Is Gladiator The Best Ridley Scott Film?

12th December 2017

The world-renowned filmmaker Sir Ridley Scott has been responsible for numerous classics over the years, and films like Alien, Thelma & Louise, and Black Hawk Down are some of his most notable contributions to the film world. There is no denying that these pictures are exceptional creations, but Gladiator is arguably the influential Englishman’s finest work to date. Not only was the film absolutely outstanding and earned the director an Academy Award Nomination while picking up other Oscars itself, it has also stood the test of time and remains strong in popular culture.

Gladiator in Slot Machine Form

Although it’s been 17 years since the release of Gladiator in 2000, the iconic film is still ever-present in popular culture. There is even an online slot game based on the movie. This is significant, as iGaming developers tend to create content based on things that are currently popular, such as the Marvel franchise or the recent Batman films from director Christopher Nolan. For online casino technology giants Playtech to decide to create a game based on Gladiator, it indicates that the film is still loved by many to this day. This is because they believe that the name alone is enough to attract people to play the game. This is supported by the fact that this Gladiator slot review says that the game is a long-standing favourite among slots fanatics, which also features plenty of aspects from the film such as the main characters as symbols on the reels.

Russell Crowe Became a Household Name

Another reason why Gladiator has to go down as Scott’s best film ever is that it sparked the career of one of the best actors of a generation. Prior to being cast in the starring role of Gladiator where he played Maximus Decimus Meridius, Russell Crowe was known for his excellent performances in earlier films LA Confidential and The Insider. But the film set in ancient Rome was the first time that Crowe was the main man and wasn’t sharing screen time with better-established actors. The New Zealand-born actor won an Oscar for his performance as the banished general at the 73^rd Academy Awards, and was then nominated again a year later for his heart-wrenching turn in A Beautiful Mind. After that, Crowe developed a strong relationship with Scott and has played the lead role in other collaborations including Body of Lies and American Gangster.

Influence on Other Films

Gladiator was a major hit when it was released, and made $457 million worldwide. It was also nominated for numerous Academy Awards and won the Oscar for Best Picture ahead of Chocolat and Erin Brockovich. There is no doubt that Scott’s epic had a strong impact on the film industry, and inspired other films such as 300, Troy, Kingdom of Heaven, and King Arthur. In terms of the effect it had on other filmmakers who wanted to emulate it, Gladiator is perhaps Scott’s most influential film to date.

Ridley Scott’s most recent work has seen him pick up the Alien franchise again with Alien: Covenant. Although many fans would love to see the 80-year-old make a sequel to Gladiator, the picture was so perfect it would be wise to leave it. Most would agree that it’s one of the rare movies that can be watched over and over again.

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