10 Best Picture Winners Everyone Is Far Too Harsh On

The Best Picture winner at the 73rd Academy Awards, Gladiator is one of the most well-known films of the 2000s. It was so successful it inspired a noticeable wave of Swords and Sandals historical epics and it remains one of Ridley Scott's best films, as well as one of Russell Crowe's best performances. So why is it often seen as one of the worst Best Picture winners?

After all, it's a beautifully made and emotionally resonant epic, with a familiar but compelling story and plenty of tear-jerking moments amidst all the macho action. Extra points for the wonderful soundtrack and Joaquin Phoenix's brilliantly hateful performance as the film's villain, Commodus.

The film being overlong and being a formulaic story are fully valid criticisms, but other than that perhaps this is a case of hating something because it's popular. Being a people's favorite as well as such a talked-about film, not to mention one that inspired so many inferior imitations, maybe people got tired of hearing about it.

That's an understandable reaction, but it doesn't make a bad film.

The main reason this one is somewhat cool to hate is probably down to over-exposure. Other than that, it's difficult to see why people took against this in subsequent years. Sure, maybe it wasn't the best film of the year, but it's still a great ride.