Gladiator Fan? Other Sword and Sandal Flicks You'll Love

You loved the movie Gladiator, with Russell Crowe's flexing biceps and Joaquin Phoenix's evil antics. You religiously followed HBO's Rome and now you can't get the sword and sandal genre out of your head. Where can you get your fix? Here's a list of more sword and sandal flicks you'll love.

Cleopatra
Settle in with some popcorn for this epic sword and sandal flick because it's a Hollywood classic. Though filmed in 1963, the movie has aged very well. The sets alone are remarkable in that they were built as authentically as possible, right down to the gold. Though dramatized, the movie has withstood historical scrutiny without major objection. Oh sure, there are those who question whether or not Cleopatra really could have smuggled an asp past Octavian, when the Great Library really burned down and endless bickering among historians about the real reason that Antony and Cleopatra fled from Actium. But when all is said and done, this sword and sandal flick does an admirable job of both engaging and educating the audience. Elizabeth Taylor is stunning, and her performance is so compelling that she became iconic in the role. No matter how many actresses portray Cleopatra, Elizabeth Taylor will always have the edge. Her chemistry with Richard Burton is evident on the screen, and he has some scenes that will stick in your head for years to come. Perhaps an underrated aspect of the movie is Rex Harrison's Julius Caesar. Witty, charming, and urbane, Harrison utters some lines in this movie that will have you laughing out loud. And for those of you who love sword and sandal flicks for the beefcake, well, Richard Burton's tunics couldn't get much shorter. Of all the older sword and sandal flicks, this one is not to be missed.

Ben Hur
You'll never see another chariot race in your entire life as exciting and moving as the one that takes place in Ben Hur. Let George Lucas have his CGI. The racing in this sword and sandal flick is real; the wipeouts are cataclysmic. And that's just the action. Ben Hur is ultimately an intense tale about friendship, betrayal, and spirituality. Charleton Heston portrays Judah Ben Hur to perfection, and though the movie was released in 1959, this sword and sandal flick is touching, even by today's standards.

Spartacus
Of all the older sword and sandal flicks, Spartacus is the most sophisticated, and may well have aged the best due to its forward thinking director, Stanley Kubrick. The movie is based on the true story of a slave who led a gladiator rebellion against the Roman Empire that had the upper classes quaking in their bath houses. This sword and sandal flick is filled with battles and action sequences, but is punctuated by tender romantic moments between Spartacus and the slave girl the Romans tried to give him as a prize. Get the director's cut. The Hollywood censors chopped out some of the more adult-oriented themes of the movie when it was released, and it's better to see the movie whole. As popular as the movie Gladiator may have been, it ultimately suffers in comparison to this classic.

So don't fret. There's more to the sword and sandal genre than the recent spate of films, and you're sure to find an oldie but goodie that fits the bill.