The concept of a movie star has ebbed and flowed through the years, but Russell Crowe will always remain iconic. From his first appearance in American cinema, the New Zealand actor proved that he was a talent to watch. His first role in Hollywood was in the underrated Western, The Quick and the Dead, produced and starring Sharon Stone. The rare Western with a female lead, The Quick and the Dead, portended many successful careers, from Crowe to even a young Leonardo DiCaprio.
Crowe followed the film up with one of the best modern noirs, L.A. Confidential. Based on the book of the same name, the film followed the trajectory of three very different men in law enforcement as they uncovered corruption on the streets of Los Angeles. No matter how impressive these beginning roles were, however, no one is likely to forget Crowe’s breakout role in Gladiator, which is still recognizable by four words.
Fans Are Always Entertained By Russell Crowe
Russell Crowe as Maximus addressing the crowd after winning an intense fight with other gladiators.
Image via DreamWorks Pictures
Russell Crowe had an impressive pedigree before his first major blockbuster, but no one can deny that Ridley Scott’s Gladiator made the actor a household name. In 2000, what was known as the swords and sandals genre was as dry as films featuring pirates. A relic of a bygone age, these types of films hadn’t made a profit for some time.
Leave it to Scott to revitalize not just a genre, but to find a practically untapped talent ready for his big break. Scott cast Crowe as Maximus, a Roman general who, after a massive betrayal, was enslaved and thrown into the Colosseum as a gladiator. Gladiator was an impressive amalgamation of facts from history and fabrications to make an entertaining film.
Clocking in at two and a half hours, not a minute was wasted. Scott made sure to set up the stakes of the film, demonstrating Maximus as a formidable and trusted military leader and his relationship with the Emperor’s daughter, Lucilla. These factors made him a prime target for Lucilla’s brother, Commodus’s, jealousy, which led to the slaughter of Maximus’ family and his imprisonment.
The next two acts of the film culminated in Maximus’s revenge and the four words heard around the world. After training to fight among other gladiators, Maximus bellowed, “Are you not entertained?” which represented the crux of the film. Watching violence for sport had become a brutal pastime for Rome and also represented Commodus’ bloodlust.
Commodus’s jealousy not only ruined Maximus’s life but also resulted in his father’s death. Marcus Aurelius was remembered in the history books as one of the most thoughtful and philosophical emperors. His decision to pass over his selfish son for emperor was warranted, but in the canon of Scott’s movie, it led the son to kill the father. Commodus then spread the poison of his delight for blood throughout Rome, relishing in fights to the death.
Maximus mocked this idea by challenging Commodus and his love of violence while still in the ring at the Colosseum. Even though his life was in danger, he made his point of view clear, which ultimately did win over the audience. This line would not only become the most famous line of dialogue in the film but would be connected to Crowe for the rest of his career. The shadow of Maximus became so powerful that not even death could keep him from the sequel.
Gladiator II Labored Under Russell Crowe’s Shadow
Paul Mescal as Lucius preparing to battle other fighters in the Roman Colosseum in Gladiator II.
Image via Paramount Pictures
Gladiator was largely an open-and-shut film that popularized the concept of epic films again. After the success of the film, Ridley Scott would make many historical epics such as Kingdom of Heaven and Napoleon. However, Russell Crowe’s performance as Maximus would transcend even the emotional ending of the film.
Gladiator concluded with Maximus triumphing against Commodus, but at the cost of his life. This was an ending befitting of the epic film and seemed to shut the door on any future installments. Even so, Crowe’s performance was legendary, and when legacy sequels became popular, Gladiator II was the first on Scott’s mind.
How Scott could follow up on one of his best films was anyone’s guess, but he did so by capitalizing on Maximus as a character. The film took place years after the original, propping up Lucius, the son of Maximus’ former lover, Lucilla. Connie Nielsen returned as Lucilla, once again subjugated by the crushing rule of a dictator, representing the main connection to the first film.
Even though Nielsen is one of the only actors to reprise their role, Crowe’s presence is still felt in the film. Gladiator II confirmed that Lucius was Maximus’s son all along, and the young man takes inspiration from the gladiator even before he realizes this fact. Just like his father, Lucius was living a humble life before he was enslaved and taken to the Colosseum.
As it turned out, Lucilla sent him away from Rome to protect him from assassins, but history has a way of repeating itself. Lucius returned to Rome as a fighter just as his father once did, and only after Lucilla encouraged him did he take up the mantle of Maximus. While Crowe was not a figure who could be present in the film after his character’s death, Gladiator II could not operate without his contribution. His role not only meant a lot to the fans but to Crowe himself, who acknowledged the importance of film to his career.
“I was a much younger man, obviously, and it was a huge experience in my life,” Crowe told Collider. “It’s something that changed my life, really. It changed the way people regarded me and what I do for a living, and, you know, I’ve been very lucky to be involved in lots of big movies, but the legs on that film are incredible. Here it is, it’s 2023, and we made that film in 1999. I guarantee you, somewhere around the world tonight, Gladiator is going to be showing on primetime TV. And you don’t always get that kind of longevity with every film you do, so it obviously holds a special place in my heart.” Gladiator was an obvious jumping-off point for the actor, but Crowe never rested on his laurels in the intervening two decades between films.
Russell Crowe Has Entered His Best Phase Yet
Image via Sony
Early films in Russell Crowe’s career will always be iconic. The actor won an Academy Award for his portrayal of Maximus and went on to star in equally gripping tales, such as his role in A Beautiful Mind. However, as time has passed, it’s hard to discount his most recent work.
In recent years, Crowe has leaned into his more humorous side with many lighter subjects. He proved that he was just as talented in comedic roles as in dramatic ones, in Shane Black’s The Nice Guys. A film that almost demands a sequel, Crowe starred alongside Ryan Gosling as an enforcer who joined up with a PI to uncover corruption in the ‘70s. His sense of humor transcended big-budget films that were so common in Hollywood at the time.
Crowe then portrayed Zeus in Taika Waititi’s Thor: Love and Thunder and jumped to another Marvel project when Kraven the Hunter was released. While these films weren’t necessarily received warmly, there’s no doubting Crowe’s dedication to the material. He has contributed many different accents to his repertoire, including his incredibly entertaining horror film, The Pope’s Exorcist.
Any time Crowe has been in a film in the past few years, it has always had the highest entertainment value. The actor has shown his immense range, and it all started out when he starred in one of the biggest blockbusters of the early aughts. Crowe is still firing on all cylinders, no matter what the subject is, judging from his upcoming endeavor.
The actor has joined Rami Malek and John Slattery in Nuremberg, a film that is as serious as it sounds. Crowe stars as Hermann Göring, one of the worst architects of Nazi Germany. This film could be a return to form for the actor whose stardom has been a box office draw for years. Nuremberg follows a post-World War II psychiatrist who must determine if Göring, a Nazi high command leader, is fit to stand trial during the titular case.
Following its premiere at the Toronto Film Festival, Nuremberg received widespread acclaim, a hint that Crowe may be a heavy hitter when it comes to awards season again. He has had more longevity as an actor than most, with exciting films that don’t just have to do with franchises. Though he will always be connected to his famous phrase in one of Ridley Scott’s best films of all time, he has made a name for himself and continues to impress in all genres.
Release Date
May 5, 2000
Runtime
155 minutes
Director
Ridley Scott
Joaquin Phoenix
Emperor Commodus
