Rating: Full

 

Cast: Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Connie Nelsen, Oliver Reed, Derek Jacobi, Djimon Hounsou and Richard Harris

 

Director: Ridley Scott

 

Writers: David Franzoni, John Logan and William Nicholson

 

Producers: Douglas Wick, David Franzoni and Branko Lustig

 

Music by: Hans Zimmer

 

Oscar Nominations: 12; Best Picture (Douglas Wick, David Franzoni and Branko Lustig), Best Actor (Russell Crowe), Best Supporting Actor (Joaquin Phoenix), Best Director (Ridley Scott), Best Original Screenplay (David Franzoni, John Logan and William Nicholson), Best Original Score (Hans Zimmer), Best Film Editing (Pietro Scalia), Best Cinematography (John Mathieson), Best Art Direction (Arthur Max and Crispian Sallis), Best Costume Design (Janty Yates), Best Visual Effects (John Nelson, Neil Corbould, Tim Burke and Rob Harvey) and Best Sound (Scott Millian, Bob Beemer and Ken Weston)

 

Oscar Wins: 5; Best Picture (Douglas Wick, David Franzoni and Branko Lustig), Best Actor (Russell Crowe), Best Costume Design (Janty Yates), Best Visual Effects (John Nelson, Neil Corbould, Tim Burke and Rob Harvey) and Best Sound (Scott Millan, Bob Beemer and Ken Weston)

 

Rated: R for intense, graphic combat

 

Release Date: V/V/MM (05/05/00)

 

Favorite Character: Maximus Decimus Meridius

 

Quote: “Are you not entertained? Are you not entertained? Is this not why you are here?”- Maximus Decimus Meriduis

 

Fun Facts: Mel Gibson turned down the role for Maximus, which is technically wasn’t Ridley Scott’s first choice for the role.

 

The forest for the opening scene was scheduled for the deforestation, so Scott got permission to burn it down for them.

 

Oliver Reed passed away before the film is finished, so Scott used CGI on another actor in order to finish the film with Reed’s character in it.

 

Russell Crowe had a lot of injuries while filming, he had an aggravated Achilles tendon, a broken foot, a cracked hip bone and popped bicep tendons and lost all feeling in his right forefinger for two years after the sword fight.

 

Summary: After the Emperor’s son betrayed the roman general and murdered his family, he came to Rome as a gladiator to seek revenge.

 

The Review: This is like ‘Game of Thrones’ but in roman times. It has some epicness in it, and the epicness is battles and Russell Crowe’s performance. But try not to use this for a school report on Roman history.