Best Oscar Winners — No. 9


Earlier in March I discussed a series of 10 posts on the best winners for Best Picture since 1970. Each Saturday for the next nine weeks I'll be counting down my favorites and discussing the rationale. As always, if you have thoughts, or other favorites, please feel free to comment and share.

9. Gladiator (2000)
Starring: Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Richard Harris, and Connie Nielsen
Director: Ridley Scott
About: "Gladiator" was the first winner in the 2000s, and a movie that remains wildly popular 18 years later. I remember when I first saw the movie. I always look forward to the first weekend in May, my birthday weekend, because it features the first big blockbuster of summer. And "Gladiator" was that film during my freshman year in college. I was excited to see it, but I didn't know what to expect.  What I got was both a fantastic summer blockbuster, and something more. "Gladiator" wasn't the first film of its type to be nominated or win Best Picture. And it's fair, in some ways, to pit this film against "Braveheart." The films are a little different stylistically, but that's an apt comparison. When pitting them against one another, I give "Gladiator" the edge for some of its story and production, and also for the way the film flows together. It won five Academy Awards, including for special effects, sound, and costume design. It also won for Best Actor, for Crowe, and Best Picture, of course. And I think it could have won more. In some ways, it might have been an underrated winner that has held up better over the decades. It's also fascinating that for all of Scott's films, this might be the one he's least remembered for, and yet might be his best. There is a lot of tough choices when making this list, and in the end some of it comes down to personal preference. I remember what it was like when I first saw "Gladiator," and even when I hear the score I'm transported back there. It was the perfect fusion of talent and story at the right time to produce something special. And that's why this film is one this list.
Rating: R for intense, graphic combat

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