Gladiator is a 2000 epic historical drama film directed by Ridley Scott and starring Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Connie Nielsen, Ralf Möller, Oliver Reed (in his final role), Djimon Hounsou, Derek Jacobi, John Shrapnel, and Richard Harris. The film tells the story of a fictional Roman general Maximus Decimus Meridius who is betrayed when Commodus, the ambitious son of Emperor Marcus Aurelius, murders his father and seizes the throne. Reduced to slavery, Maximus rises through the ranks of the gladiatorial arena to avenge the emperor’s death.
The film was released in 2000 to critical acclaim and box office success. It won five Academy Awards in total at the 73rd Academy Awards including Best Picture and Best Actor for Crowe’s performance. The film was also nominated for numerous other awards including four BAFTA Awards and two Golden Globe Awards. Gladiator revitalized Scott’s career and was credited with returning interest in entertainment centered around ancient Greek and Roman culture.
Gladiator is one of the most successful films of all time both commercially with grossing over US $457 million worldwide at its release as well as critically having an 85% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 227 reviews with an average rating of 7.9/10. The audience score shows a similar pattern with an 82% approving rating from over 521,400 users. It has had a lasting impact on cinema and culture, inspiring many subsequent films, novels and video games. In 2007, it was selected for preservation in the U.S. National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”. The film’s influence can be seen in other media such as television series Rome and Spartacus: Blood and Sand which were heavily influenced by Gladiator.
