Gladiator

After compile Oscars for Best Picture and Best Actor , Gladiatorproved thatdirector Ridley Scott and leading man Russell Crowewere a formidable partnership – and yet , despite this success , the pair ’s come - up project was almost the polar opposite of the historical heroic poem in every conceivable way . Having win critical eclat and triumphed at the box office – in addition to receiving multiple awards – Gladiatorseemed to indicate a decipherable path forward for any future Scott / Crowe collaboration . This make what happen in 2006 seem even more unmanageable to explain .

For both Scott and Crowe , Gladiatorcame in the middle of a purple bandage . Crowe had burst onto the view with his fend - out operation inL.A. Confidentialand followedGladiatorup with critical hit likeA Beautiful Mind , Master and Commander , andCinderella Man . While Scott ’s platter is more mixed , Gladiatorpresaged the ilk ofBlack Hawk DownandMatchstick Men – both of which augmented his fabled reputation . In both man ’s calling , there was an stress on obese stories with worked up heft and ethnic wallop . Surprisingly , this went out the window with their 2006 team - up , A Good Year .

prizefighter is often accredit with revitalizing the diachronic heroic genre in moving picture , but its complex character reference and plot of ground allow for some authoritative questions .

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It Failed Everywhere That Gladiator Succeeded

give thatGladiatorsucceeded thanks to the epic scope of its story , the telling spectacle of the Colosseum , andRussell Crowe ’s grimly commanding performance as Maximus , you could be forgiven for thinking that Scott and Crowe ’s next moving-picture show would try and repeat the formula . And yet , in an apparent bid to prove their chain of mountains and flexibility , the couple decided to fall together again for the ill - judge romantic drollery , A Good Year . gratuitous to say , it did not mould out as they ’d hoped .

The moving picture sees Crowe drift as a stockbroker in London who becomes caught up in sound issues after inherit a French dimension . Despite looking for a hasty sale , he slowly becomes enamored with the local people and wine , lead off to get a new linear perspective on life . Narratively , it is about as far removed fromGladiatoras it is possible to get .

Movie

Russell Crowe as Maximus in Gladiator and in A Good Year

Custom image by Milica Djodjevic

Budget

Box Office

Rotten Tomatoes Score

An image of Maximus lying on the floor in the arena in Gladiator and Maximus wearing a helmet

$ 103 million

$ 465.4 million

80 %

Russell Crowe smiling in A Good Year

A Good Year

$ 35 million

$ 42 million

A good year russell Crowe smiling

26 %

WhileGladiatormade over $ 460 million worldwide and batten five Oscars , A Good Yearwas panned by critic and fail at the box office . Against a budget of $ 35 million , the moving-picture show made just $ 42 million – a reported loss of $ 20 million for the studio(viaVariety ) . To add contumely to accidental injury , just 26 % of critics yield the picture show a good review , highlight a litany of issues from spue to script .

Why A Good Year Was Such A Disappointment

There Were Several Flaws With The Project

Although it was very different fromGladiator , it was n’t immediately obvious thatA Good Yearwould be such a disaster . Both Crowe and Scott had proven their pic pedigree several time over . Even withoutGladiator , their track record would advise that they ’d be more than subject of making the story work . However , A Good Year ’s unsuccessful person speaks to a surprising verity of the movie industry – namely , that not every talent is suited to every project .

It ’s telling that , in the 18 years since , neither Crowe nor Scott have delved back into fixed storage - com territory , proving that their skills rest elsewhere .

As the movie’sRotten Tomatoescritical consensus explain , " A Good Year is a fine instance of a top - mountain pass director and role player out of their element , in a sappy romanticist clowning lack in charm and humour . " This damnatory indictment demonstrates thatthe pic ’s tonicity and content were a farseeing direction removed from Crowe and Scott ’s speciality . It ’s telling that , in the 18 age since , neither Crowe nor Scott have delved back into read-only memory - com dominion , proving that their skills lie down elsewhere . Despite the subgenre sometimes being dismissed , A Good Year ’s difficulties prove that making read-only storage - coms can be just as intemperate as action epics .

A composite image of Russell Crowe’s Maximus from Gladiator over a picture of Paul Mescal

More than 20 year after the original Gladiator , the sequel make it in 2024 . Here is everything you need to know about Gladiator 2 .

Scott & Crowe Have Since Redeemed Themselves (Though Haven’t Matched Gladiator)

They Have Worked Together Since

AlthoughA Good Yearwas Scott and Crowe ’s immediateGladiatorfollow - up , it was not the last fourth dimension that the director and actor would team up up . The twelvemonth after their $ 42 million boxwood bureau bomb calorimeter , the brace found redemption with the Oscar - nominatedAmerican Gangster – a crime biopic also starring Denzel Washington . This was followed by further projectsBody of LiesandRobin Hood , highlighting how , despite their previous unsuccessful person , the duo still share a originative flicker .

These later projects – particularlyAmerican Gangster – mitigated much of the reputational damage ofA Good Year . However , it ’s also bonnie to say thatGladiatorremains the high dot of Ridley Scott and Russell Crowe collaborations . Critically , as well as financially , it is easily the distich ’s most successful team - up , come at a time when both humanity were arguably at the peak of their power . A Good Yearmay have been the nadir , but Scott and Crowe have yet to recall to their 2000 peak .

Sources : Variety , Rotten Tomatoes

Headshot Of Russell Crowe

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Cast

Headshot of Joaquin Phoenix

Movies

Gladiator

Ridley Scott