Best Actor 2000: Russell Crowe in Gladiator

Russell Crowe won his Oscar from his second nomination for portraying Maximus Decimus Meridius in Gladiator.

Gladiator of course tells the story of a former Roman General turned into a Gladiator after the murder of his family, and now only desires the death of the evil Emperor Commodus who did it to him.

Maximus Decimus Meridius is not a particularly complex character. He is at first a noble soldier, than an angry and revenge seeking although still noble Gladiator. Crowe keeps him on a fairly simple level as the great stoic hero that is the polar opposite of the evil Commodus played Joaquin Phoenix. Crowe keeps with his macho, noble portrayal throughout the film, with his dark stares and dramatic recitation of speeches. After that initial scene they beat him down send him on his way, and turn him into a gladiator. Now he is dark brooding sort of, never frankly seems to grieve all that much, over his brutally murdered family. What Crowe does is keep that dark hero brood with his performance. Which he actually does just fine enough to make him fuel the big dramatic speeches in the way they should be fueled. This performance does work in the most basic sense of just the lone hero who wants his revenge against the evil man who wronged him.