GLADIATOR | Film Screening: Ridley Scott Season

Are you not entertained? We bring director Ridley Scott's historical epic Gladiator back to the big screen in Sunderland.

"Scott is a visual artist at his most deluxe." Entertainment Weekly

Ridley Scott's epic film sees Russell Crowe portray a Roman general, Maximus Decimus Meridius, who is betrayed when Commodus, the ambitious son of Emperor Marcus Aurelius, murders his father and seizes the throne. Reduced to slavery, Maximus becomes a gladiator and rises through the ranks of the arena, determined to avenge the murders of his family and the emperor.

The film stars Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Connie Nielsen, Oliver Reed, Derek Jacobi, Djimon Hounsou, and Richard Harris. Upon release it grossed $465.5 million worldwide, becoming the second-highest-grossing film of 2000, and won five Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor for Crowe.

Gladiator also won the BAFTA Award for Best Film. In 2021, Empire magazine ranked Gladiator 39th on its "100 Best Movies Of All Time" list, and declared it the 22nd best film of the 21st century. The review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes included the film on its list of "140 Essential 2000s Movies". The character Maximus placed 95th on Empire's list of 100 Greatest Movie Characters.

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Our Filmmaker Focus series brings some of the finest directors works to the big screen in Sunderland, and what better place to start than with South Shields born Ridley Scott, whose career has been thrilling cinema audiences for close to 50 years.

Screenings are open to the public and are free, though cinemagoers are encouraged to donate to support future screenings.

This screening is brought to you by Film Hub North as part of the Spotlight Sunderland project which aims to develop and build film opportunities for audiences in the City.

Host or Publisher University of Sunderland