DreamWorks
Ridley Scott's historical epic “Gladiator,” which swept the largest (twelve) number of nominations in 2000, was a large-scale production that notwithstanding its blood and gore was basically a sand-and-sandals throwback to such historical adventures as “Ben-Hur” and “Quo Vadis” With its central rebel-hero and old-fashioned mythic battle of good versus evil, safely placed in the past, it resembled the Mel Gibson vehicle, “Braveheart,” as well as numerous costume dramas of yesteryear.
Oscar Nominations
Picture, produced by Douglas Wick, David Franzoni, and Branko Lustig
Director: Ridley Scott
Screenplay (Original): David Franzoni, John Logan, and William Nicholson; story by Franzoni
Actor: Russell Crowe
Supporting Actor: Joaquin Phoenix
Cinematography; Lajos Koltai
Art Direction-Set Decoration: Arthur Max; Crispian Sallis
Sound: Scott Millan, Bob Beemer, Ken Weston
Film Editing: Pitero Scalia
Costume Design: Janty Yates
Visual Effects: John Nelson, Neil Corbould, Tim Burke, and Rob Harvey
Oscar Awards
Picture
Actor
Sound
Costume Design
Visual Effects
Oscar Context
In 2000, “Gladiator” competed for the Best Picture Oscar with the melodrama “Chocolat,” Ang Lee's action-adventure “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” and two films, vastly different, directed by Soderbergh, the biopicture “Erin Brockovich” and the social-problem drama, “Traffic.”
