Gladiator (2000 film) = Finished

This was...a really bad movie to watch right after A Knight's Tale.

Where the latter is a clever, entertaining historical romp with layers of unexpected depth, Gladiator is what pops out of an oven when you type in the words "Hollywood Epic." Po-faced, overstated drama with dubious historical accuracy. A groaning, tottering hulk filled with incredibly talented people coming together to turn something kinda fine into a product that wins Academy Awards.

Regardless of the gravitas a stellar cast brings to a somewhat lacking script, and Russell Crowe's attempt to turn head rotation into a dramatic tool in itself, Gladiator only works because of its most abhorrent element.

Gladiator, as a story, and as a mass-market piece of entertainment, does not work without Joaquin Phoenix as Commodus.

Yes, Maximus is ostensibly the hero. However, Commodus drives the plot at every step. His internal turmoil results in the murder of Marcus Aurelius. His jealousy spurs the inciting event that launches the fall of Maximus, and the latter's eventual glory. His plans change the face of Rome before our eyes, satisfying the people at the same time that they enable his mortal enemy. Joaquin Phoenix is a roiling well of rage and insecurity and incestuous desire barely restrained by the pleasantries of power, and in the end, Commodus has as great (if not greater) an arc than Maximus himself. 

Commodus becomes emperor of Rome, enacts every one of his schemes, and eventually dies in the arena at the hand of the only 'son' his father truly loved.

One of the few things I genuinely love about this movie is Maximus' reunion with his family. It puts a nice ol' bow on his strange, oddly empowered character--and this appreciation comes with the knowledge that Commodus made it possible.