I love a lot of movies… so many of them, probably too many. I love everything about movies. I pride myself on quoting classic lines from and identifying actors and actresses in numerous movies, even though both are tidbits of arguably useless information that I’m wasting precious space saving in my brain. I have full scenes of dialogue from movies like Top Gun and Forrest Gump committed to memory. Most likely, it’s clear that I’ve watched plenty of movies multiple times.

Much like my favorite song, I have favorite movies from every genre, from animated to romantic comedy, but I’ve struggled to choose my number one until now. My favorite movie is Gladiator.

Historical epics like Spartacus, The Ten Commandments, and Ben-Hur were huge Hollywood productions back in the ’50s and ’60s, and they’re considered staples of the industry and classic films now. However, Ridley Scott brought the heat in 2000 by directing Gladiator, which won big at the box office and at the Academy Awards, winning Best Picture and 4 other Oscars out of 12 nominations. On the one hand, some have said that Gladiator isn’t a good enough film to have been that successful and acclaimed.

But, on the other, similar films released in the new millennium never reached the same heights. Historical epics since Gladiator have been received with mixed feelings. Troy and 300 were definitely box office hits, while Alexander, Gods of Egypt, both Hercules outings, and the recent remake of Ben-Hur were panned. Ridley Scott even returned to the genre to direct Exodus: Gods and Kings, which failed to impress. In terms of quality, people say that only Kingdom of Heaven can match Gladiator or maybe exceed it.

I haven’t seen Kingdom of Heaven (although, apparently I need to), yet I’ve watched Gladiator more times than I can count. So I’ll begin with some of the broader reasons why it’s my favorite movie:

• The score is downright amazing. In my opinion, it’s Hans Zimmer’s greatest work, and Lisa Gerrard has a fantastic and haunting voice.
• There isn’t a weak performance to be found across the cast, not even from the child actors; in fact, I’d say the performances from Russell Crowe and Joaquin Phoenix are some of their finest. Djimon Hounsou is totally underrated as an actor, and I think this is my favorite role of his.
• There are awesome visuals, created using both practical effects and CGI that mostly hold up today.
• The lighting is natural, and the environments seem so fully-realized. The movie was filmed on location in England, Morocco, and Malta, making for some very beautiful scenes.
• The costumes are excellent, and the armor, weapons, and other props are all real and were made for the film. That just doesn’t happen much anymore.
• The fight choreography, from the enormous opening battle down to the duel at the end of the film, is incredible and easy to follow through wonderful direction and editing.
• The writing can be quite bad in some parts of the movie, yet in others… let’s face it, it’s epic and emotional, and it never fails to give me chills.

Now I want to get into the nitty-gritty of why Gladiator is my favorite movie, and that has to do with the story and the characters. My thoughts on the story are pretty simple: it’s a bloody, satisfying, and poetic revenge plot. I know what happens in the end; however, I’m always riveted with each viewing. The story is compelling from start to finish, and every single battle and conversation serve a purpose in the narrative and propel the characters organically. No fight is contrived or thrown in for pure entertainment, and every interaction builds on the last and deepens our understanding of the characters. There are also underlying politics and themes, such as commentary on mob mentality and the belief in an afterlife, that are addressed effectively.

As for my thoughts on the characters, well, they’re even simpler. These characters are some of the best of all time. Maximus is one of the greatest fictional heroes ever, a capable general, a smart and restrained fighter, and a humble and honest man. Commodus is slimy, arrogant, and unhinged, simultaneously the worst person in the world and one of the greatest fictional villains. Lucilla is a loving and protective mother, and she’s a smart and respected woman with rather unique and, uh, complicated relationships with both Maximus and Commodus. Proximo is one of the most interesting and complex mentor figures in film. Each character has a distinct personality, different goals, and understandable motives. Without these characters, the story wouldn’t be nearly as captivating.

Gladiator, as is the case for everything ever, has its faults. There are some landscape shots that actually haven’t aged well, and they look grainy. There’s also an early trial run of superimposing an actor’s face on a body double, and you know what, it isn’t egregious. It’s only noticeable for a short scene. There’s math that doesn’t add up correctly. And yes… the real-life history, people, and events are wildly inaccurate in many respects. While that’s a deal-breaker for a lot of people, especially with this movie, it isn’t for me.

Gladiator is my favorite movie.