Gladiator (2000)
Gladiator (2000)
Though not as good as Spartacus (1960) and with a storyline that shares many elements with The Fall of the Roman Empire (1964) this Oscar winning epic was obviously the best picture from this year and hence won the Academy’s top prize. Best Actor Russell Crowe’s Maximus is #50 on AFI’s hero list. Those responsible for the film’s Costumes Sound and Special Effects also took home Oscars. Director Ridley Scott was nominated as was the Screenplay Writing Joaquin Phoenix’s Supporting Acting – as Commodus the film’s Art Direction-Set Decoration Cinematography Editing (horrendous at the beginning it gets better) and Hans Zimmer’s Score which the composer largely replicated for Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy. Connie Nielsen plays Lucilla Oliver Reed is Proximo and Richard Harris is Marcus Aurelius.