I will need to watch Traffic at some point, because how Joaquin Phoenix was beaten to the 2001 Oscar for Best Supporting Actor by Benecio Del Toro needs explaining. Phoenix has the audience seething with his portrayal of the bitter and twistedCommodus, who murdered and usurped his father to become Emperor of Rome and left Maximus (Russel Crowe) the decorated general for dead. The subsequent chronicling of Maximus' epic rise through the ranks from slave to gladiatorial hero makes one of Hollywood's finest ever movies.
Director Ridley Scott had a vision of Rome which he stopped at nothing to achieve. The scale of the movie is amazing, with landscape views across the city matched by the breathtaking battle scenes and the wonderful recreation of the Colloseum. Critics of the film have complained the story is predictable and the characters one dimensional. While the former is true (scarcely a criticism), the characters are conveyed with such powerful performances that after repeated viewings I find it impossible not to be stirred by the protagonist's desire to defeat the Emperor and be reunited with his family in the afterlife. This is without so much of a mention of the superlative soundtrack and the seamless use of CGI to finish Oliver Reed's performance after his untimely death.
Two thumbs up, an action film which is both beautiful and entertaining.
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