Following the death of Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris), his top general and confidant (Russell Crowe) is betrayed by the late emperor's envious son (Joaquin Phoenix). Having escaped execution and witnessed the massacre of his family, the once proud general trains as a gladiator and plots his revenge for his glorious and bloody return to Rome. Ridley Scott's Best Picture winner is a rousing and violent epic, which features refined performances from an impassioned Crowe (also an Oscar winner here) and brooding Phoenix, both of whom are excellent. The film is wonderfully directed by Scott, and features some great fight sequences, but is seriously marred by its cheap, shoddy transitional scenery and some quite odious and obvious CGI.
