Movies - TV
15 Movies Like Gladiator That You Need To Check Out
By LIAM GAUGHAN
Ben-Hur
The epic tale of a betrayed Jewish prince sentenced to slavery is best known for its exciting chariot race scene and gorgeous recreations of the Roman world. “Ben-Hur” won an impressive 11 Academy Awards and featured some of the period’s best stunt work and special effects, earning its over three-hour runtime.
Spartacus
“Spartacus” tells the story of the power of slaves to resist and overthrow their masters, as the slave leader Spartacus inspires his fellow captives to revolt. The film combines two of the greatest minds of the period, director Stanley Kubrick and screenwriter Dalton Trumbo, and is best remembered for its climactic ending where each slave declares, “I’m Spartacus!”
Chimes at Midnight
Directed by and starring Orson Welles, “Chimes at Midnight” retells the “Henry IV” and “Henry V” stories from the perspective of Shakespeare’s recurring character Falstaff. The film explores the father-son dynamic, with the conflict between Prince Hal’s (Keith Baxter) loyalty to his father (John Gielgud) and Falstaff (Welles) driving the story’s events.
Barry Lyndon
Another film directed by Kubrick, “Barry Lyndon” follows an Irish rogue who flees his country after committing murder and seeks to return home to win the heart of his older cousin. Unlike the brave and honorable Maximus in “Gladiator,” Barry is an unlikable, selfish protagonist, but the film exemplifies a different way to tell a historical epic.
Aguirre
Werner Herzog’s 1972 “Aguirre, The Wrath of God,” tells the story of Spanish conquistador Lope de Aguirre (Klaus Kinski) and his search for the lost city of gold, El Dorado. Aguirre’s soldiers begin to doubt his sanity after he becomes rash and aggressive in this short, minimalist approach to storytelling that rivals “Gladiator” in vision and scope.