Firstly, WOW, what a movie. This film really does deserve the five Academy Awards that it won. Gladiator is the epitome of a movie that you want to rewatch. The instant the credits rolled, I wanted to rewatch the whole thing.

 
The opening scene of the Roman Legionaries battling the barbarians in Germania is, in my opinion, a masterclass in how to do a battle scene. It stands up there with the Battle of Helm's Deep in LOTR Two Towers, the Battle of the B*stards in GOT, and the Battle of the Blackwater in GOT. Admittedly, while it might not be as good as those battles, it comes pretty darn close. The viewer feels like they are present in the opening battle, which is only possible due to the excellent cinematography and shot selection. I also found it really interesting how the movie made the opening battle a point of characterization for Maximus. We learn so much about who he is and what people think of him in the opening few minutes. All of his soldiers love him, and truly trust him, which is something that is surprisingly rare for generals of the time. Furthermore, it is obvious that Marcus Aurelius admires him and loves him like a son. We are also given an insight into how Maximus thinks by way of his battle strategy and use of fire in the opening battle. All of these points are further developed over the entire film and serve as major facets of the plot.

 
I believe that this is the epitome of a perfectly casted and acted movie. Even with the benefit of hindsight, there is no one that I could think of that would be better in the main roles. For example, Richard Harris did a perfect job as Marcus Aurelius. He was able to strike the perfect balance between wise and old mentor, and emperor that commanded respect. The only other person that could have done as good a job at playing Marcus Aurelius is Ian McKellan, but that goes without saying. In many ways, Richard Harris and Ian McKellan could have performed excellently in most of the other person’s roles.

 
Joaquin Phoenix was perfect as Commodus because I believe that there are few to no other actors that could have made the viewer actually feel bad for Commodus for an instant when he starts talking about how all he wanted was the love of his father. Of course this instant of sympathy once again returned to blistering hate when he killed his father. This character exists in the ultimate cross-section of creepy and evil, no man but Joaquin Phoenix could have pulled this off. The juxtaposition of Commodus and Maximus further exacerbates this hate of Commodus and admiration of Maximus that the viewer feels. We first see Maximus bravely fighting with his soldiers in the battle and hence earning the respect and admiration of his soldiers as well as the emperor. Then we see Comodus in a large and lavish carriage. This juxtaposition of the two opposite characters only serves to deepen the viewers’ opinions of each character.

 
However, the most iconic part of the movie is the line “My name is Maximus Decimus Meridius, commander of the Armies of the North, General of the Felix Legions, loyal servant to the true emperor, Marcus Aurelius. Father to a murdered son, husband to a murdered wife. And I will have my vengeance, in this life or the next.” Once again, the juxtaposition in the script gives us insight into a character. Maximus says that he is “a loyal servant to the true emperor, Marcus Aurelius” right before he talks about his wife and son. This shows that Maximus thought of Marcus Aurelius as family and as a pseudo-father figure.