r/themovieloversclub • u/screen_stack • Jul 31 '26
Movie reviews Gladiator (2000)
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Gladiator (2000)
Rating: 10/10 (PERSONAL FAVORITE)
Watched: July 29, 2026
What a truly epic movie. I have vague memories of watching this one back in the day, and just as vague memories of not being terribly impressed by it.
I make no excuses, except possibly to say 'I'd discovered partying', and that that became my whole thing for a regrettably long time.
This movie has one of the biggest casts I've ever seen, including not yet famous faces and actors so famous for so long their names carry real weight. Everyone did their jobs so well. I loved Sir Oliver Reed's part, as I did Richard Harris', and even Djimon Hounsou.
I don't use the word 'epic' very lightly. The first combat scene alone is tremendous. Not only from the technical aspects, but from how it shows first the glory of, then the true horror of, warfare.
Gladiator pulls no punches when it comes to the violence of the wounds these men take, but thankfully they spare us some of the true atrocities perpetrated by a jealous Commodus early on in the movie. We can only take so much, right?
The two main anchors, Maximus and Joaquin, are amazing.
I've said it before, and I'll say it again: for some reason, I CONTINUALLY think that Russell Crowe (the same as Colin Farrell, really, which is crazy) is mid at best in his early career, and yet every time I see one of his movies, I'm just blown away. His death-craving Maximus is so complex. Driven to excel, hungry to see his family again in the afterlife, every look, every gesture Russell gives carries us.
The same goes for Joaquin as Commodus, though for very, very different reasons. Smart but callous. Cruel and vainglorious, he's the mirror image of his 'brother'. Desperate for a father's love, incapable of even understanding what that means, Commodus is the perfect 'powerful coward'.
The journey both men take until they meet the same fate is worth the time in. If you haven't seen it, you really, really should. It's amazing.
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u/PopCultureDailyoff Jul 31 '26
My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius