The general who becomes a slave. The slave who became a gladiator. The gladiator who defied an empire. Sound familiar? This allegorical film presents Maximus as a Christ figure that sacrifices his own life for the ransom and rescue of all of those in slavery. Winner of 5 Academy Awards out of 12 nominations. One of the best big budget epics ever made. Not for everyone, but in the canon of movies that every man should watch at some point in their life.

• IMDB 8.5

• Rotten Tomatoes 76%/87%

• (R)