From Ridley Scott, the director who more or less created the modern movie epic with Blade Runner and the original Alien, Gladiator is the epic story of Maximus (Russell Crowe), a glori¬ous Roman general who falls from favour when the Emperor dies, is reduced to the status of a slave and ends up fighting for his life in the Colosseum. He becomes such a favourite with the games-mad Roman populace that he finally finds himself in a position to chal¬lenge the new Emperor and redress the wrong done to him. "The most tyrannical ruler must still beguile his people even as he brutalises them. The gladiatorial games were such a distraction," says Scott.