Gladiator (2000)

Although mid-century movie goers were accustomed to seeing toga tales such as Samson and Delilah (1949), Ben-Hur (1959) and Spartacus (1960) on the big screen, the sword-and-sandal genre was a new thing to film fans during the next millennium. Yet all of that changed with the release of the historical epic Gladiator (2000), not to be confused with the sports flick Gladiator (1992) or the TV movie The Gladiator (1986). As the winner of five Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Gladiator became the gold standard for sweeping, big budget, acclaim-worthy movies for the rest of the decade. And the long-awaited sequel Gladiator 2 (2024) may just do the same since it stars Denzel Washington, Paul Mescal, and Pedro Pascal. Set in Ancient Rome, the original hit blends action with romance and a lot of guys sans pants! Under the direction of Ridley Scott, a young and buff Russell Crowe shot to fame as Maximus Decimus Meridius. Once considered to be the favored member of the first family, Maximus is cast out after the death of the Emperor (Richard Harris) by his jealous stepbrother Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix) even though his sis Lucilla (Connie Nielsen) and Max have a thing for one another. Honestly, this sounds like the plot of Emily Brontë’s Gothic novel “Wuthering Heights” (1847) minus the waistcoats and cravats. Luckily for us, the film is stuffed with nearly-naked studs. Numidian gladiator Juba (Djimon Hounsou) displays his be-thonged buns, while Joaquin goes topless. We’d love to see Phoenix rise from Hounsou’s ash!