5. Battle For Germania (Gladiator)
Universal PicturesThe opening battle scene of Ridley Scotts Gladiator not only makes it clear that the whole film is going to be jam-packed with thrilling classical battles but also establishes how much of a bad ass General Maximus Decimus Meridius is. The leader of the Roman Army in Germania may be fated to lose his high ranking position to become a slave but this doesnt mean that he doesnt lead his troops with a mastery of military tactics that would impress even Sun Tzu. The organised, efficient killing machine that was the Roman legion are matched against the hairy, scary rabble of the Germanic tribes. They may be visibly intimidating but the tribesmen are overwhelmed by the war machines and flanking attacks of the Romans; like a hot knife slicing through butter. Watching this highly organised war machine do what it does best is cinema at its finest. Despite how seemingly structured the Romans seem to be, classicists and ancient military history experts have suggested that the Roman army is presented as being too much of a rabble. The combat we see in this opening sequence shows many (highly entertaining) one-on-one duels when the reality is that legionaries would never break rank like this. Roman soldiers were taught that staying in a cohort-based formation meant that they had a much better chance of survival. Historically accurate or not, this battle scene is one of the best.