Gladiator: Top Movie Review

Maximus Decimus Meridius, a powerful act by Russell Crowe, veteran
of many top 10 movies, was a General in the army of ageing Roman
Emperor Marcus Aurelius and had saved the Rome from many barbarous
attacks. Emperor Marcus on his death bed wishes that an appointed
Senate should rule the empire and till that time Maximus should keep
the reigns of the empire in his hands. Commodus, enacted on screen by
Joaquin Phoenix, star of many top rated movies, Marcus's son kills his
father on learning this and on assuming charge of the empire orders
that Maximus and his family be executed. Maximus is betrayed by his
friend Quintus and is arrested but somehow escapes only to find that
he got late in saving his wife and son. An unconscious Maximus is
taken by slave traders to Zucchabar, in North Africa, where Proximo, a
slave trader buys him and makes him a gladiator. There he befriends
two gladiators, Juba, well portrayed by Djimon Hounsou, star of many
top movies, from Numidia and Hagen from Germania. Juba is a gentle
soul and assures Maximus that he shall meet his family after
death.Maximus grows in stature as a gladiator and he is invited for
fights at the Colosseum in the city of Rome where he again confronts
Commodus. He opens the event by skillfully leading his men and
defeating the opponent. Commodus wants him to be killed upon knowing
his true identity but is advised against it looking at his immense
popularity with the crowds. Commodus orders him to fight Tigris of
Gaul the undefeated champion gladiator of Rome. Maximus defeats Tigris
but spares his life. After the fights Maximus learns from Cicero, his
once faithful servant, that the soldiers who were led by Maximus in
battles were still loyal to him. Maximus plans to overthrow Commodus
and form a senate to rule the empire, for which he gets the support of
Commodus's sister Lucilla, well played by Connie Nielsen, the charming
face of many top rated movies. But Commodus suspecting his sister
threatens to kill her son and gets to know of Maximus's plan. Finding
no other way to stop Maximus from being a hero in the eyes of the
people, he challenges him to a fight unto death in the
Colosseum.Before entering the arena, Commodus meets Maximus and stabs
him with a hidden stiletto. In the ensuing fight both the warriors are
highly wounded and Commodus loses his sword. Attempting to kill
Maximus with the stiletto he is slain by Maximus with the same
stiletto. Before dying Commodus honors his father's last wishes and
orders that a senate be formed to rule the empire and slavery be
abolished. Maximus dies in Lucilla's arms and re-unites with his dead
wife and son.Ridley Scott, director of many top 10 movies, the master
story teller and director of par excellence historical films, performs
another magic on the screen, extracting excellent performances from
his actors like a juicer extracting juice from the fruits. The
sweetness of his films comes from this quality of his, not that he
doesn't have other cinematic qualities. He knows how to narrate a
story on screen - he knows how to keep his viewers glued to their
seats and savor every drop of the blissful elixir of enjoyment he
serves them with the finesse worthy of him.