-to-understand revenge story. Simplicity really can be perfection, especially for a plot. Gladiator’s plot in three sentences: “The general who became a slave. The slave who became a gladiator. The gladiator who defied an emperor.” That’s as straightforward as it gets. Revenge always plays.
Scott knows the action in the arena is the selling point. The side plot involving Maximus’ quest to escape captivity, reunite with his soldiers, and return power to the Roman senate is entertaining. In the grand scheme of things, however, it’s not why audiences return to Gladiator. To quote Tom Sizemore from Heat, “The action is the juice.” Maximus’ quest for revenge on the arena sands is the draw.
Russell Crowe at the peak of his powers
From 1997 to 2003, Crowe had one of the all-time runs for any actor. After starring in some Australian films in the early 1990s, Crowe gained international recognition, especially with American audiences, in 1997’s L.A. Confidential. Crowe would become an Academy staple with Oscar nominations in three consecutive years for 1999’s The Insider, 2000’s Gladiator, and 2001’s A Beautiful Mind.
Add 2003’s Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World to the mix, and that’s a hall-of-fame resume. All that said, Gladiator is the performance that won him an Oscar and etched his name into history. Crowe’s intensity, physicality, and stoicism are perfect traits for the honorable Maximus Decimus Meridius.
The ensemble cast brings their A-games
Crowe is the only actor in the cast to walk away with the Oscar. However, there is a strong argument for Joaquin Phoenix as the winner of Gladiator. Compared to Crowe, Phoenix has a harder task of making the audience despise him from the second he walks on screen. Commodus is a spoiled brat and narcissist who never gets what he wants.
Besides Phoenix, Gladiator’s other noteworthy performances include Connie Nielsen as Lucilla, Commodus’ tortured sister who must walk on eggshells around her incestuous brother to protect her son; Djimon Hounsou as Juba, Maximus’ fellow gladiator and friend who brings a steady presence to the film; and Richard Harris as Marcus Aurelius, the emperor torn between doing what’s right for his people and being the father his son needs.
The movie’s Best Picture win has aged well
How a film ages is an important part of its legacy. Did Gladiator’s win for Best Picture age gracefully or poorly? The debate for the best movie of 2000 will never end, and to be honest, Gladiator isn’t it. Almost Famous gets my vote. However, Gladiator‘s win in Best Picture over Chocolat, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Erin Brockovich, and Traffic was the right decision.
Certain filmmaking aspects in those Oscar-nominated films are superior to Gladiator, including the hand-to-hand combat sequences in Crouching Tiger and the camerawork in Traffic. However, Gladiator is the best overall movie in the category when you combine performances, direction, story, and production design. The visuals are magnificent, and the action is spellbinding.
This isn’t a Crash or Green Book situation. Gladiator deserved its win and represents one of the last original spectacles to take home the movie community’s most prestigious prize.
You can stream Gladiator for free on Pluto TV.
