Gladiator

"What we do in life echoes in eternity."

2000 2h 35m EN

🙌

8.2

BANGER

★8.2TMDB · 21,622

ActionDramaAdventure

Synopsis

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After the death of Emperor Marcus Aurelius, his devious son takes power and demotes Maximus, one of Rome's most capable generals who Marcus preferred. Eventually, Maximus is forced to become a gladiator and battle to the death against other men for the amusement of paying audiences.

“What we do in life echoes in eternity.”

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Cast

Russell Crowe
Maximus
Joaquin Phoenix
Commodus
Connie Nielsen
Lucilla
Oliver Reed
Proximo
Richard Harris
Marcus Aurelius
Derek Jacobi
Gracchus
Djimon Hounsou
Juba
David Schofield
Falco

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Ridley Scott
Writers: David Franzoni, William Nicholson, John Logan
Languages: English
Countries: United Kingdom, United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Clocks in at 155 minutes — on the longer side of feature-length cinema.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

$103M budget — tentpole studio territory.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Made its money back 4.5× over at the box office.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

ERA

Did you know

26 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: United Kingdom, United States of America.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CINEMA

Did you know

Part of the "Gladiator Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

256+ people credited in cast and crew — a small city's worth of labour.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Ridley Scott, shot by John Mathieson. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Ridley Scott directs. John Mathieson behind the camera. Hans Zimmer scores. Pietro Scalia cuts. Made its budget back several times over at the box office. Produced in United Kingdom, United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Clocks in at 155 minutes — on the longer side of feature-length cinema.
2$103M budget — tentpole studio territory.
3Made its money back 4.5× over at the box office.
426 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
5International production across 2 countries: United Kingdom, United States of America.
6Part of the "Gladiator Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
7256+ people credited in cast and crew — a small city's worth of labour.
8Directed by Ridley Scott, shot by John Mathieson. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
9Original score by Hans Zimmer. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
10Editor Pietro Scalia shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
11Russell Crowe and Joaquin Phoenix and Connie Nielsen carry the top of the cast.
12Marketing tagline: "What we do in life echoes in eternity.".
13IMDB entry: tt0172495 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
1421,622 TMDB user ratings logged — serious cultural footprint.
15Classified under 26 themes, including "gladiator", "rome, italy", "arena", "senate".
16Released under 12 different titles around the world.

The technical file

Cinematography: John Mathieson
Original score: Hans Zimmer
Editing: Pietro Scalia
Production design: Arthur Max
Costume design: Janty Yates
Makeup / hair: Jo Allen
VFX supervisor: John Nelson
Sound: Frank A. Montaño
Stunt coordinator: Phil Neilson
Runtime: 155 min · 2h 35m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $103,000,000
Box office: $465,516,248
Return: 452% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: Gladiator (2000)

Awards

Academy Award for Best Sound
Academy Award for Best Visual Effects
Academy Award for Best Costume Design
National Board of Review Award for Outstanding Production Design
National Board of Review: Top Ten Films
BAFTA Award for Best Film
Academy Award for Best Actor
Academy Award for Best Picture

Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.

Part of

Gladiator Collection

The Gladiator Collection presents epic historical dramas set in ancient Rome, centered around themes of honor, vengeance, and power. With intense gladiatorial combat and sweeping storytelling, it captures the brutality and grandeur of the empire while exploring personal sacrifice and political intrigue.

Also by

Ridley Scott

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Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

