Gladiator (2000)

Who is Russell Crowe? This Kiwi actor (noted for LA Confidential) rises above all others (including the spectacular CGI scenery) to stand as a monument of Caesarean proportions. He IS Maximus Decimus Meridius. The rest (including the brilliant Joaquin Phoenix, and scene-stealing Oliver Reed) must all play supporting roles in the truest sense of the word.
Gladiator has it all: An opening scene to take your breath away and at last lend credence in the 21st century as to why the Roman Army dominated Europe and North Africa; combat sequences that are often vicious, always visceral; the ubiquitous delusional, power-mad Caesar; the twisting, turning voyage our hero must undertake...
We must all own Gladiator on video or DVD, but not yet! Not yet! --.