Gladiator (2000)

Gladiator (2000) is a cinematic masterpiece which is often heralded as the greatest action film of all time, if not the greatest movie of all time by an endless number of critics from all around the globe thanks to its creative vision and a basic story which is pushed to its greatest depths to near perfection.

The film follows Maximus Decimus Meridius, the skilled general at the helm of the army of the north, who is relentlessly pursuing revenge against the new emperor, Commodus, after he killed Maximus’s wife and child. Following Commodus’s betrayal, maximus is sold into slavery and is forced into the Colosseum as a gladiator where he becomes the champion of not only his fellow fighters but also the people of Rome.

The film is renowned for 2 things, its awe-inspiring visuals and its vast and brutal action sequences, all put to a beautiful and at times heart wrenching soundtrack by Hans Zimmer and Lisa Gerrard.

Ridley Scott’s incredible eye is never more obvious than in this film’s one hundred and seventy minute run time which is packed full of impeccably well designed shots, none more iconic than Maximus running his hand through his hand through the wheat fields of his home and then Elysium which is a not only stunning but meaningful thread that runs directly through Maximus’s character but also the films emotional core.

His eye for violence is equally talented, evidenced by the chaotic and impressive large scale battles as well as the artistic and elegant brutality of Maximus’s duels. His beautiful cinematography is greatly aided by Russel Crowe’s immensely talented performance as Maximus especially when he is fighting. Russel is incredibly convincing as a ferocious general when he is tearing into Germanic tribes or executing barbaric gladiators in some of the most stunning clashes ever put to screen.

Ultimately Gladiator is not only at the pinnacle of action cinema but is a testament to how far a basic revenge concept can be taken when masters of the craft put their talent, skill and heart into a film.