Eky2012-07-13
★ 10/10
Gladiator has been my most favorite film of all time. It is an epic masterpiece in many ways and it really explains why despite the numerous viewings, Gladiator still amuses me with its powerful imageries and many other crucial aspects so that it won five Academy Awards. This film is very well written, the well-ensemble casts, the A-class acting (especially Russell Crowe and Joaquin Phoenix), the stunning cinematography and definitely a strong character of Maximus (magnificently portrayed by Russell Crowe) whose life, struggle, disappointment and anger really move the audience, as if the world attention centers on him. Gladiator is not a historical film, because it only used the history of the ancient Roman Empire merely as the time setting. All other aspects namely those gorgeous shots, the great storyline/plot, the fantastic cinematography, the vividly lavish colors, detailed production design and digital imaging (that successfully rebuilt the stunning beauty of the ancient Roman Empire) and all sell really well, making the 170 minute-long running time definitely worthwhile. The visual of great battle in the first 15 minutes really stole my heart. The gruesome pictures, the blood and violence just to beautiful to abandon. Everything in this movie seems perfectly balanced, Ridley Scott as the film director really did his homework well in redefining and revitalizing the big battle sequence once considered masterpiece from Spartacus and Ben Hur. In the end, once again, I would say that Gladiator perfectly combines some crucial elements such as good, moving story, dazzling visual, beautiful scenery, filming techniques, direction and touching music score into one harmonious, action-packed film about heroism and its true meaning.
John Chard2014-08-10
★ 10/10
They said you were a giant. They said you can crush a man's skull with one hand. Ridley Scott's Gladiator is not a perfect film, I would think that the hardiest of fans, of which I'm firmly one, know this deep down. Yet just like Commodus in the film is keen to point out that he himself has other virtues that are worthy, so does Gladiator the film. Enough in fact to make it an everlasting favourite of genre fans and worthy of the Academy Award acknowledgements it received. In narrative terms the plot and story arc is simplicity supreme, something Scott and Russell Crowe have never shied away from. There has to my knowledge as well, never been a denial of the debt Gladiator owes to Anthony Mann's 1964 Epic, The Fall of the Roman Empire. Some folk seem very irritated by this, which is strange because the makers of Gladiator were not standing up bold as brass to proclaim they were unique with their movie, what they did do was reinvigorate a stagnant genre of film for a new generational audience. And it bloody worked, the influence and interest in all things Roman or historically swashbuckling of film that followed post Gladiator's success is there for all to see. What we do in life echoes in eternity. So no originality in story, then. While some of the CGI is hardly "Grade A" stuff, and there's a little over - mugging acting in support ranks as some of the cast struggle to grasp the period setting required, yet the way Gladiator can make the emotionally committed feel, actually overrides film making irks. Crowe's Maximus is the man men want to be and the man women want to be with. As he runs through the gamut of life's pains and emotionally fortified trials and tribulations, we are with him every step of the way, urging him towards his day of revenge splattered destiny - with Crowe superb in every pained frame, winning the Academy Award for Best Actor that he should have won for The Insider the previous year. Backing Crowe up is Joaquin Phoenix giving Commodus preening villainy and Connie Nielsen graceful as Lucilla (pitch Nielsen's turn here against that of Diane Kruger's in Troy to see the class difference for historical period playing). Oliver Reed, leaving the mortal coil but leaving behind a spicy two fold performance as Proximo the Gladiator task master. Olly superb in both body and CGI soul. Richard Harris tugging the heart strings, Derek Jacobi classy, David Hemmings also, while Djimon Hounso gives Juba - Maximus right hand man and confidante - a level of character gravitas that's inspiring. I didn't know man could build such things. Dialogue is literate and poetic, resplendent with iconic speeches. Action is never far away, but never at the expense of wrought human characterisations. The flaming arrows and blood letting of the Germania conflict kicks things off with pulse raising clarity, and Scott and his team never sag from this standard. The gladiator arena fights are edge of the seat inducing, the recreation for the Battle of Carthage a stunning piece of action sequence construction. And then the finale, the culmination of two men's destinies, no soft soaping from Scott and Crowe, it lands in the heart with a resounding thunderclap. A great swords and sandals movie that tipped its helmet to past masters whilst simultaneously bringing the genre alive again. Bravo Maximus Decimus Meridius. 10/10
Kowalczyk2018-08-12
★ 8/10
Ridley Scott's Gladiator is a real masterpiece of its genre. With its unique battle scenes, cinematography, acting and directing. It's a real must-watch. Shame on you if you haven't watched this movie!